Small Business Administration
SBA · FY2017–FY2026 budget trends
Provides loan guarantees, disaster loans, and counseling to small businesses. Manages government contracting set-asides for small and disadvantaged firms. Combined spending is modest at $325 million, but its loan guarantee programs are far larger.
💰 Taxpayer Accountability
SBA's loan guarantee programs expose taxpayers to billions in potential losses. The PPP debacle during COVID — rife with fraud estimated at over $200 billion — showed what happens when SBA scales up without adequate controls. Even in normal times, the agency's definition of 'small business' is surprisingly elastic, allowing firms with hundreds of employees and millions in revenue to qualify.
Budget Authority (FY2026)
$5.9B
Total Contracts
$110.9M
Total Grants
$213.7M
Contracts vs Grants
Budget Trend
Year-over-Year Changes
| FY | Budget | YoY | Obligated | YoY | Outlays | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $3.7B | — | $2.3B | — | $2.2B | — |
| 2018 | $4.7B | +29.2% | $2.8B | +18.6% | $2.6B | +17.3% |
| 2019 | $3.1B | -33.9% | $1.7B | -40.2% | $1.6B | -38.0% |
| 2020 | $764.6B | +24386.8% | $590.2B | +35544.8% | $580.9B | +35786.3% |
| 2021 | $413.4B | -45.9% | $348.4B | -41.0% | $351.0B | -39.6% |
| 2022 | $44.2B | -89.3% | $35.5B | -89.8% | $36.6B | -89.6% |
| 2023 | $36.7B | -17.1% | $32.3B | -9.0% | $32.4B | -11.6% |
| 2024 | $40.1B | +9.4% | $36.6B | +13.4% | $36.6B | +13.0% |
| 2025 | $17.3B | -56.9% | $12.5B | -65.7% | $12.1B | -66.8% |
| 2026 | $5.9B | -66.1% | $410.5M | -96.7% | $403.0M | -96.7% |
Related Pages
Budget Functions
How federal spending is categorized by purpose and function.
Read more →Top Contractors
Which companies receive the most federal contract dollars.
Read more →Spending Explosion
How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.
Read more →Sub-Agencies
Detailed spending by sub-agencies and bureaus.
Read more →Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury