Main Street Lending Program For-Profit Businesses Frequently Asked Questions (September 18, 2020)
Summary
A version of the frequently asked questions on the Main Street Lending Program facilities for for-profit businesses, the Main Street New Loan Facility (MSNLF), the Main Street Priority Loan Facility (MSPLF) and the Main Street Expanded Loan Facility (MSELF), issued September 18, 2020. A notice at the top states that it was replaced with a new version on October 30, 2020 and is no longer effective. The FAQs open with purpose and design, including how Treasury supports the program, whether loans are forgivable and how the program differs from the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility, and go on to borrower and lender eligibility, loan terms and certifications. The document closes with tables of the financial data borrowers must report quarterly, such as the dates of covenant defaults and cures.
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Full text
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
Main Street Lending Program
For-Profit Businesses
Frequently Asked Questions
This document is intended to address frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Main Street
Lending Program (Main Street or Program) facilities for for-profit businesses, including the
Main Street New Loan Facility (MSNLF), the Main Street Priority Loan Facility (MSPLF), and the
Main Street Expanded Loan Facility (MSELF). A separate document, available here, is intended
to address FAQs about Program facilities applicable to nonprofit organizations: the Nonprofit
Organization New Loan Facility (NONLF) and Nonprofit Organization Expanded Loan Facility
(NOELF). The Federal Reserve will periodically update these FAQs. Please check the website of
the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRB Boston) for new FAQs or revisions to previously issued
FAQs.
A. Purpose and Design ............................................................................................................ 10
A.1. Why is the Federal Reserve establishing the Program? ........................................................... 10
A.2. How is the Department of the Treasury supporting the Program? ......................................... 10
A.3. Are loans that are originated or upsized in connection with the Program forgivable? ........... 10
A.4. What are the differences between the MSNLF, the MSPLF, and the MSELF? ......................... 10
A.5. How long will the Program be in effect? .................................................................................. 11
A.6. Is there a limit to the size of the Program? .............................................................................. 12
A.7. What are the differences between the Program and the Payroll Protection Program and
Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility? .............................................................................. 12
A.8. What provisions of the CARES Act apply to the Program? ....................................................... 12
A.9. What are the conflicts of interest provisions of the CARES Act? ............................................. 13
A.10. Can the principal amount of loans extended under Main Street be reduced?........................ 13
B. MSNLF Loans ...................................................................................................................... 14
B.1. How does the MSNLF work? ..................................................................................................... 14
B.2. What are the terms of MSNLF Loans? ...................................................................................... 14
B.3. What is the effect of the requirement that MSNLF Loans not be “contractually subordinated
in terms of priority” to other loans or debt instruments?....................................................... 14
B.4. Can an Eligible Lender make an MSNLF Loan to a new customer? .......................................... 15
C. MSPLF Loans....................................................................................................................... 15
C.1. How does the MSPLF work? ..................................................................................................... 15
1
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
C.2. What are the terms of MSPLF Loans? ...................................................................................... 15
C.3. Can an Eligible Lender make an MSPLF Loan to a new customer? .......................................... 15
C.4. Can an Eligible Borrower use the proceeds of an MSPLF Loan to refinance its existing loans? ..
............................................................................................................................................ 16
C.5. What does it mean for an MSPLF Loan to be “senior to or pari passu with, in terms of priority
and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other loans or debt instruments, other than mortgage
debt”? ...................................................................................................................................... 16
C.6. If an Eligible Borrower is using an MSPLF Loan to refinance debt it owes to a different lender,
should that debt be counted in its calculation of “existing outstanding and undrawn
available debt”? ....................................................................................................................... 18
D. MSELF Upsized Tranches ..................................................................................................... 18
D.1. How does the MSELF work? ..................................................................................................... 18
D.2. What are the terms of MSELF Upsized Tranches? ................................................................... 19
D.3. Under the MSELF, can an Eligible Lender sell a participation in an upsized tranche of a loan
that was originated as part of a multi-lender facility? ............................................................ 19
D.4. Does the Eligible Lender for the MSELF Upsized Tranche need to have been the lender that
originated the underlying loan?............................................................................................... 20
D.5. If an existing multi-lender facility loan does not have an “opening” or “accordion” clause, can
it still be eligible for upsizing under the MSELF? ..................................................................... 20
D.6. What requirements exist for the loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche? ...................... 20
D.7. Why is the minimum loan size for an MSELF Upsized Tranche $10 million, rather than
$250,000 in the MSNLF and the MSPLF? ................................................................................. 21
D.8. Can the Eligible Lender that sells a participation to the Main Street SPV share its 5% retention
of the MSELF Upsized Tranche with other members of a multi-lender facility? ..................... 21
D.9. What if no EBITDA methodology was used when originating or amending the loan underlying
an MSELF Upsized Tranche? .................................................................................................... 21
D.10. How can the “pass” criterion be satisfied if the loan underlying an upsized tranche was
originated or purchased by an Eligible Lender after December 31, 2019? ............................. 22
D.11. What does it mean for an MSELF Upsized Tranche to be “senior to or pari passu with, in
terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other loans or debt instruments, other
than mortgage debt”?.............................................................................................................. 22
D.12. Is an Eligible Lender required to hold all of its position in the credit facility underlying an
MSELF Upsized Tranche for the life of the loan? ..................................................................... 24
E. Borrower Eligibility ............................................................................................................. 24
E.1. Which entities are eligible to borrow under the Program? ..................................................... 24
2
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
E.2. How is “Business” defined? ...................................................................................................... 26
E.3. How should a Business count employees for purposes of determining eligibility under the
Program? .................................................................................................................................. 27
E.4. How should a Business calculate 2019 revenues for purposes of determining eligibility under
the Program? ........................................................................................................................... 28
E.5. Which entities are a Business’s affiliates for purposes of the employee and revenue eligibility
criteria? .................................................................................................................................... 28
E.6. Are non-profit organizations eligible to borrow under the Program? ..................................... 28
E.7. Will an alternative underwriting metric be developed for asset-based borrowers? ............... 29
E.8. What does “significant operations in the United States” mean?............................................. 29
E.9. Can a U.S. company that is a subsidiary of a foreign company qualify as an Eligible Borrower?
............................................................................................................................................ 29
E.10. Can an otherwise eligible business borrow if its affiliate has already borrowed under a Main
Street Facility or the PMCCF? .................................................................................................. 30
E.11. Is a private equity fund eligible to borrow under the Program?.............................................. 31
E.12. Is a portfolio company of a private equity fund eligible to borrow under the Program? ........ 31
E.13. Are Eligible Lenders required to adopt any special compliance procedures to verify that a
Borrower is not an “Ineligible Business” under 13 CFR 120.110(o)?....................................... 31
E.14. Is a business operating as a sole proprietorship eligible for a Main Street loan?.................... 32
E.15. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 32
E.16. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 32
E.17. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 32
E.18. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 32
E.19. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 32
F. Application Process ............................................................................................................ 32
F.1. How can I apply for a Program loan?........................................................................................ 32
F.2. Is a Business eligible to borrow if it receives a PPP loan or Economic Injury Disaster loan
(EIDL)? ...................................................................................................................................... 33
F.3. Do Eligible Borrowers qualify automatically for a loan under the Program?........................... 33
F.4. Can an Eligible Borrower apply for a Main Street loan through multiple Eligible Lenders? .... 33
G. Terms and Conditions ......................................................................................................... 33
G.1. How will adjusted 2019 EBITDA be calculated? ....................................................................... 33
G.2. How will “existing outstanding and undrawn available debt” be calculated? ......................... 34
3
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.3. Why are Program loans based on LIBOR rather than SOFR? ................................................... 34
G.4. When do I need to start paying interest and principal on my loan? ........................................ 34
G.5. How will principal be amortized after the second year?.......................................................... 35
G.6. Is collateral required for Main Street loans? ............................................................................ 35
G.7. Are there fees associated with Main Street loans? .................................................................. 35
G.8. What constitutes “commercially reasonable efforts” to maintain payroll and retain
employees? .............................................................................................................................. 36
G.9. Can an Eligible Borrower receive more than one Main Street loan? ....................................... 36
G.10. Can an Eligible Borrower receive a loan if its maximum loan size under a facility’s term sheet
test is below the minimum loan size for the same facility? .................................................... 36
G.11. How can an Eligible Borrower determine if its existing loans had an internal risk rating
equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating system on December 31, 2019? ..... 36
G.12. Can a Lender charge a Borrower additional fees above the Main Street origination fee and/or
an interest rate above LIBOR + 300 basis points? ................................................................... 37
G.13. What methodology should be used to adjust EBITDA if an Eligible Lender has used a range of
methods in the past with respect to a single Eligible Borrower or similarly situated
borrowers? ............................................................................................................................... 37
G.14. For purposes of adjusting EBITDA, how does an Eligible Lender identify “similarly situated
borrowers”? ............................................................................................................................. 37
G.15. Why is the Federal Reserve allowing adjustments to EBITDA for purposes of Main Street
when it has noted supervisory concerns with these adjustments in the past? Is there a limit
to how much EBITDA can be adjusted? ................................................................................... 38
G.16. Do PPP loans count as “outstanding debt” for purposes of Main Street? ............................... 38
G.17. How will Eligible Borrower prepayments of a Main Street loan be applied against the
principal amount due and future amortization payments? .................................................... 38
G.18. Can permissible fees charged at the time of origination be included in the principal amount
of a Main Street loan?.............................................................................................................. 39
G.19. Are Eligible Lenders allowed to include a LIBOR floor in the interest rate on a Main Street
Loan? ........................................................................................................................................ 39
G.20. Can an otherwise Eligible Borrower receive a Main Street loan if it was not in operation
during 2019? ............................................................................................................................ 39
G.21. Are there any prohibitions on the use of proceeds of a Main Street loan? ............................. 39
G.22. Is an Eligible Lender restricted from setting monthly or quarterly interest payments after the
first year, or will interest be required to be payable annually along with amortization
payments of principal?............................................................................................................. 40
4
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.23. Can an Eligible Lender require an Eligible Borrower to provide collateral or guarantees solely
with respect to the Eligible Lender’s 5% retained portion of a Main Street loan? ................. 40
G.24. Are personal guarantees required and/or permitted?............................................................. 40
G.25. If an Eligible Borrower’s outstanding debt is maturing within 90 days, can a Main Street loan
be used to refinance such debt at the time of origination? .................................................... 41
G.26. Can an Eligible Lender or Eligible Borrower hedge interest rate and credit risk in connection
with Main Street loans? ........................................................................................................... 41
G.27. Can Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers agree to include cash collateral deposits,
compensating balances, cash reserve accounts, or cash escrow accounts at origination or
during the life of a Main Street loan as part of the loan terms? ............................................. 41
H. Certifications and Covenants............................................................................................... 42
H.1. Are the required certifications and covenants under the three Main Street facilities the
same? ....................................................................................................................................... 42
H.2. What compensation, stock repurchase and capital distributions restrictions apply? ............. 42
H.3. What restrictions are placed on the Eligible Borrower’s ability to repay existing debt? ......... 43
H.4. Is an Eligible Lender permitted to accept partial repayment of an Eligible Borrower’s existing
line of credit with the Eligible Lender? .................................................................................... 44
H.5. What restrictions are placed on an Eligible Lender’s ability to cancel or reduce any existing
committed lines of credit outstanding?................................................................................... 44
H.6. What is the Eligible Lender’s role in verifying certifications and covenants? .......................... 44
H.7. What debt and interest payments are considered “mandatory and due”? ............................ 44
H.8. Can an Eligible Borrower receive an MSNLF Loan or an MSELF Upsized Tranche if its existing
debt arrangements require prepayment of an amount that is not de minimis upon the
incurrence of new debt? .......................................................................................................... 45
H.9. How must a Main Street borrower demonstrate that it is “unable to secure adequate credit
accommodations from other banking institutions”?............................................................... 45
H.10. How should Eligible Borrowers prepare financial records and determine inputs to their 2019
adjusted EBITDA calculation in connection with section 4.A of the Borrower Certifications
and Covenants?........................................................................................................................ 46
H.11. In certifying that an Eligible Borrower or Eligible Lender is not a “covered entity” under the
conflicts of interest certification, what level of reasonable diligence is required with regard
to equity interests (including non-voting preferred stock) held by financial intermediaries? 47
H.12. How should Eligible Borrowers calculate “total compensation” for purposes of complying
with limits on compensation under the direct loan restrictions? ........................................... 48
5
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
H.13. What if an Eligible Borrower chooses, at the time of disbursement of the Main Street loan, to
calculate total compensation using the federal tax rules for all officers or employees that
were not Significant Deferred Compensation Recipients (as defined in question H.12), and
the Eligible Borrower later increases the amount of deferred compensation so that one or
more of these individuals become Significant Deferred Compensation Recipients? ............. 50
H.14. What if an Eligible Borrower that has chosen to calculate total compensation using the
federal tax rules (as permitted by question H.12) later becomes a public company? ............ 50
H.15. Is a tribal business prohibited from paying dividends or making other capital distributions to
a tribal government owner under the covenant in section 2.D of the Borrower Certifications
and Covenants?........................................................................................................................ 51
H.16. How should an Eligible Borrower that is organized as a partnership, limited liability company,
S corporation, or similar tax pass-through entity comply with restrictions on compensation
and capital distributions under the direct loan restrictions with respect to payments made to
owners of the Eligible Borrower? ............................................................................................ 51
H.17. How do the capital distribution and repurchase restrictions apply to ownership interests held
by Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)? ........................................................................ 53
H.18. Do certifications and covenants apply to successors? ............................................................. 54
H.19. How do the compensation, capital distribution, and stock repurchase restrictions apply to an
organization in which more than one entity borrows from the Main Street Lending Program?
............................................................................................................................................ 54
H.20. Do restrictions on dividend payments and capital distributions apply to loans made by an
Eligible Borrower to an individual that is an owner of such Eligible Borrower? ..................... 54
H.21. What restrictions apply to an Eligible Borrower’s repayment of a loan made to the Eligible
Borrower by an owner of the Eligible Borrower? .................................................................... 55
H.22. Do restrictions on compensation apply to loans made by an Eligible Borrower to an
employee or officer of such Eligible Borrower? ...................................................................... 56
H.23. How should an Eligible Borrower that is an S Corporation comply with the requirement to
conduct an annual reconciliation with respect to distributions paid to cover its owners’ tax
obligations? .............................................................................................................................. 56
H.24. How should I read the term “Borrower” in the Borrower Certifications and Covenants for
multi-borrower loans? ............................................................................................................. 57
H.25. How should I read the term “Borrower” in the Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and
Covenants for multi-borrower loans?...................................................................................... 57
I. Lender Information............................................................................................................. 59
I.1. Which financial institutions are eligible to make loans under the Program? .......................... 59
I.2. How should an Eligible Lender evaluate an Eligible Borrower’s creditworthiness? ................ 59
6
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
I.3. Can multiple affiliated Eligible Lenders participate in Main Street? ........................................ 60
I.4. Will standard loan documents be provided for Main Street loans, or should Eligible Lenders
use their own loan documentation?........................................................................................ 60
I.5. How should an Eligible Lender account for the transfer of an undivided participation interest
in the loan to the Main Street SPV?......................................................................................... 60
I.6. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV under the Program
constitute “true participations”? ............................................................................................. 61
I.7. Does the sale of participation interests to the Main Street SPV meet the criteria for a true
sale under the Bankruptcy Code? ............................................................................................ 63
I.8. Does the Main Street SPV have the right to put back the participation interests to the Eligible
Lender? .................................................................................................................................... 64
I.9. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV potentially qualify for a
“safe harbor” in relation to FDIC resolution proceedings? ..................................................... 64
I.10. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV potentially qualify for a
“safe harbor” in relation to NCUA resolution proceedings? ................................................... 65
I.11. Does the Servicing Agreement contemplated between the Eligible Lender and the Main
Street SPV impact whether the sale of participation interests can be considered a “true
sale”?........................................................................................................................................ 65
I.12. Will payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest that has accrued (but has not yet been capitalized to
principal) during the period of time starting on the date when the loan agreement is funded
to the date when the loan participation purchase is funded be allocated to the Seller (i.e.,
the Eligible Lender)? ................................................................................................................ 65
I.13. Can an Eligible Lender that is a depository institution pledge its 5% of a Main Street loan to a
Federal Reserve Bank as collateral? ........................................................................................ 66
I.14. [Reserved.] ................................................................................................................................ 66
I.15. Must Main Street loan documents be governed by U.S. law? ................................................. 66
J. Loan Participation............................................................................................................... 66
J.1. What loan documentation is required to sell a participation to the Main Street SPV under the
Program? .................................................................................................................................. 66
J.2. What loan-level information will the SPV collect for credit monitoring purposes? ................ 66
J.3. Is there a limit to the volume of participations the Main Street SPV can purchase from a
single Eligible Lender? .............................................................................................................. 67
J.4. Under the Loan Participation Agreement, when can the Main Street SPV sell its loan
participation or elevate its loan participation into an assignment? ........................................ 67
J.5. What role will the Main Street SPV play in the event an Eligible Borrower enters distress? .. 68
7
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
J.6. How will the Main Street SPV approach decision-making with respect to its voting rights
under the Loan Participation Agreement or Co-Lender Agreement? ..................................... 68
J.7. Will the Main Street SPV assert special administrative priority under Section 507(a)(2) of the
Bankruptcy Code for its claims against an Eligible Borrower in bankruptcy proceedings? .... 69
K. Regulatory Treatment ......................................................................................................... 70
K.1. What is the regulatory capital treatment for the interest in a Main Street loan retained by an
Eligible Lender? ........................................................................................................................ 70
K.2. How will Program loans be treated for supervised firms subject to stress testing? ................ 70
K.3. Are Main Street loans for existing customers considered new accounts for FinCEN Rule CDD
purposes? Are lenders required to collect, certify, or verify beneficial ownership information
in accordance with the rule requirements for existing customers? ........................................ 70
K.4. How will federal supervisors treat loans extended through the Main Street program? ......... 71
K.5. For an Eligible Lender that is a national bank or savings association, do lending limits apply to
the entire size of a Main Street loan, or only the percentage of a loan that is retained by the
Eligible Lender? ........................................................................................................................ 71
K.6. For Eligible Lenders that are federally insured credit unions, does the member business loan
limit apply to the entire size of a Main Street loan, or only the percentage of a loan that is
retained by the Eligible Lender? .............................................................................................. 73
K.7. For Eligible Lenders that are federally insured credit unions, does the limit on commercial
loans to one member apply to the entire size of a Main Street loan, or only the percentage
of a loan that is retained by the Eligible Lender? .................................................................... 73
L. Operational Details ............................................................................................................. 74
L.1. How will the Federal Reserve administer the Program? .......................................................... 74
L.2. What information will the Federal Reserve disclose regarding the Main Street facilities? ..... 74
L.3. How will the remaining capacity of the Program be communicated? ..................................... 74
L.4. Are Eligible Lenders required to commit and pre-fund loans under the Program before the
SPV has committed to purchase its participation in a Program Loan?.................................... 75
L.5. Will the Main Street SPV purchase participations in MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, or MSELF
Upsized Tranches that conform to the April 30, 2020 version of the Program term sheets? 76
L.6. If a loan was originated or upsized in conformance with the April 30, 2020 term sheets, could
it be refinanced or otherwise amended under the June 8, 2020 terms? ................................ 76
L.7. What conditions will the Main Street SPV place on purchasing participations in Program
loans? ....................................................................................................................................... 77
L.8. What financial information is an Eligible Borrower required to submit to an Eligible Lender at
the time of origination of a Main Street loan? What Eligible Borrower financial information
8
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
is an Eligible Lender required to submit to the Main Street Portal with other loan
participation documentation? ................................................................................................. 77
L.9. What information is an Eligible Lender required to submit to the Main Street Portal in
connection with the submission of the documentation required to sell a loan participation to
the Main Street SPV? ............................................................................................................... 79
L.10. What type of Lender Portal security is in place, such that lenders and borrowers can be
assured that their data will be maintained securely? ............................................................. 81
L.11. If an Eligible Lender uses the Condition of Funding Model in Question L.4, how should loan
documents be prepared to reflect the required maturity period, interest rate, deferral and
accrual, principal amortization, and loan number? ................................................................. 81
L.12. Can a single Main Street loan be made to multiple co-borrowers?......................................... 82
M. Other Information .............................................................................................................. 82
M.1. Where should questions regarding the Program be directed? ................................................ 82
M.2. How can I receive updates regarding changes to the Program? .............................................. 83
M.3. Will the Federal Reserve provide further guidance on how to apply the terms of the Program
to individual borrowers? .......................................................................................................... 83
M.4. Are recordings of Main Street webinar sessions available? ..................................................... 83
M.5. Where can I find instructions for how to complete the Main Street legal forms and
agreements? ............................................................................................................................ 83
Appendix A: Loan Document Checklist ...................................................................................... 85
Appendix B: Required Covenants in Loan Documentation .......................................................... 89
I. Priority and Security Covenant ................................................................................................. 89
II. Borrower Certifications and Covenants Material Breach Mandatory Prepayment Provision . 91
III. Cross-Acceleration Provision .................................................................................................... 92
IV. Financial Reporting Covenant ................................................................................................... 93
Appendix C: Required Financial Reporting ................................................................................. 95
9
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
A. Purpose and Design
A.1. Why is the Federal Reserve establishing the Program?
The spread of COVID-19 has harmed communities and substantially disrupted economic activity
in many sectors of the economy. In general, the availability of credit has contracted for small
and medium-sized businesses while, at the same time, the disruptions to economic activity
have heightened the need for such companies to obtain financing. Small and medium-sized
businesses are integral to the U.S. economy and create jobs for a large share of the U.S.
workforce.
Main Street is designed to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses and their
employees across the United States during the current period of financial strain by supporting
the provision of credit to such businesses. The availability of additional credit is intended to
help companies that were in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic maintain their operations and payroll until conditions normalize.
A.2. How is the Department of the Treasury supporting the Program?
The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) will make a $75 billion equity
investment in a Special Purpose Vehicle (Main Street SPV) in connection with the Program. The
funds invested by the Treasury Department were appropriated to the Exchange Stabilization
Fund under section 4027 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
A.3. Are loans that are originated or upsized in connection with the Program
forgivable?
No. Main Street loans are full-recourse loans and are not forgivable. Under section 4003(d)(3)
of the CARES Act, the principal amount of a Main Street loan cannot be reduced through loan
forgiveness.
A.4. What are the differences between the MSNLF, the MSPLF, and the MSELF?
Main Street includes three facilities that lend to for profit businesses, each of which was
authorized by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) under section
13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act. All three facilities use the same Eligible Lender and Eligible
Borrower criteria, and have many of the same features, including the same maturity, interest
rate, deferral of principal for two years, deferral of interest for one year, and ability of the
borrower to prepay without penalty.
Other features of the loans extended in connection with each facility differ. The loan types also
differ in how they interact with the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding debt, including with
respect to the level of pre-crisis indebtedness an Eligible Borrower may have incurred.
10
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
• MSNLF: Eligible Lenders extend new five-year term loans to Eligible Borrowers ranging
in size from $250,000 to $35 million. The maximum size of a loan made in connection
with the MSNLF cannot, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and
undrawn available debt, exceed four times the Eligible Borrower’s adjusted 2019
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). The loans
must not be, at the time of origination or at any time during the term of the Eligible
Loan, contractually subordinated in terms of priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s
other loans or debt instruments. The unique features of loans originated in connection
with the MSNLF (MSNLF Loans) are provided in the MSNLF term sheet.
• MSPLF: Eligible Lenders extend new five-year term loans to Eligible Borrowers ranging
in size from $250,000 to $50 million. The maximum size of a loan made in connection
with the MSPLF cannot, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and
undrawn available debt, exceed six times the Eligible Borrower’s adjusted 2019 EBITDA.
At the time of origination and at all times thereafter, the Eligible Loan must be senior to
or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other loans
or debt instruments, other than mortgage debt. Eligible Borrowers may, at the time of
origination of the loan, refinance existing debt owed by the Eligible Borrower to a lender
that is not the Eligible Lender. The unique features of loans originated in connection
with the MSPLF (MSPLF Loans) are provided in the MSPLF term sheet.
• MSELF: Eligible Lenders increase (or “upsize”) an Eligible Borrower’s existing term loan
or revolving credit facility. The upsized tranche is a five-year term loan ranging in size
from $10 million to $300 million. The maximum size of a loan made in connection with
the MSELF cannot, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and
undrawn available debt, exceed six times the Eligible Borrower’s adjusted 2019 EBITDA.
At the time of upsizing and at all times thereafter, the upsized tranche must be senior to
or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other loans
or debt instruments, other than mortgage debt. The features associated with tranches
of loans that are upsized in connection with the MSELF (MSELF Upsized Tranches) are
outlined in the MSELF term sheet.
A.5. How long will the Program be in effect?
The Program was established to respond to uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic and
is authorized to purchase participations in MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized
Tranches until December 31, 2020. The Main Street SPV will cease purchasing loan
participations on December 31, 2020, unless the Program is extended by the Board and the
Treasury Department. The FRB Boston will continue to operate the SPV after such date until
the Main Street SPV’s assets mature or are sold.
11
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
A.6. Is there a limit to the size of the Program?
The Main Street SPV will purchase up to $600 billion of participations in eligible loans. The
Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have assessed this amount to be appropriate in
light of the current financial strains facing Eligible Borrowers. The Federal Reserve and the
Treasury Department will continue to assess the situation and needs of Eligible Borrowers and
may adjust the Program’s size in the future.
A.7. What are the differences between the Program and the Payroll Protection
Program and Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility?
Similar to the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and the Primary Market Corporate Credit
Facility (PMCCF), Main Street was created to assist companies that have been adversely
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these programs, however, was developed to
provide liquidity to companies of different sizes:
• PPP: The PPP was established by the CARES Act and implemented by the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to support the payroll and operations of small businesses through
the issuance of government-guaranteed loans that include a forgiveness feature for
borrowers that satisfy the requirements of the PPP.
• Main Street: The Federal Reserve designed Main Street to support small and medium-
sized businesses that were unable to access the PPP or that require additional financial
support after receiving a PPP loan. Main Street loans are not forgivable.
• PMCCF: The Federal Reserve established the PMCCF to support large companies
through the purchase of eligible corporate bonds from, and lending through syndicated
loans to, large companies. PMCCF loans are not forgivable.
A.8. What provisions of the CARES Act apply to the Program?
Under section 4003(b)(4) of the CARES Act, the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) is
authorized to make loans and loan guarantees to, and other investments in, programs or
facilities established by the Board for the purpose of providing liquidity to the financial system
that supports lending to eligible businesses, states, or municipalities. The Secretary has
committed $75 billion of the funds appropriated under Title IV of the CARES Act in the Main
Street SPV in support of the Program. The following restrictions of the CARES Act have been
incorporated into the design of the Program:
• Eligible Business Definition: Section 4002(4) of the CARES Act prevents a business from
participating in the Program if it has “otherwise received adequate economic relief in
the form of loans or loan guarantees provided under [the Coronavirus Economic
Stabilization Act of 2020 (Subtitle A of Title IV of the CARES Act)].” Consistent with this
12
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
restriction, businesses that are receiving “specific support” pursuant to section
4003(b)(1)-(3) are not eligible for the Program.
• Direct Loans: Eligible Borrowers must commit to comply with the restrictions that apply
to direct loan programs under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act, except that an
S corporation or other tax pass-through entity that is an Eligible Borrower may make
distributions to the extent reasonably required to cover its owners’ tax obligations in
respect of the entity’s earnings.
• U.S. Business Requirement: Under section 4003(c)(3)(C) of the CARES Act, Eligible
Borrowers must be “businesses that are created or organized in the United States or
under the laws of the United States and that have significant operations in and a
majority of its employees based in the United States.”
• Loan Forgiveness Prohibition: Under section 4003(d)(3), the principal amount of the
portion of any MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche that is participated
to the Main Street SPV cannot be reduced through loan forgiveness. See question A.10
for more information about this requirement.
• Conflicts of Interest: Under section 4019 of the CARES Act, Eligible Lenders and Eligible
Borrowers will be required to certify that no “Covered Individual” owns, controls, or
holds 20% or more (by vote or value) of any class of equity ownership interest in the
business. “Covered Individuals” include the President, the Vice President, the head of
any Executive Department, any Member of Congress, and certain immediate family
members of the foregoing.
A.9. What are the conflicts of interest provisions of the CARES Act?
Section 4019 of the CARES Act prohibits entities in which certain government officials (list here)
and some of their immediate family members have a “controlling interest” from participating in
certain government programs, including Main Street. Each participating entity, both Eligible
Lenders and Eligible Borrowers, will be required to certify that the entity is not a “covered
entity” as defined in section 4019 of the CARES Act. Detailed instructions are provided in the
Lender Registration Certifications and Covenants and the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Borrower
Certifications and Covenants.
A.10. Can the principal amount of loans extended under Main Street be reduced?
Main Street is not a grant program and is subject to the prohibition on loan forgiveness in
section 4003(d)(3) of the CARES Act. In the event of restructurings or workouts, the Main
Street SPV may agree to reductions in interest (including capitalized interest), extended
amortization schedules and maturities, and higher priority “priming” loans.
13
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
B. MSNLF Loans
B.1. How does the MSNLF work?
Eligible Lenders may extend a new MSNLF Loan to an Eligible Borrower and sell a 95%
participation in that MSNLF Loan to the Main Street SPV at par value. All such sales will be
structured as “true sales” and must be completed expeditiously after the origination of the
MSNLF Loan. The Eligible Lender must retain 5% of the MSNLF Loan until (i) it matures or
(ii) neither the Main Street SPV nor a Governmental Assignee holds an interest in MSNLF Loan
in any capacity, whichever comes first. The Main Street SPV and the Eligible Lender would
share in any losses on the MSNLF Loan on a pari passu basis.
The Eligible Borrower must have been in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In order for an Eligible Borrower to receive an MSNLF Loan, any existing
loan it had outstanding with the Eligible Lender as of December 31, 2019, must have had an
internal risk rating (based on the Eligible Lender’s risk rating system) that was equivalent to a
“pass” in the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s (FFIEC) supervisory rating
system as of that date.
B.2. What are the terms of MSNLF Loans?
The MSNLF term sheet is available on the Board’s Main Street page. More information will be
made available on that page regarding loan participation terms, credit administration, and loan
servicing.
B.3. What is the effect of the requirement that MSNLF Loans not be
“contractually subordinated in terms of priority” to other loans or debt
instruments?
An MSNLF Loan, at the time of origination or at any time during its term, may not be
contractually subordinated in terms of priority to the Eligible Borrower’s other loans or debt
instruments. This means that an MSNLF Loan may not be junior in priority in bankruptcy to the
Eligible Borrower’s other unsecured loans or debt instruments.1 This provision does not
prevent:
• the issuance of an MSNLF Loan that is a secured loan (including in a second lien or other
capacity) to an Eligible Borrower, whether or not the Eligible Borrower has an
outstanding secured loan of any lien position or maturity;
1
For the avoidance of doubt, prohibitions on contractual subordination with respect to Main Street loans do not
prevent the incurrence of obligations that have mandatory priority under the Bankruptcy Code or other insolvency
laws that apply to entities generally.
14
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
• the issuance of an MSNLF Loan that is an unsecured loan to an Eligible Borrower,
regardless of the term or secured or unsecured status of the Eligible Borrower’s existing
indebtedness; or
• the Eligible Borrower from taking on new secured or unsecured debt after receiving an
MSNLF Loan, provided the new debt would not have higher contractual priority in
bankruptcy than the MSNLF Loan.
B.4. Can an Eligible Lender make an MSNLF Loan to a new customer?
Yes. Eligible Lenders should follow their normal policies and procedures for originating a loan
to a new customer, including Know Your Customer procedures. In addition, when sizing the
amount of the Eligible Loan, the Eligible Lender must require the Eligible Borrower to use an
adjusted EBITDA methodology that is based on a methodology that the Eligible Lender has
previously required to be used to adjust EBITDA when extending credit to similarly situated
borrowers on or before April 24, 2020.
C. MSPLF Loans
C.1. How does the MSPLF work?
Eligible Lenders may extend a new MSPLF Loan to an Eligible Borrower and sell a 95%
participation in that MSPLF Loan to the Main Street SPV at par value. All such sales will be
structured as “true sales” and must be completed expeditiously after the origination of the
MSPLF Loan. The Eligible Lender must retain 5% of the MSPLF Loan until (i) it matures or
(ii) neither the Main Street SPV nor a Governmental Assignee holds an interest in the MSPLF
Loan in any capacity, whichever comes first. The Main Street SPV and the Eligible Lender would
share in any losses on the MSPLF Loan on a pari passu basis.
The Eligible Borrower must have been in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In order for an Eligible Borrower to receive an MSPLF Loan, any existing
loan it had outstanding with the Eligible Lender as of December 31, 2019, must have had an
internal risk rating (based on the Eligible Lender’s risk rating system) that was equivalent to a
“pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating system as of that date.
C.2. What are the terms of MSPLF Loans?
The MSPLF term sheet is available on the Board’s Main Street page. More information will be
made available on that page regarding loan participation terms, credit administration, and loan
servicing.
C.3. Can an Eligible Lender make an MSPLF Loan to a new customer?
Please see the answer to question B.4 above.
15
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
C.4. Can an Eligible Borrower use the proceeds of an MSPLF Loan to refinance its
existing loans?
At the time of origination of an MSPLF Loan, an Eligible Borrower may use the proceeds of the
MSPLF Loan to prepay existing debt that is outstanding and owed to lenders other than the
Eligible Lender that originates the MSPLF Loan and the Eligible Lender’s affiliates. In other
words, the proceeds of an MSPLF Loan can be used to refinance existing loans owed to other
unaffiliated lenders.
After origination and until the MSPLF Loan is repaid in full, the Eligible Borrower must refrain
from repaying the principal balance of, or paying any interest on, any debt other than the
MSPLF Loan, unless the debt or interest payment is mandatory and due. See questions H.3 and
H.7 below for further information on the debt repayment restrictions.
C.5. What does it mean for an MSPLF Loan to be “senior to or pari passu with, in
terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other loans or debt
instruments, other than mortgage debt”?
MSPLF Loans must be senior to or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible
Borrower’s other Loans or Debt Instruments, other than Mortgage Debt (the MSPLF Priority
and Security Requirement). The MSPLF Priority and Security Requirement is designed to
prevent MSPLF Loans from being subordinated or otherwise disadvantaged in terms of priority
or security in relation to the other Loans or Debt Instruments of the Eligible Borrower, except
for Mortgage Debt.
For purposes of the MSPLF Priority and Security Requirement:
• “Loans or Debt Instruments” means debt for borrowed money and all obligations
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments,
and all guarantees of the foregoing.
• “Mortgage Debt” means (i) debt secured only by real property at the time of the MSPLF
Loan’s origination; 2 and (ii) limited recourse equipment financings (including equipment
capital or finance leasing and purchase money equipment loans) secured only by the
acquired equipment.
2
On July 15, 2020, the definition of “mortgage debt” was clarified to reflect that debt secured by real property
qualifies as mortgage debt only if it is solely secured by real property. This clarification is intended to be
incorporated into the definition of mortgage debt under the MSPLF Borrower Certifications and Covenants and
Lender Transaction-Specific Certifications and Covenants. MSPLF Loans extended (i.e., funded or submitted to the
Main Street Lender Portal) in good faith on or before July 17, 2020 that do not reflect this clarification are not
adversely affected by the clarification.
16
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
Time of Origination: To comply with the MSPLF Priority and Security Requirement at the time
of origination, Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers must apply the following guidance:
• Secured Loans: The MSPLF Loan must be secured if, at the time of origination, the
Eligible Borrower has any other secured Loans or Debt Instruments, other than
Mortgage Debt.
o Pari Passu or Senior in Priority: The MSPLF Loan must not be contractually
subordinated in terms of priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or
Debt Instruments.
o Pari Passu or Senior in Security:
If the MSPLF Loan is secured because the Eligible Borrower has other
secured debt that is not Mortgage Debt, then the Collateral Coverage
Ratio for the MSPLF Loan at the time of its origination must be either (i)
at least 200% or (ii) not less than the aggregate Collateral Coverage Ratio
for all of the Borrower’s other secured Loans or Debt Instruments (other
than Mortgage Debt).
• “Collateral Coverage Ratio” means (i) the aggregate value of any
relevant collateral security, including the pro rata value of any
shared collateral, divided by (ii) the outstanding aggregate
principal amount of the relevant debt. For examples of Collateral
Coverage Ratio calculations, please see this document.
If the MSPLF Loan is secured by the same collateral as any of the Eligible
Borrower’s other Loans or Debt Instruments (other than Mortgage Debt)
because the Eligible Borrower has other secured debt that is not
Mortgage Debt, the lien upon such collateral securing the MSPLF Loan
must be and remain senior to or pari passu with the lien(s) of the other
creditor(s) upon such collateral. The MSPLF Loan need not share in all of
the collateral that secures the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or Debt
Instruments.
For the avoidance of doubt, if an Eligible Borrower has no other secured
debt (other than Mortgage Debt), the Collateral Coverage Ratio and pari
passu requirements do not apply to the collateral that secures the MSPLF
Loan.
• Unsecured Loans: The MSPLF Loan can be unsecured only if the Eligible Borrower does
not have, as of the date of origination, any secured Loans or Debt Instruments (other
than Mortgage Debt). Unsecured MSPLF Loans must not be contractually subordinated
17
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
in terms of priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s other unsecured Loans or Debt
Instruments. See question B.3 for more information on contractual subordination.
Life of the Loan: In order to comply with the MSPLF Priority and Security Requirement during
the term of the MSPLF Loan after the date of origination, the loan documentation for the
MSPLF Loan must:
• ensure that the MSPLF Loan does not become contractually subordinated in terms of
priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s other loans or debt instruments; and
• contain a lien covenant or negative pledge that is of the type – and contains exceptions,
limitations, carve-outs, baskets, materiality thresholds, and qualifiers – that are
consistent with those used by the Eligible Lender in its ordinary course lending to
similarly situated borrowers. Appendix B contains a model lien covenant that Eligible
Lenders should reference when drafting their loan documentation.
See question G.14 for more information on identifying similarly situated borrowers. See the
MSPLF Borrower Certifications and Covenants and MSPLF Lender Transaction Specific
Certifications and Covenants for more information about the responsibilities that Borrowers
and Lenders have in relation to the MSPLF Priority and Security Requirement.
C.6. If an Eligible Borrower is using an MSPLF Loan to refinance debt it owes to a
different lender, should that debt be counted in its calculation of “existing
outstanding and undrawn available debt”?
No. The outstanding debt of the Eligible Borrower that is being refinanced by an MSPLF Loan
should not be included in the calculation of the Eligible Borrower’s “existing outstanding and
undrawn available debt.” To the extent that such outstanding debt is only being partially
refinanced by the Main Street loan, only the portion that is being refinanced may be excluded
from the “existing outstanding and undrawn available debt” calculation. The Eligible Borrower
must ensure that all such excluded debt is fully refinanced by the Main Street loan
expeditiously.
D. MSELF Upsized Tranches
D.1. How does the MSELF work?
Eligible Lenders that have extended an existing term loan or revolving credit facility to an
Eligible Borrower may increase (or “upsize”) that extension of credit, by adding a new
increment (or “tranche”). Eligible Lenders may sell a 95% participation in the MSELF Upsized
Tranche to the Main Street SPV at par value. All such sales will be structured as “true sales”
and must be completed expeditiously after the upsizing. The Eligible Lender must retain 5% of
the MSELF Upsized Tranche until (i) it matures or (ii) neither the Main Street SPV nor a
18
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
Governmental Assignee holds an interest in MSELF Upsized Tranche in any capacity, whichever
comes first. The Eligible Lender must also retain its interest in the underlying loan until (i) that
loan matures, (ii) the MSELF Upsized Tranche matures, or (iii) neither the Main Street SPV nor a
Governmental Assignee holds an interest in the MSELF Upsized Tranche in any capacity,
whichever comes first. The Main Street SPV and the Eligible Lender would share in any losses
on the MSELF Upsized Tranche on a pari passu basis. Any collateral that secures the underlying
loan must secure the upsized tranche on a pari passu basis.
To be eligible for “upsizing,” the existing term loan or revolving credit facility must have been
originated on or before April 24, 2020, and must have a remaining maturity of at least
18 months. The Eligible Lender may extend the maturity of an existing loan or revolving credit
facility at the time of upsizing in order for the underlying instrument to satisfy the 18-month
remaining maturity requirement.
The Eligible Borrower must have been in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The existing loan or revolving credit facility must have had a risk rating,
based on the Eligible Lender’s internal rating system, equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s
supervisory rating system as of December 31, 2019.
D.2. What are the terms of MSELF Upsized Tranches?
The MSELF term sheet is available on the Board’s Main Street page. More information will be
made available on that page regarding loan participation terms, credit administration, and loan
servicing.
D.3. Under the MSELF, can an Eligible Lender sell a participation in an upsized
tranche of a loan that was originated as part of a multi-lender facility?
If the loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche is part of a multi-lender facility, the Eligible
Lender must be one of the lenders that holds an interest in the underlying loan at the date of
upsizing. Only the Eligible Lender for the MSELF Upsized Tranche is required to meet the
Eligible Lender criteria. Other members of the multi-lender facility are not required to be
Eligible Lenders.
More than one lender under an existing multi-lender facility may choose to “upsize” the
existing facility to originate an MSELF Upsized Tranche. Such MSELF Upsized Tranches should
be separately submitted to the SPV for the sale of a participation interest. However, the
Eligible Borrower’s aggregate borrowing is constrained by the MSELF maximum loan size tests
and, therefore, the Eligible Borrower’s aggregate borrowing cannot exceed $300 million or an
amount that, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and undrawn
available debt, exceeds six times the Eligible Borrower’s adjusted 2019 EBITDA.
19
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
D.4. Does the Eligible Lender for the MSELF Upsized Tranche need to have been
the lender that originated the underlying loan?
No. The Eligible Lender is not required to have been the lender that originally extended the
loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche. If the Eligible Lender purchased the interest in the
underlying loan as of December 31, 2019, the Eligible Lender must have assigned an internal
risk rating to the underlying loan equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating system
as of that date. If the Eligible Lender purchased the interest after December 31, 2019, the
Eligible Lender should use the internal risk rating given to that loan at the time of purchase to
determine whether the loan is eligible for upsizing under the MSELF.
The position that an Eligible Lender relies upon to upsize a loan in connection with the MSELF
may have been purchased from an Eligible Lender or a non-eligible lender.
D.5. If an existing multi-lender facility loan does not have an “opening” or
“accordion” clause, can it still be eligible for upsizing under the MSELF?
Yes. The Eligible Borrower, Eligible Lender(s), and any other required parties must amend the
underlying credit agreements as needed to comply with the requirements set out in the MSELF
term sheet.
D.6. What requirements exist for the loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche?
The loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche can be a secured or unsecured term loan or
revolving credit facility that:
• was made by an Eligible Lender(s) to an Eligible Borrower;
• is currently held, at least in part, by an Eligible Lender;
• was originated on or before April 24, 2020;
• has a remaining maturity of at least 18 months (taking into account any adjustments
made to the maturity of the loan after April 24, 2020, including at the time of upsizing);
and
• received an internal risk rating equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating
system by the Eligible Lender, as of December 31, 2019, or otherwise satisfies the
criteria set out in question D.10.
Any collateral securing the Eligible Loan (at the time of upsizing or on any subsequent date)
must secure the MSELF Upsized Tranche on a pari passu basis.
20
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
D.7. Why is the minimum loan size for an MSELF Upsized Tranche $10 million,
rather than $250,000 in the MSNLF and the MSPLF?
The MSELF was designed to meet the needs of borrowers with existing loan arrangements,
particularly those with larger and more complex existing loans, where pre-existing loan
documentation can be used. As a result, the minimum loan size for an MSELF Upsized Tranche
is $10 million.
The Federal Reserve recognizes that some aspects of an MSELF Upsized Tranche, such as the
potential for a larger loan size associated with the requirement that outstanding and available
undrawn debt not exceed six times adjusted EBITDA, may be attractive to Eligible Borrowers
seeking a loan below $10 million. The MSPLF offers similar leverage limitations for Eligible
Borrowers and has a minimum loan size of $250,000.
The Federal Reserve will continue to evaluate whether the loan amounts allowed under the
Program should be adjusted to enhance the Program’s efficacy. Any such adjustments would
be communicated well in advance of their effective date to ensure that Eligible Lenders and
Eligible Borrowers are not adversely affected.
D.8. Can the Eligible Lender that sells a participation to the Main Street SPV
share its 5% retention of the MSELF Upsized Tranche with other members of
a multi-lender facility?
No. The Eligible Lender must retain 5% of the MSELF Upsized Tranche, even when the
underlying loan is part of a multi-lender facility. The Eligible Lender must retain 5% of the
MSELF Upsized Tranche until (A) the MSELF Upsized Tranche matures or (B) neither the Main
Street SPV nor a Governmental Assignee holds an interest in the loan in any capacity, whichever
occurs first.
D.9. What if no EBITDA methodology was used when originating or amending the
loan underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche?
If the Eligible Borrower’s EBITDA was not calculated or included in the loan documentation or
internal risk analysis when originating the loan or revolving credit facility that would underlie an
MSELF Upsized Tranche, the Eligible Lender must require the Eligible Borrower to calculate its
adjusted EBITDA using a methodology that the Eligible Lender has required to be used in other
contexts for the Eligible Borrower or, if there is no such calculation, for similarly situated
borrowers. See questions G.13 and G.14 for more information.
21
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
D.10. How can the “pass” criterion be satisfied if the loan underlying an upsized
tranche was originated or purchased by an Eligible Lender after December
31, 2019?
If an existing loan was originated or purchased by an Eligible Lender after December 31, 2019,
the Eligible Lender should use the internal risk rating given to that loan at origination or
purchase (as applicable) to determine whether the loan satisfies the “pass” criterion for
upsizing under the MSELF.
D.11. What does it mean for an MSELF Upsized Tranche to be “senior to or pari
passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other
loans or debt instruments, other than mortgage debt”?
MSELF Upsized Tranches must be senior to or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security,
the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or Debt Instruments, other than Mortgage Debt (the MSELF
Priority and Security Requirement). The MSELF Priority and Security Requirement is designed
to prevent MSELF Upsized Tranches from being subordinated or otherwise disadvantaged in
terms of priority or security in relation to the other Loans or Debt Instruments of the Eligible
Borrower, except for Mortgage Debt.
For purposes of the MSELF Priority and Security Requirement:
• “Loans or Debt Instruments” means debt for borrowed money and all obligations
evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments,
and all guarantees of the foregoing.
• “Mortgage Debt” means (i) debt secured only by real property at the time of the MSELF
Upsized Tranche’s origination; 3 and (ii) limited recourse equipment financings
(including equipment capital or finance leasing and purchase money equipment loans)
secured only by the acquired equipment.
Time of Origination: To comply with the MSELF Priority and Security Requirement at the time
of origination, Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers must apply the following guidance:
• Secured Loans: The MSELF Upsized Tranche must be secured if, at the time of
origination, the Eligible Borrower has any other secured Loans or Debt Instruments,
other than Mortgage Debt. The MSELF Upsized Tranche must be secured by the
3
On July 15, 2020, the definition of “mortgage debt” was clarified to reflect that debt secured by real property
qualifies as mortgage debt only if it is solely secured by real property. This clarification is intended to be
incorporated into the definition of mortgage debt under the MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants and
Lender Transaction-Specific Certifications and Covenants. MSELF Upsized Tranches extended (i.e., funded or
submitted to the Main Street Lender Portal) in good faith on or before July 17, 2020 that do not reflect this
clarification are not adversely affected by the clarification.
22
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
collateral (including, if applicable, any Mortgage Debt) securing any other tranche of the
underlying credit facility on a pari passu basis. Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers
may add new collateral to secure the loan (including the MSELF Upsized Tranche on a
pari passu basis) at the time of upsizing. If the underlying credit facility includes both
term loan tranche(s) and revolver tranche(s), the MSELF Upsized Tranche needs to share
collateral on a pari passu basis with the term loan tranche(s) only. Secured MSELF
Upsized Tranches must not be contractually subordinated in terms of priority to any of
the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or Debt Instruments.
• Unsecured Loans: The MSELF Upsized Tranche can be unsecured only if the Eligible
Borrower does not have, as of the date of origination, any secured Loans or Debt
Instruments (other than Mortgage Debt that does not secure any other tranche of the
underlying credit facility). Unsecured MSELF Upsized Tranches must not be
contractually subordinated in terms of priority to the Eligible Borrower’s other
unsecured Loans or Debt Instruments. See question B.3 for more information on
contractual subordination.
Life of the Loan: In order to comply with the MSELF Priority and Security Requirement during
the term of the MSELF Upsized Tranche after the date of origination, the loan documentation
for the MSELF Upsized Tranche must:
• ensure that the MSELF Upsized Tranche does not become contractually subordinated in
terms of priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or Debt Instruments;
• ensure that the MSELF Upsized Tranche remains secured on a pari passu basis by the
collateral securing the underlying credit facility, as described in the “time of
origination” section above; and
• contain a lien covenant or negative pledge that is of the type – and contains exceptions,
limitations, carve-outs, baskets, materiality thresholds, and qualifiers – that are
consistent with those used by the Eligible Lender in its ordinary course lending to
similarly situated borrowers.
o Appendix B contains a model lien covenant that Eligible Lenders should
reference when drafting MSELF loan documentation.
o With respect to an underlying credit facility that has more than one lender, any
lien covenant that was negotiated in good faith prior to April 24, 2020, as part of
any underlying MSELF Loan, is sufficient to satisfy this requirement.
See question G.14 for more information on identifying similarly situated borrowers. See the
MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific
Certifications and Covenants for more information about the responsibilities that Borrowers
and Lenders have in relation to the MSELF Priority and Security Requirement.
23
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
D.12. Is an Eligible Lender required to hold all of its position in the credit facility
underlying an MSELF Upsized Tranche for the life of the loan?
After originating an MSELF Upsized Tranche, the Eligible Lender must retain its interest in the
credit facility underlying the MSELF Upsized Tranche until (i) the underlying credit facility
matures, (ii) the MSELF Upsized Tranche matures, or (iii) neither the Main Street SPV nor a
Governmental Assignee holds an interest in the MSELF Upsized Tranche in any capacity,
whichever comes first. 4 This requirement is intended to apply to position(s) that an Eligible
Lender holds in the underlying credit facility for investment purposes, and is not intended to
extend to the purchase or sale of short-term positions by an Eligible Lender’s trading desk with
unaffiliated parties for market-making purposes. In order to be treated as a market-making
position under this exemption, the following conditions must be met:
(i) the position cannot be the position the Eligible Lender relied upon in order to upsize the
loan (i.e., it cannot be an Eligible Lender’s only position in the underlying credit facility);
(ii) the position must be purchased or sold by a trading desk in a transaction with an
unaffiliated party, and must be segregated from the position the lender relied upon to
upsize the loan; and
(iii) the position must be held in an available-for-sale capacity in anticipation of reasonably
expected near term demand.
If an Eligible Lender comes into possession of additional positions in the underlying credit
facility after the upsizing of such facility in connection with the MSELF, it is not required to
retain such new positions.
E. Borrower Eligibility
E.1. Which entities are eligible to borrow under the Program?
To be eligible to borrow under the Program, a Business must satisfy certain eligibility criteria, as
set out in the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF term sheets and described further below. The Eligible
Borrower criteria are the same across all three facilities that facilitate lending to for profit
businesses.
(1) The Business must have been established prior to March 13, 2020. The Business must
have been formed prior to March 13, 2020, under the laws of the United States, one of
the several states, the District of Columbia, any of the territories and possessions of the
United States, or an Indian Tribal government.
4
For the avoidance of doubt, the Eligible Lender may sell down part of its interest in the underlying credit facility
before originating the MSELF Upsized Tranche.
24
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
(2) The Business must not be an Ineligible Business. Ineligible Businesses include
Businesses listed in 13 CFR 120.110(b)-(j), (m)-(s), as modified and clarified by SBA
regulations for purposes of the PPP on or before April 24, 2020. Such modifications and
clarifications include the SBA’s recent interim final rules available at 85 Fed. Reg. 20811,
85 Fed. Reg. 21747, and 85 Fed. Reg. 23450 (released by the SBA on April 24, 2020). In
addition, as of July 15, 2020, the Federal Reserve has incorporated the SBA’s Interim
Final Rules published in the Federal Register on June 18, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 36717) and
June 26, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 38301), which amended the SBA’s earlier Interim Final Rule
published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 20811). The Federal
Reserve may further modify the application of these restrictions to Main Street.
(3) The Business must meet at least one of the following two conditions: (a) the Business
has 15,000 employees or fewer, or (b) the Business has 2019 annual revenues of
$5 billion or less. Businesses must meet at least one of these conditions, but are not
required to meet both. To determine how many employees a Business has or a
Business’s 2019 revenues, the employees and revenues of the Business must be
aggregated with the employees and revenues of its affiliated entities.
(4) The Business must be a U.S. Business. Under section 4003(c)(3)(C) of the CARES Act,
Eligible Borrowers must be Businesses that were created or organized in the United
States or under the laws of the United States with significant operations in and a
majority of their employees based in the United States.
(5) The Business may only participate in one of the Main Street facilities (MSNLF, MSPLF,
MSELF, NONLF, or NOELF) and must not also participate in the PMCCF. An Eligible
Borrower may only participate in one of the Main Street facilities: the MSNLF, the
MSPLF, the MSELF, the NONLF, or the NOELF. In addition, a Business is not an Eligible
Borrower if it participates in the PMCCF.
(6) The Business must not have received specific support pursuant to the Coronavirus
Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 (Subtitle A of Title IV of the CARES Act). A Business
is not eligible if it has received support pursuant to section 4003(b)(1)-(3) of the CARES
Act.
(7) The Business must be able to make all of the certifications and covenants required
under the Program. See the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Borrower Certifications and
Covenants for more information.
Borrowers that satisfy all criteria above may apply to an Eligible Lender for a Main Street loan.
In the case of multi-borrower loans, each borrower must meet borrower eligibility criteria. See
question H.24 for more information. The Eligible Lender is expected to conduct an assessment
25
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
of each potential borrower’s pre-pandemic financial condition and post-pandemic prospects to
determine whether the loan is approved.
For the avoidance of doubt, a Business that has received PPP loans, or that has affiliates that
have received PPP loans, is permitted to borrow under Main Street, provided that the Business
is an Eligible Borrower. Borrowers that are not eligible for a Main Street loan should consult
the Treasury Department and SBA to determine if they are eligible for other relief programs.
E.2. How is “Business” defined?
Businesses must be legally formed entities that are organized for profit as a partnership; a
limited liability company; a corporation; an association; a trust; a cooperative; a joint venture
with no more than 49% participation by foreign business entities; a tribal business concern; or a
tribal economic enterprise that is separate from the related tribal government, even if not a
separate legal entity.
To be eligible for the Program, a tribal business concern must be either (i) wholly owned by one
or more Indian tribal governments, or by a corporation that is wholly owned by one or more
Indian tribal governments, or (ii) owned in part by one or more Indian tribal governments, or by
a corporation that is wholly owned by one or more Indian tribal governments, if all other
owners are either U.S. citizens or Businesses. A tribal business concern must be a separate and
distinct legal entity organized or chartered by the tribe, Federal, or state authorities. An Eligible
Lender must determine, based on its own due diligence and advice from experienced in-house
or outside counsel, that the tribal business either does not have or has effectively waived
sovereign immunity such that U.S. federal courts, in addition to any state court as may be
agreed, may be among courts of competent jurisdiction for matters resulting from the Main
Street loan transaction. Such waiver must extend to the Borrower Certifications and
Covenants, Assignment-in-Blank, and Co-Lender Agreement, as each is applicable.
As of July 31, 2020, the Federal Reserve used its discretion to clarify that tribal economic
enterprises that do not have a separate legal personality from the related tribal government
are “Businesses” and are not “Ineligible Businesses” for purposes of the Program, provided that
the following criteria are met:
• The Eligible Lender must determine that the finances of the tribal economic enterprise
are distinguishable from those of the related tribal government, which may be the
“borrower” named under the loan documents. To make such a determination, Eligible
Lenders should use their customary underwriting processes, which may require
separate financial statements, a board and/or management group distinct from the
tribal government, or other controls deemed sufficient by the Eligible Lender to
establish separateness. Eligible Lenders may also require certifications or other
representations regarding the separateness of the tribal economic enterprise and
related tribal government.
26
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
• The Business and Eligible Lender must use the financial records of the tribal economic
enterprise, and not the records of the tribal government, when applying Program
requirements. For example, the financial records of only the tribal economic enterprise
should be used for the purpose of determining the Eligible Borrower’s EBITDA and
outstanding debt (each, an input to the maximum loan size calculation), as well as for
determining the application of the security and priority requirements under the MSPLF
and MSELF. See questions C.5 and D.11.
• Recourse must be available to the assets of the tribal economic enterprise in a manner
that is customary for loans made to such enterprises by an Eligible Lender. While the
tribal government may be the “borrower” in name, recourse to the assets of the
government that are separate from those of the enterprise may be limited in alignment
with the Eligible Lender’s typical standards for such lending.
• An Eligible Lender must determine, based on its own due diligence and advice from
experienced in-house or outside counsel, that the tribal economic enterprise either does
not have sovereign immunity or the tribe has effectively waived it such that U.S. federal
courts, in addition to any state court as may be agreed, may be among courts of
competent jurisdiction for matters resulting from the Main Street loan transaction.
Such waiver must extend to the Borrower Certifications and Covenants, Assignment-in-
Blank, and Co-Lender Agreement, as each is applicable.
• The tribal economic enterprise must meet all other criteria for being an Eligible
Borrower, as set out in question E.1.
• The principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Business (i.e., the
separate tribal economic enterprise) must be signatories to the Borrower certifications.
Other forms of organization may be considered for inclusion as an Eligible Borrower under the
Program at the discretion of the Federal Reserve.
E.3. How should a Business count employees for purposes of determining
eligibility under the Program?
To be an Eligible Borrower, a Business must meet at least one of the following two conditions:
(a) the Business has 15,000 employees or fewer, or (b) the Business has 2019 annual revenues
of $5 billion or less. To determine how many employees a Business has, it should follow the
framework set out in the SBA’s regulation at 13 CFR 121.106. As set out in 13 CFR 121.106, the
Business should count as employees all full-time, part-time, seasonal, or otherwise employed
persons, excluding volunteers and independent contractors. Businesses should count their own
employees and those employed by their affiliates. In order to determine the applicable number
of employees, Businesses should use the average of the total number of persons employed by
27
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
the Eligible Borrower and its affiliates for each pay period over the 12 months prior to the
origination or upsizing of the Main Street loan.
E.4. How should a Business calculate 2019 revenues for purposes of determining
eligibility under the Program?
To be an Eligible Borrower, a Business must meet at least one of the following two conditions:
(a) the Business has 15,000 employees or fewer, or (b) the Business has 2019 annual revenues
of $5 billion or less. To determine its 2019 annual revenues, Businesses must aggregate their
revenues with those of their affiliates. Businesses may use either of the following methods to
calculate 2019 annual revenues for purposes of determining eligibility:
(1) A Business may use its (and its affiliates’) annual “revenue” per its 2019 U.S. Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles-based (U.S. GAAP) audited financial statements; or
(2) A Business may use its (and its affiliates’) annual receipts for the fiscal year 2019, as
reported to the Internal Revenue Service. For purposes of the Program, the term
“receipts” has the same meaning used by the SBA in 13 CFR 121.104(a).
If a potential borrower (or its affiliate) does not yet have audited financial statements or annual
receipts for 2019, the borrower (or its affiliate) should use its most recent audited financial
statements or annual receipts.
Please see question H.10 with regard to financial records required for other Borrower
Certifications and Covenants. Please see Appendix C for the financial records requirements for
ongoing financial reporting.
E.5. Which entities are a Business’s affiliates for purposes of the employee and
revenue eligibility criteria?
To determine eligibility, a Business’s employees and 2019 revenues are calculated by
aggregating the employees and 2019 revenues of the Business itself with those of the
Business’s affiliated entities in accordance with the affiliation test set forth in 13 CFR 121.301(f)
(1/1/2019 ed.).
E.6. Are non-profit organizations eligible to borrow under the Program?
Yes. As of September 4, 2020, the NONLF and NOELF, each a Main Street facility open to
nonprofit organizations, are operational. A separate document, available here, addresses FAQs
about these facilities.
28
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
E.7. Will an alternative underwriting metric be developed for asset-based
borrowers?
EBITDA is the key underwriting metric required for the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF. The Federal
Reserve and the Treasury Department have considered expansions of Main Street to include
lending based on collateral values and have determined that conditions do not warrant such
changes at this time. We will continue to monitor credit conditions carefully and adjust the
Program as appropriate.
E.8. What does “significant operations in the United States” mean?
To determine if an Eligible Borrower has “significant operations” in the United States, the
Business’s operations should be evaluated on a consolidated basis together with its
subsidiaries, but not its parent companies or sister affiliates. For example, an Eligible Borrower
has significant operations in the United States if, when consolidated with its subsidiaries,
greater than 50% of the Eligible Borrower’s:
• assets are located in the United States;
• annual net income is generated in the United States;
• annual net operating revenues are generated in the United States; or
• annual consolidated operating expenses (excluding interest expense and any other
expenses associated with debt service) are generated in the United States.
This is a non-exhaustive list of examples that reflects the principles that should be applied by a
potential borrower when evaluating its eligibility under this criterion.
E.9. Can a U.S. company that is a subsidiary of a foreign company qualify as an
Eligible Borrower?
An Eligible Borrower must be created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the
United States. For the avoidance of doubt, an Eligible Borrower may be a subsidiary of a
foreign company, provided that the borrower itself is created or organized in the United States
or under the laws of the United States, and the borrower on a consolidated basis has significant
operations in and a majority of its employees based in the United States. However, an Eligible
Borrower that is a subsidiary of a foreign company must use the proceeds of a Main Street loan
only for the benefit of the Eligible Borrower, its consolidated U.S. subsidiaries, and other
affiliates of the Eligible Borrower that are U.S. businesses. The proceeds of a Main Street loan
may not be used for the benefit of such Eligible Borrower’s foreign parents, affiliates or
subsidiaries.
29
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
E.10. Can an otherwise eligible business borrow if its affiliate has already
borrowed under a Main Street Facility or the PMCCF?
An affiliated group of companies can participate in only one Main Street facility, and cannot
participate in both a Main Street facility and the PMCCF. Therefore, borrowers that are
otherwise eligible are subject to the following restrictions:
• If any affiliate of the Business has participated in the PMCCF, the Business may not
borrow under any Main Street facility.
• If an affiliate has previously participated, or has a pending application to participate, in
a Main Street facility, the Business can only participate in Main Street by using the same
Main Street facility accessed by its affiliate. For example, if an Eligible Borrower’s
affiliate has participated in the MSNLF, then the Eligible Borrower would only be able to
participate in the MSNLF and would be prohibited from participating in the MSPLF and
MSELF.
• In no case could the affiliated group’s total participation in a single Main Street facility
exceed the maximum loan size that the entire affiliated group is eligible to receive on a
consolidated basis. As result, an Eligible Borrower’s maximum loan size would be
limited by its own leverage level, the leverage level of the affiliated group on a
consolidated basis, and the size of any loan extended to other affiliates in the group.
For example, in the case of the MSNLF, the Eligible Borrower’s maximum loan size
would be the lesser of:
(1) $35 million (less any amount extended to an affiliate of the Eligible Borrower
under the MSNLF);
(2) an amount that, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and
undrawn available debt, does not exceed four times the Eligible Borrower’s
adjusted 2019 EBITDA; or
(3) an amount that, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s affiliated group’s existing
outstanding and undrawn available debt, does not exceed four times the entire
affiliated group’s adjusted 2019 EBITDA.
For the avoidance of doubt, if an Eligible Borrower is the only Business in its affiliated group
that has sought funding through Main Street, its affiliated group’s debt and EBITDA are not
relevant to determining whether that Business can qualify, except to the extent that the
Borrower’s subsidiaries are consolidated into its financial statements. (See question H.10 for
more information on consolidated financial statements.) If the Eligible Borrower has an
affiliate(s) that has previously borrowed or has an application pending to borrow from a Main
Street facility, then the entire affiliated group’s debt and EBITDA are relevant to the
determining the Eligible Borrower’s maximum loan size.
30
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
For more information on how to identify an Eligible Borrower’s affiliates, see question E.5
above.
E.11. Is a private equity fund eligible to borrow under the Program?
No. As provided in the Program term sheets and question E.1, to be an Eligible Borrower under
the Program, a Business must not be an Ineligible Business listed in 13 CFR 120.110, as modified
and clarified by SBA regulations for purposes of the PPP on or before April 24, 2020. SBA has
determined that private equity funds are primarily engaged in investment or speculation, and
that such Businesses are therefore ineligible to receive PPP loans under 13 CFR 120.110(s). See
SBA PPP Interim Final Rule at 85 Fed. Reg. 23450 (released by the SBA on April 24, 2020).
E.12. Is a portfolio company of a private equity fund eligible to borrow under the
Program?
As provided in question E.5, to determine eligibility, a Business’s employees and 2019 annual
revenues are calculated by aggregating the employees and the 2019 annual revenues of the
Business itself with those of the Business’s affiliated entities in accordance with the affiliation
test set forth in 13 CFR 121.301(f) (1/1/2019 ed.). This affiliation test applies to private equity-
owned Businesses in the same manner as any other Business subject to outside ownership or
control.5
For example, assume Business X seeks to borrow under the Program. Business X has fewer
than 15,000 employees and its 2019 annual revenues were below $5 billion. However,
Business Y owns more than 50% of the voting equity of Business X and Businesses A, B, C, and
D. As a result, Businesses A, B, C, D, X, and Y are all affiliated entities. 13 CFR 121.301(f)(1) and
(3) (1/1/2019 ed.). In order for Business X to be an Eligible Borrower under the Program, it
must meet one of the following two conditions: (a) the aggregate number of employees of
Business X and its affiliated entities must be 15,000 or fewer; or (b) the aggregate 2019 annual
revenues of Business X and its affiliated entities must be $5 billion or less. See 13 CFR
121.301(f)(6) (1/1/2019 ed.).
E.13. Are Eligible Lenders required to adopt any special compliance procedures to
verify that a Borrower is not an “Ineligible Business” under
13 CFR 120.110(o)?
No. The terms of the Program do not impose any verification or other obligations on an Eligible
Lender specifically in relation to 13 CFR 120.110(o). As a general matter, Eligible Lenders that
5
The SBA affiliation exceptions in 13 CFR 121.103(b) apply to the Program, including the exception for business
concerns owned in whole or substantial part by investment companies licensed under the Small Business
Investment Act of 1958, as amended. See 13 CFR 121.301(f)(7) (1/1/2019 ed.).
31
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are subject to regulations designed to prevent improper insider lending (e.g., the Board’s
Regulation O (12 CFR part 215)) should maintain compliance with those pre-existing rules and
regulations without exception or modification for Main Street.
Under the standard of reasonable, good-faith diligence specified in the Borrower Certifications
and Covenants, each prospective Main Street borrower is expected to review the list of
Ineligible Businesses in 13 CFR 120.110(b)-(j) and (m)-(s), and make a reasonable, good-faith
effort to determine if its activities or ownership would cause it to be classified within one of the
listed ineligible categories, including 13 CFR 120.110(o).
For purposes of Main Street only, 6 no borrower shall be deemed ineligible based solely on
ownership by the Eligible Lender and its corporate affiliates of equity interests in the borrower
that do not in the aggregate exceed five percent of the borrower’s total outstanding equity
interests. This five percent “safe harbor” would apply, for instance, to a publicly traded
borrower where a broker-dealer affiliate of an Eligible Lender holds shares of the borrower,
acquired for market-making purposes, in an amount that, taken together with all other equity
interests owned by the Eligible Lender and its corporate affiliates, totals less than five percent
of the borrower’s outstanding equity interests.
E.14. Is a business operating as a sole proprietorship eligible for a Main Street
loan?
No. Sole proprietorships that are not otherwise established under law as a “Business,” as
defined in question E.2, are not Eligible Borrowers.
E.15. [Reserved.]
E.16. [Reserved.]
E.17. [Reserved.]
E.18. [Reserved.]
E.19. [Reserved.]
F. Application Process
F.1. How can I apply for a Program loan?
To obtain a loan under the Program, an Eligible Borrower must submit an application and any
other documentation required by an Eligible Lender to such Eligible Lender. Eligible Borrowers
6
These FAQs do not apply to or affect any other programs, such as the PPP or 7(a) lending programs administered
by the SBA.
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
should contact an Eligible Lender for more information on whether the Eligible Lender plans to
participate in the Program and to request more information on the application process. For a
list of Eligible Lenders that are currently accepting applications from new customers, see here.
Updates regarding the Program will be made available on the Board’s Main Street page.
F.2. Is a Business eligible to borrow if it receives a PPP loan or Economic Injury
Disaster loan (EIDL)?
A Business that receives a loan through the SBA’s PPP or EIDL program can be an Eligible
Borrower under Main Street if it meets the Eligible Borrower criteria.
F.3. Do Eligible Borrowers qualify automatically for a loan under the Program?
No. The Main Street facility term sheets contain requirements that must be satisfied for a loan
to be eligible for participation by the Main Street SPV. At the time of the potential borrower’s
application, an Eligible Lender is expected to assess each borrower’s pre-pandemic financial
condition and post-pandemic prospects, while also taking into account the payment deferral
features in Main Street loans. An Eligible Lender may require additional information and
documentation in making this evaluation and will ultimately determine whether an Eligible
Borrower is approved for a Program loan in light of these considerations. Businesses that
otherwise meet the Eligible Borrower requirements may not be approved for a loan or may not
receive the maximum allowable amount.
F.4. Can an Eligible Borrower apply for a Main Street loan through multiple
Eligible Lenders?
An Eligible Borrower may submit applications for a Main Street loan to more than one Eligible
Lender. However, an Eligible Borrower is required to notify each Eligible Lender to which it
submits an application of any other pending or accepted applications. This requirement is
reflected in Section 5.E of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants.
If an Eligible Borrower’s application for a Main Street loan is declined by an Eligible Lender, the
Eligible Borrower may apply through a different Eligible Lender.
G. Terms and Conditions
G.1. How will adjusted 2019 EBITDA be calculated?
For the MSNLF and MSPLF, the methodology an Eligible Lender requires an Eligible Borrower to
use when calculating its adjusted 2019 EBITDA must be a methodology the Eligible Lender
previously required to be used for adjusting EBITDA when extending credit to the Eligible
Borrower or to similarly situated borrowers on or before April 24, 2020.
33
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
For MSELF Eligible Loans, the methodology an Eligible Lender requires an Eligible Borrower to
use when calculating its adjusted 2019 EBITDA must be the methodology the Eligible Lender
previously required to be used for adjusting EBITDA when originating or amending the
underlying loan on or before April 24, 2020.
G.2. How will “existing outstanding and undrawn available debt” be calculated?
“Existing outstanding and undrawn available debt” includes all amounts borrowed under any
loan facility, including unsecured or secured loans from any bank, non-bank financial institution,
or private lender, as well as any publicly issued bonds or private placement facilities, regardless
of its position in the borrower’s capital structure. 7 It also includes all unused commitments
under any loan facility, excluding (1) any undrawn commitment that serves as a backup line for
commercial paper issuance, (2) any undrawn commitment that is used to finance receivables
(including seasonal financing of inventory), (3) any undrawn commitment that cannot be drawn
without additional collateral, and (4) any undrawn commitment that is no longer available due
to change in circumstance. Existing outstanding and undrawn available debt should be
calculated as of the date of the loan application.
G.3. Why are Program loans based on LIBOR rather than SOFR?
The Federal Reserve received feedback from potential participants that quickly implementing
new systems to issue loans based on SOFR would require diverting resources from challenges
related to the pandemic. Although financial institutions are transitioning to more robust
reference rates, LIBOR remains the most common base rate used in business lending, even
though firms cannot rely on LIBOR being published after the end of 2021. Consistent with the
recommendations of the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, Eligible Lenders and Eligible
Borrowers should include fallback contract language to be used should LIBOR become
unavailable during the term of the loan.
G.4. When do I need to start paying interest and principal on my loan?
No payments of principal will be required for the first two years of an MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan,
or MSELF Upsized Tranche, and no payments of interest will be required during the first year of
an MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche. Unpaid interest will be capitalized in
accordance with the Eligible Lender’s customary practices for capitalizing interest (e.g., at
quarter-end or year-end). After the first year interest will be payable in accordance with the
loan agreement for the MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche.
7
For example, subordinated debt and debt with deferred principal and interest payments should be included in
the definition of debt and, therefore, covered under this FAQ.
34
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.5. How will principal be amortized after the second year?
No principal is paid in the first or second year. The loan will be amortized over the remaining
term of the loan, with 15% of principal due at the end of year 3, 15% of principal due at the end
of year 4, and a balloon payment of 70% of principal due at maturity at the end of year 5.
For purposes of this question, principal includes capitalized interest. Eligible Lenders will
provide Eligible Borrowers with payment information during the Program loan origination
process.
G.6. Is collateral required for Main Street loans?
MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches may be secured or unsecured,
although collateral may be required for MSPLF Loans and MSELF Upsized Tranches due to the
Eligible Borrower’s other loans and debt instruments, as explained further in questions C.5 and
D.11, respectively.
An MSELF Upsized Tranche must be secured if the underlying loan is secured. In such case, any
collateral securing the underlying loan (at the time of upsizing or on any subsequent date) must
secure the MSELF Upsized Tranche on a pari passu basis. Under such an arrangement, if the
borrower defaults, the SPV and lender(s) would share equally in any collateral available to
support the loan relative to their proportional interests in the loan (including the MSELF
Upsized Tranche). Eligible Lenders can require Eligible Borrowers to pledge additional collateral
to secure an MSELF Upsized Tranche as a condition of approval.
G.7. Are there fees associated with Main Street loans?
Yes, there are fees associated with the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF.
• MSNLF and MSPLF: Eligible Lenders will pay the Main Street SPV a transaction fee of
100 basis points of the principal amount of the MSNLF or MSPLF Loan at the time of
origination, and may pass on this fee to Eligible Borrowers. 8 In addition, the Eligible
Borrower will pay the Eligible Lender a fee of up to 100 basis points of the principal
amount of the MSNLF or MSPLF Loan at the time of origination. Eligible Lenders have
discretion over whether and when to charge Eligible Borrowers this fee.
8
The transaction fee will be based on the principal amount of the MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized
Tranche at the time a loan participation is submitted for sale to the Main Street SPV. Where deferred interest has
been capitalized and added to the principal amount and purchase amount, the transaction fee will be based on the
principal amount including such capitalized interest. As indicated in question G.4, unpaid interest should be
capitalized in accordance with the Eligible Lender’s customary practices for capitalizing interest (e.g., at quarter-
end or year-end). The Federal Reserve does not expect that interest would be capitalized more frequently than
monthly, and thus only expects capitalized interest to affect this calculation where loans were extended at least
one month prior to July 6, 2020—the date upon which the Main Street Portal began accepting submissions of loans
for sale of participation interests.
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• MSELF: Eligible Lenders will pay the Main Street SPV a transaction fee of 75 basis points
of the principal amount of the MSELF Upsized Tranche at the time of upsizing, and may
choose to pass on this fee to Eligible Borrowers. In addition, the Eligible Borrower will
pay an Eligible Lender a fee of up to 75 basis points of the principal amount of the
MSELF Upsized Tranche at the time of upsizing. Eligible Lenders have discretion over
whether and when to charge Eligible Borrowers this fee.
The SPV will pay an Eligible Lender 25 basis points of the principal amount of its participation
per annum for loan servicing.
G.8. What constitutes “commercially reasonable efforts” to maintain payroll and
retain employees?
Eligible Borrowers should make commercially reasonable efforts to retain employees during the
term of the MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche. Specifically, an Eligible
Borrower should undertake good-faith efforts to maintain payroll and retain employees, in light
of its capacities, the economic environment, its available resources, and the business need for
labor. Borrowers that have already laid-off or furloughed workers as a result of the disruptions
from COVID-19 are eligible to apply for Main Street loans.
G.9. Can an Eligible Borrower receive more than one Main Street loan?
An Eligible Borrower may only participate in one of the Main Street facilities: the MSNLF, the
MSPLF, the MSELF, the NONLF, or the NOELF. However, an Eligible Borrower may receive more
than one loan under a single Main Street facility, provided that the sum of MSNLF Loans cannot
exceed $35 million; the sum of MSPLF Loans cannot exceed $50 million; and the sum of MSELF
Upsized Tranches cannot exceed $300 million.
G.10. Can an Eligible Borrower receive a loan if its maximum loan size under a
facility’s term sheet test is below the minimum loan size for the same
facility?
No, borrowers may not receive a loan that is below the minimum loan size, which is $250,000
for MSNLF Loans and MSPLF Loans, and $10 million for MSELF Upsized Tranches.
G.11. How can an Eligible Borrower determine if its existing loans had an internal
risk rating equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating system on
December 31, 2019?
If an otherwise Eligible Borrower applies for a loan at an Eligible Lender with which it has an
outstanding loan, the Eligible Lender will make the determination of whether the borrower’s
existing loans have an internal risk rating that meets the requirements in the Main Street term
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sheets. The Eligible Lender will also assess the potential borrower’s pre-pandemic financial
condition and post-pandemic prospects at the time of the application.
G.12. Can a Lender charge a Borrower additional fees above the Main Street
origination fee and/or an interest rate above LIBOR + 300 basis points?
Eligible Lenders are allowed to charge Eligible Borrowers a one-time origination fee as set out in
the Main Street term sheets. In addition, Eligible Lenders may also require Eligible Borrowers
to pay the transaction fee, which the Eligible Lenders must in turn pay to the Main Street SPV.
Eligible Lenders are not permitted to charge Eligible Borrowers any additional fees, except
de minimis fees for services that are customary and necessary in the Eligible Lender’s
underwriting of commercial and industrial loans to similar borrowers, such as appraisal and
legal fees. Eligible Lenders may also charge customary consent fees if such fees are necessary
to amend existing loan documentation in the context of upsizing a loan in connection with the
MSELF. Eligible Lenders should not charge servicing fees to Eligible Borrowers.
Main Street loans must have an interest rate of LIBOR (1 month or 3 month) plus 300 basis
points.
G.13. What methodology should be used to adjust EBITDA if an Eligible Lender has
used a range of methods in the past with respect to a single Eligible
Borrower or similarly situated borrowers?
An Eligible Lender should require the Eligible Borrower to adjust its 2019 EBITDA by using the
methodology that the Eligible Lender has previously required for EBITDA adjustments when
extending credit to the Eligible Borrower or, if the Eligible Borrower is a new customer, similarly
situated borrowers on or before April 24, 2020. If an Eligible Lender has used multiple EBITDA
adjustment methods with respect to the Eligible Borrower or similarly situated borrowers (e.g.,
one for use within a credit agreement and one for internal risk management purposes), the
Eligible Lender should choose the most conservative method it has employed. In all cases, the
Eligible Lender must select a single method used at a point in time in the recent past and before
April 24, 2020. The Eligible Lender may not “cherry pick” or apply adjustments used at different
points in time or for a range of purposes. The Eligible Lender should document the rationale for
its selection of an adjusted EBITDA methodology.
G.14. For purposes of adjusting EBITDA, how does an Eligible Lender identify
“similarly situated borrowers”?
Similarly situated borrowers are borrowers in similar industries with comparable risk and size
characteristics. Eligible Lenders should document their process for identifying similarly situated
borrowers when they originate an MSNLF Loan or an MSPLF Loan.
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.15. Why is the Federal Reserve allowing adjustments to EBITDA for purposes of
Main Street when it has noted supervisory concerns with these adjustments
in the past? Is there a limit to how much EBITDA can be adjusted?
It is normal industry practice for lenders and borrowers to agree to adjust a borrower’s EBITDA
to accommodate differences in business models across industries and to accommodate one-
time events that may positively or negatively impact a borrower’s earnings. When applied
prudently, these adjustments may provide a lender with a more accurate representation of a
business’s earnings capacity over time.
While the Main Street term sheets do not include limits on how much EBITDA can be adjusted,
there are important features of the Program that are designed to limit excessive risk-taking.
First, EBITDA adjustments must be of the type the Eligible Lender has previously (and recently)
required for the Eligible Borrower or similarly situated borrowers. The Eligible Lender should
document the rationale for its selection of an adjusted EBITDA methodology. See questions
G.13 and G.14 above for more information.
In addition, the EBITDA-based leverage requirements should be viewed as minimum
requirements for the Program. Eligible Lenders are expected to conduct an assessment of each
potential borrower’s pre-pandemic financial condition and post-pandemic prospects at the time
of the borrower’s application.
Finally, the Program requires that a Main Street loan have an internal risk rating from the
Eligible Lender equivalent to a “pass” in the FFIEC’s supervisory rating system as of December
31, 2019. Loans that were criticized in the past for excessive adjustments would not be eligible
for the Program.
G.16. Do PPP loans count as “outstanding debt” for purposes of Main Street?
Yes. The portion of any outstanding PPP loan that has not yet been forgiven is counted as
outstanding debt for the purposes of the Main Street maximum loan size test.
G.17. How will Eligible Borrower prepayments of a Main Street loan be applied
against the principal amount due and future amortization payments?
Prepayment of principal is permitted without penalty and will reduce future payments in the
manner specified in the underlying loan documents. While lenders have flexibility in specifying
these terms, they should make efforts to align their approach with the expected amortization
schedule specified for each loan type. For example, applying prepayments to the next
scheduled principal payment due would maintain the alignment of later payments with the
amortization schedule and allow for the intended deferment of some portion of payments to
later years.
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.18. Can permissible fees charged at the time of origination be included in the
principal amount of a Main Street loan?
Yes. As indicated in questions G.7 and G.12, Eligible Lenders may charge certain fees to Eligible
Borrowers at the time of origination. Eligible Lenders may include such fees in the principal
amount of the Main Street loan, provided that the total Main Street loan amount, including
such fees, may not exceed the maximum loan size permitted for the Eligible Borrower under
the relevant Main Street facility.
G.19. Are Eligible Lenders allowed to include a LIBOR floor in the interest rate on a
Main Street Loan?
MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches must be adjustable-rate five-year
term loans with an interest rate of 1-month or 3-month LIBOR plus 300 basis points. LIBOR
floors are not permissible.
G.20. Can an otherwise Eligible Borrower receive a Main Street loan if it was not in
operation during 2019?
In order to receive a Main Street loan, an Eligible Borrower must have a financial record upon
which calculation of an adjusted 2019 EBITDA can be based. 9 If an otherwise Eligible Borrower
was established before March 13, 2020, but does not have a financial history sufficient to
establish that it was in sound financial condition before the onset of the pandemic (i.e., using
an adjusted 2019 EBITDA that covers at least part of the calendar year 2019), it will not qualify
for a Main Street loan.
Entities that were established before March 13, 2020, and have no financial record of their
own, but have clear predecessors or subsidiaries that can be referenced to calculate adjusted
2019 EBITDA can use the financial records of such predecessors or subsidiaries. For example, if
a potential Main Street borrower was established on February 1, 2020, thereafter purchased an
existing business and is, in the judgment of an Eligible Lender, that business’s successor, it may
use the predecessor business’s 2019 financial records.
G.21. Are there any prohibitions on the use of proceeds of a Main Street loan?
The Program is intended to help small and medium-sized companies that were in sound
financial condition prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic maintain their operations and
payroll until conditions normalize. However, Program loans may not be used:
9
See question H.10 for if 2019 financial records are unavailable but a previous time period is available.
39
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
• with respect to an Eligible Borrower that is a subsidiary of a foreign company, for the
benefit of an Eligible Borrower’s foreign parents, affiliates, or subsidiaries (see question
E.9); or
• to refinance or accelerate payment of existing debt, except (i) at the time of origination
of an MSPLF Loan if the debt was owed to a different, unaffiliated lender (see question
C.4), or (ii) under the limited exception for mandatory and due debt and interest
payments after the origination of the Main Street loan (see question H.3).
In addition, under the Program an Eligible Borrower may not use any funds (including the
proceeds of a Main Street loan) during the term of the loan (and, in some cases, for 12 months
after the Main Street loan is repaid) for the following reasons:
• paying dividends, distributing capital, repurchasing equity, or paying compensation over
specified thresholds, except as provided under section 2.D of the MSNLF, MSPLF, or
MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants or these FAQs (see question H.2); or
• repaying other debt ahead of schedule (see section 5.A of the MSNLF, MSPLF, or MSELF
Borrower Certifications and Covenants and question H.3).
G.22. Is an Eligible Lender restricted from setting monthly or quarterly interest
payments after the first year, or will interest be required to be payable
annually along with amortization payments of principal?
After the first year of the loan, an Eligible Lender may require the payment of interest at the
frequency it would ordinarily require payment with respect to loans made to similarly situated
borrowers (e.g., quarterly or annually). The Federal Reserve does not expect that the frequency
would ever be more than monthly.
G.23. Can an Eligible Lender require an Eligible Borrower to provide collateral or
guarantees solely with respect to the Eligible Lender’s 5% retained portion
of a Main Street loan?
No. The Eligible Lender and Main Street SPV must share losses on a pari passu basis (i.e.,
ratably, without preference). Any collateral pledged or guarantees made in connection with a
Main Street loan must apply to the entire MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche.
G.24. Are personal guarantees required and/or permitted?
Personal guarantees are not required under Program terms. However, an Eligible Lender may
require a guarantee as part of its own underwriting process. As with collateral providing
security for a Main Street loan, guarantees must extend to the entire loan such that the Main
Street SPV and Eligible Lender share losses on a pari passu basis.
40
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October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
G.25. If an Eligible Borrower’s outstanding debt is maturing within 90 days, can a
Main Street loan be used to refinance such debt at the time of origination?
No. The only circumstances under which a Main Street loan’s proceeds can be used to
refinance an existing borrower debt at the time of Main Street loan origination are under the
MSPLF if the existing borrower debt is owed to a different, unaffiliated lender. See question
C.4. While Eligible Borrowers are permitted to refinance debt that is maturing within 90 days
during the life of a Main Street loan, it may not be done at origination, unless it is a qualifying
MSPLF refinancing.
G.26. Can an Eligible Lender or Eligible Borrower hedge interest rate and credit
risk in connection with Main Street loans?
Yes. Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers may hedge interest rate risk associated with Main
Street loans. Eligible Lenders may also hedge credit risk associated with a Main Street
borrower’s industry, but may not engage in borrower name specific hedging of a Main Street
loan.
G.27. Can Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers agree to include cash collateral
deposits, compensating balances, cash reserve accounts, or cash escrow
accounts at origination or during the life of a Main Street loan as part of the
loan terms?
Yes, but there are limits to this practice.
• Cash Balances for Purposes of Collateral or Loan Payments. The Federal Reserve and
Treasury Department do not encourage the practice of requiring an Eligible Borrower to
maintain cash balances that are restricted to serving as collateral or paying principal or
interest on the Main Street loan when mandatory and due (e.g. compensating balances,
cash collateral or cash escrow accounts). Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers may,
however, agree to include these features at origination or during the life of a Main
Street loan as part of the loan terms if such terms are a normal component of the
Eligible Lender’s underwriting practices for similarly situated borrowers and do not
exceed 15% of the outstanding balance of the Main Street Loan. Further, such balances
should not be used to prepay principal or interest of the Main Street loan, except at the
option of the Eligible Borrower during the life of the loan. Eligible Lenders should make
every effort to minimize such requirements and align their approach with the expected
interest payment and principal amortization schedule specified for Program loans.
• Delayed Draw Balances. In addition, Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers may agree
to place a portion of the proceeds of a Main Street loan in an account held at the Eligible
Lender and delay draw on those funds until certain conditions related to the Eligible
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
Borrower’s operations are met. Such conditions may include requirements that Eligible
Borrowers provide documentation or other evidence that loan proceeds are being
withdrawn to fund pre-agreed activities or purchases by the Borrower, or that the
Eligible Borrower pledge additional collateral to secure the Main Street loan that is not
available at the time of origination. Any restriction must be substantially similar to a
condition placed on similarly situated borrowers by the Eligible Lender in the course of
its ordinary underwriting (see question I.4). In addition, Eligible Lenders may not use
such loan features for the purpose of ensuring funds are available for mandatory and
due payments on other debt owed by the Eligible Borrower, except in the case of a
permitted refinancing of existing debt under the MSPLF. In any case, such conditions
must be included in the loan agreement at origination and must be fully transparent to
the Eligible Borrower. For the avoidance of doubt, the quantitative 15% limit would not
apply to such loan features.
H. Certifications and Covenants
H.1. Are the required certifications and covenants under the three Main Street
facilities the same?
The certifications for Lenders and Borrowers vary by Main Street facility and are available
below:
• MSNLF Borrower Certifications and Covenants
• MSPLF Borrower Certifications and Covenants
• MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants
• MSNLF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants
• MSPLF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants
• MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants
H.2. What compensation, stock repurchase and capital distributions restrictions
apply?
The compensation, stock repurchase, and capital distribution restrictions that apply to direct
loan programs under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act apply under each of the MSELF,
MSNLF and MSPLF, except that, in each case, restrictions on dividends and other capital
distributions will not apply to:
• distributions made by an S corporation or other tax pass-through entity to the extent
reasonably required to cover its owners’ tax obligations in respect of the entity’s
earnings; or
42
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
• distributions made by a tribal business to a tribal government owner (see question
H.15).
Detailed instructions are provided in the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Borrower Certifications
and Covenants.
H.3. What restrictions are placed on the Eligible Borrower’s ability to repay
existing debt?
The restrictions on repaying debt vary across the various Main Street loans:
• MSNLF and MSELF: The Eligible Borrower must commit to refrain from repaying the
principal balance of, or paying any interest on, any debt until the MSNLF Loan or the
MSELF Upsized Tranche is repaid in full, unless the debt or interest payment is
mandatory and due. The Eligible Borrower must also commit that it will not seek to
cancel or reduce any of its committed lines of credit with the Eligible Lender or any
other lender.
• MSPLF: The Eligible Borrower must commit to refrain from repaying the principal
balance of, or paying any interest on, any debt until the MSPLF Loan is repaid in full,
unless the debt or interest payment is mandatory and due; however, the Eligible
Borrower may, at the time of origination of the MSPLF Loan, refinance existing debt
owed by the Eligible Borrower to a lender that is not the Eligible Lender or one of its
affiliates. The Eligible Borrower must also commit that it will not seek to cancel or
reduce any of its committed lines of credit with the Eligible Lender or any other lender.
These covenants would not prohibit an Eligible Borrower from undertaking any of the following
actions during the term of the MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche:
• repaying a line of credit (including a credit card) in accordance with the Eligible
Borrower’s normal course of business usage for such line of credit;
• taking on and paying additional debt obligations required in the normal course of
business and on standard terms, including inventory and equipment financing, provided
that such debt is secured only by the newly acquired property (e.g., inventory or
equipment), and, apart from such security, is of equal or lower priority than the MSNLF
Loan, the MSPLF Loan, or the MSELF Upsized Tranche; or
• refinancing debt that is maturing no later than 90 days from the date of such
refinancing.10
10
Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers are expected to act in good faith with respect to this requirement and in
light of the goals of Main Street. In particular, Eligible Borrowers and Eligible Lenders are discouraged from
originating Main Street loans for the purpose of funding debt payments that are, or are presently expected to
become, mandatory by operation of a debt covenant or mandatory prepayment provision.
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
H.4. Is an Eligible Lender permitted to accept partial repayment of an Eligible
Borrower’s existing line of credit with the Eligible Lender?
The Eligible Lender would not be prevented from accepting repayments on a line of credit from
an Eligible Borrower in accordance with the Eligible Borrower’s normal course of business usage
for such line of credit.
H.5. What restrictions are placed on an Eligible Lender’s ability to cancel or
reduce any existing committed lines of credit outstanding?
An Eligible Lender must commit that it will not cancel or reduce any existing committed lines of
credit outstanding to the Eligible Borrower, except in an event of default. This requirement
does not prohibit the reduction or termination of uncommitted lines of credit, the expiration of
existing lines of credit in accordance with their terms, or the reduction of availability under
existing lines of credit in accordance with their terms due to changes in borrowing bases or
reserves in asset-based or similar structures.
H.6. What is the Eligible Lender’s role in verifying certifications and covenants?
An Eligible Lender is required to collect the required certifications and covenants from each
Eligible Borrower at the time of origination or upsizing. Eligible Lenders may rely on an Eligible
Borrower’s certifications and covenants, as well as any subsequent self-reporting by the Eligible
Borrower. The Eligible Lender is not expected to independently verify the Eligible Borrower’s
certifications or actively monitor ongoing compliance with covenants required for Eligible
Borrowers under the Main Street term sheets. If an Eligible Lender becomes aware that an
Eligible Borrower made a material misstatement or otherwise breached a covenant during the
term of an MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche, the Eligible Lender should
notify the FRB Boston. For more detail, please see the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Lender
Transaction-Specific Certifications and Covenants.
H.7. What debt and interest payments are considered “mandatory and due”?
The debt repayment covenants generally prohibit an Eligible Borrower from repaying the
principal balance of, or paying any interest on, any debt until the Main Street loan is repaid in
full, unless the principal or interest payment is “mandatory and due.” With respect to debt that
predates the Main Street loan, principal and interest payments are “mandatory and due”:
• on the future date upon which they were scheduled to be paid as of the date of
origination of the Main Street loan, or
• upon the occurrence of an event that automatically triggers mandatory prepayments
under a contract for indebtedness that the Eligible Borrower executed prior to the date
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
of origination of a Main Street loan, except that any such prepayments triggered by the
incurrence of new debt can only be paid:
o if such prepayments are de minimis, or
o under the MSPLF at the time of origination of an MSPLF Loan.
For the avoidance of doubt, under the Program, Eligible Borrowers may continue to pay, and
Eligible Lenders may request that Eligible Borrowers pay, interest or principal payments on
outstanding debt on (or after) the payment due date, provided that the payment due date was
scheduled prior to the date of origination of a Main Street loan. Eligible Borrowers may not
pay, and Eligible Lenders may not request that Eligible Borrowers pay, interest or principal
payments on such debt ahead of schedule during the life of the Program loan, unless required
by a mandatory prepayment clause as specifically permitted above.
For future debt incurred by the Borrower in compliance with the terms and conditions of the
Program loan, principal and interest payments are “mandatory and due” on their scheduled
dates or upon the occurrence of an event that automatically triggers mandatory prepayments.
See question H.3 above for more information about the debt payment covenants generally,
including with respect to treatment of lines of credit.
H.8. Can an Eligible Borrower receive an MSNLF Loan or an MSELF Upsized
Tranche if its existing debt arrangements require prepayment of an amount
that is not de minimis upon the incurrence of new debt?
If an Eligible Borrower has an existing debt arrangement that requires prepayment of more
than a de minimis amount upon the incurrence of new debt, the Eligible Borrower cannot
receive an MSNLF Loan or an MSELF Upsized Tranche unless such requirement is waived or
reduced to a de minimis amount by the relevant creditor.
H.9. How must a Main Street borrower demonstrate that it is “unable to secure
adequate credit accommodations from other banking institutions”?
Being unable to secure adequate credit accommodations does not mean that no credit from
other sources is available to the borrower. Rather, the borrower may certify that it is unable to
secure “adequate credit accommodations” because the amount, price, or terms of credit
available from other sources are inadequate for the borrower’s needs during the current
unusual and exigent circumstances. Borrowers are not required to demonstrate that
applications for credit had been denied by other lenders or otherwise document that the
amount, price, or terms of credit available elsewhere are inadequate. See the MSNLF, MSPLF,
and MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants for details.
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H.10. How should Eligible Borrowers prepare financial records and determine
inputs to their 2019 adjusted EBITDA calculation in connection with
section 4.A of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants?
Under section 4.A of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants for each Main Street facility,
the Eligible Borrower must certify that (i) it has provided financial records to the Eligible Lender
and a calculation of the Borrower’s adjusted 2019 EBITDA, reflecting only those adjustments
permitted pursuant to the methodology that the Borrower agreed upon with the Eligible
Lender, and (ii) such financial records fairly present, in all material respects, the financial
condition of such entities for the period covered thereby in accordance with U.S. GAAP (if
applicable), consistently applied, and that such adjusted EBITDA calculations are true and
correct in all material respects. Eligible Borrowers are expected to submit statements to their
Eligible Lender as follows: 11
• U.S. GAAP Compliance: Eligible Borrowers that are subject to U.S. GAAP reporting
requirements or that already prepare their financials in accordance with U.S. GAAP must
submit U.S. GAAP-compliant financial records in connection with this certification.
Eligible Borrowers that do not have to comply with U.S. GAAP and that do not typically
prepare their financials in accordance with U.S. GAAP are not required to submit
U.S. GAAP compliant financials.
• Financial Statements: Eligible Borrowers that typically prepare audited financial
statements must submit audited financial statements. Otherwise Eligible Borrowers
should submit reviewed financial statements or financial statements prepared for the
purpose of filling taxes. If an Eligible Borrower does not yet have audited or reviewed
financial statements for 2019, the Eligible Borrower should use its most recent audited
or reviewed financial statements. If an Eligible Borrower’s fiscal year 2019 does not
coincide with calendar year 2019, it may use its 2019 fiscal year, unless otherwise
required by the Eligible Lender.
• Consolidation: Eligible Borrowers that typically prepare financial statements that
consolidate the Eligible Borrower with its subsidiaries (but not its parent companies or
sister affiliates) 12 must submit such consolidated financial statements. If an Eligible
Borrower does not typically prepare consolidated financial statements, it is not required
to do so, unless so required by the Eligible Lender.
11
The same framework should be applied to affiliates or “Selected Subsidiaries” (as defined in the Borrower
Certifications and Covenants) of the Eligible Borrower, where applicable.
12
Please see question E.10 for instances where the Eligible Borrower will separately need to calculate the EBITDA
of its entire affiliated group. In addition, the Borrower Certifications and Covenants require Eligible Borrowers that
are holding companies, all or substantially all of the assets of which comprise equity interests in other entities, to
calculate the EBITDA of “Selected Subsidiaries”, as defined in the Borrower Certifications and Covenants.
46
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FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
The relevant inputs to the Eligible Borrower’s EBITDA calculation, which will reflect adjustments
permitted pursuant to the methodology to which the Eligible Borrower agreed with the Eligible
Lender, should come from the Eligible Borrower’s financial statements, as outlined above.
Please see question E.4 with regard to financial records required to calculate 2019 revenues for
purposes of determining eligibility under the Program. Please see Appendix C for the financial
records requirements for ongoing financial reporting.
H.11. In certifying that an Eligible Borrower or Eligible Lender is not a “covered
entity” under the conflicts of interest certification, what level of reasonable
diligence is required with regard to equity interests (including non-voting
preferred stock) held by financial intermediaries?
Section 4019(c) of the CARES Act requires each Eligible Borrower and Eligible Lender to certify
to the Secretary and the Board that it is not an entity in which the President, Vice President,
head of an executive department, member of Congress, or certain immediate family members
of such government officials (each, a Covered Individual) directly or indirectly holds a
“controlling interest.” In light of limited public information on ownership interests of
government officials and their family members, the instructions to the conflicts of interest
certification prescribe the level of diligence required to make a conflicts of interest certification
in good faith. The reasonable diligence standard establishes a standard that is both necessary
and sufficient for the entity to undertake in making the conflicts of interest certification, and is
consistent among all Federal Reserve lending programs and facilities that involve funds invested
by the Treasury Department under authority provided by the CARES Act. An Eligible Borrower
or Eligible Lender may choose, but is not required, to take additional steps in conducting
diligence.
The reasonable diligence standard applies to all types of equity interests, as defined by
section 4019(a)(6) of the CARES Act, including common stock, preferred stock, and equivalent
interests in limited liability companies or partnerships. In all cases, an Eligible Lender or Eligible
Borrower must consider its actual knowledge, determine whether beneficial owners of any 5%
or greater equity interest are Covered Individuals and, if necessary, ask the beneficial owners to
confirm whether they are Covered Individuals. If information regarding beneficial ownership
has been disclosed pursuant to sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Exchange Act), the Eligible Borrower or Eligible Lender may rely on this information in addition
to its actual knowledge.
Beneficial owners may hold their positions through financial intermediaries (e.g., broker-
dealers, custodians, and investment funds). As with all types of equity interests, to satisfy the
reasonable diligence standard discussed above and set out in the certification instructions, the
Eligible Borrower or Eligible Lender must consider, with respect to equity interests held by
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FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
financial intermediaries, its actual knowledge (including information contained in Exchange Act
beneficial ownership disclosures, if available) and, based on this information, determine
whether any identified beneficial owners of any 5% or greater equity interest are Covered
Individuals.
For example, Lender A has 100 shares of non-voting preferred stock outstanding for which the
Exchange Act does not require beneficial ownership disclosure. Fifteen percent of Lender A’s
preferred shares are held by a financial intermediary. With respect to these shares, Lender A
considers its actual knowledge, including all information it has regarding beneficial ownership
of its preferred shares (recognizing that there are no Exchange Act section 13(d) or 13(g)
disclosures). In this case, Lender A is not required to take further action and has satisfied the
reasonable diligence standard.
H.12. How should Eligible Borrowers calculate “total compensation” for purposes
of complying with limits on compensation under the direct loan restrictions?
Total compensation includes salary, bonuses, awards of stock, and other financial benefits
provided by the Eligible Borrower and its affiliates to an officer or employee of the Eligible
Borrower, but does not include the value of severance pay or other benefits paid in connection
with a termination of employment. The following framework, which is represented in this
flowchart, should be used by the Eligible Borrower to calculate total compensation:
(1) Eligible Borrowers that are public companies. An Eligible Borrower that is, or is a
consolidated subsidiary of, an entity that is required to disclose information in
accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation S-K
(17 CFR part 229) (a public company) must calculate total compensation according to
the methodology set out in item 402(c) of Regulation S-K (item 402(c))
(17 CFR 229.402(c)(2)).
(2) Eligible Borrowers that are not public companies. An Eligible Borrower that is not a
public company may choose to calculate compensation in a manner consistent with the
federal tax rules if the Eligible Borrower meets the criteria described in (a) or (b) below.
An Eligible Borrower that is not a public company and does not choose to calculate
compensation in a manner consistent with the federal tax rules must use item 402(c) to
calculate total compensation. An Eligible Borrower must choose which approach to use
upon disbursement of the Main Street loan and apply it for as long as the Main Street
loan is outstanding and for 12 months thereafter. However, as described in Questions
H.13 and H.14 below, an Eligible Borrower that has chosen to use the federal tax rules
may later be required to switch to using item 402(c).
(a) Small Eligible Borrowers that are not public companies. An Eligible Borrower
that is not a public company and that had gross revenues for its financial year
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
ending in 2019 of less than or equal to $10,000,000, may calculate total
compensation in a manner consistent with the federal tax rules.
(b) Officers and Employees that receive limited deferred compensation. An Eligible
Borrower that is not a public company and that had gross revenues for its
financial year ending in 2019 of greater than $10,000,000, may calculate
compensation in a manner consistent with the federal tax rules for all officers or
employees who are not Significant Deferred Compensation Recipients. A
Significant Deferred Compensation Recipient means an officer or employee
who, during any 12-month period beginning January 2019 and until 12 months
after the date on which the Main Street loan is no longer outstanding, has total
compensation that exceeds $425,000, out of which the fair value of deferred
compensation granted to such officer or employee exceeds 30%. Eligible
Borrowers should use U.S. GAAP to determine which of its officers and
employees are Significant Deferred Compensation Recipients.
Deferred compensation is a legally binding right to receive compensation
awarded to an officer or employee in one taxable year but not payable until a
later taxable year, and includes stock-based compensation the fair value of
which is determined according to FASB ASC topic 718.
Eligible Borrowers that choose to calculate total compensation according to the federal tax
rules must use the timing and valuation methodology, including the valuation of fringe benefits
and bonuses, that apply for purposes of determining when amounts are treated as wages under
Internal Revenue Code section 3401(a) for income tax withholding, or net earnings from self-
employment under Internal Revenue Code section 1402(a). In addition, total compensation as
calculated under the federal tax rules includes elements of compensation paid to an officer or
employee who is either:
• an individual for whom the Eligible Borrower would be responsible for reporting
compensation on Form W-2, and includes commissions, educational assistance, and
benefits or wages that are paid in kind (such as meals or lodging) if they would be
treated as taxable compensation subject to federal income tax withholding under
Internal Revenue Code section 3401(a) applicable to U.S. citizen employees in a state or
the District of Columbia (regardless of whether the compensation paid to the individual
is actually subject to federal income tax withholding, and whether or not tax is actually
withheld); 13 or
• an individual who is a partner in a partnership or a member of a limited liability
company or other similar structure, and includes “net earnings from self-employment”
13
See e.g., Internal Revenue Service Publication 15 and Publication 15-B, which provide a summary of the rules
applicable to employers for reporting wages, including fringe benefits.
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and “guaranteed payments for services” that are subject to self-employment tax under
Internal Revenue Code 1401(a) as payments in connection with the performance of
services.
H.13. What if an Eligible Borrower chooses, at the time of disbursement of the
Main Street loan, to calculate total compensation using the federal tax rules
for all officers or employees that were not Significant Deferred
Compensation Recipients (as defined in question H.12), and the Eligible
Borrower later increases the amount of deferred compensation so that one
or more of these individuals become Significant Deferred Compensation
Recipients?
An Eligible Borrower described in (2)(b) of question H.12 must begin calculating total
compensation according to item 402(c) immediately with respect to any officer or employee
that becomes a Significant Deferred Compensation Recipient based on U.S. GAAP, and continue
doing so for the remaining period that the Main Street loan is outstanding and for 12 months
thereafter. In such cases, the Eligible Borrower must include in any such officer’s or employee’s
total compensation calculated according to item 402(c) any deferred compensation that was
granted but not paid in the preceding 90-day period. An Eligible Borrower that meets the
criteria under (2)(a) of question H.12 (i.e., had gross revenues for its financial year ending in
2019 of less than or equal to $10,000,000) at the time of loan disbursement and chooses to use
the federal tax rules to calculate total compensation is not required to use item 402(c) for any
employee or officer that is or becomes a Significant Deferred Compensation Recipient at any
time, unless it becomes a public company.
H.14. What if an Eligible Borrower that has chosen to calculate total compensation
using the federal tax rules (as permitted by question H.12) later becomes a
public company?
Any Eligible Borrower that becomes a public company must calculate total compensation
according to item 402(c). With respect to any officer or employee whose total compensation
had been calculated in a manner consistent with the federal tax rules, the Eligible Borrower
must begin calculating such individual’s total compensation under item 402(c) immediately
upon becoming a public company, and must include in their total compensation any deferred
compensation granted but not paid in the 90-day period ending when the Eligible Borrower
became a public company.
50
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/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
H.15. Is a tribal business prohibited from paying dividends or making other capital
distributions to a tribal government owner under the covenant in section
2.D of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants?
Dividends or other capital distributions paid by tribal businesses provide a vital source of
revenue for tribal governments and thereby support the self-sufficiency of the tribe and the
provision of social services. The Secretary has exercised his authority under section
4003(c)(3)(A)(iii) of the CARES Act to grant a waiver from the dividend prohibition in section
4003(c)(3)(A)(ii)(II) of the CARES Act to permit a tribal business, the ownership interests of
which are wholly or majority owned by one or more tribal governments, to pay dividends or
make equivalent capital distributions to its tribal government owners. The term “tribal
government” as used in this FAQ refers to a federally or state recognized Indian tribe and does
not include Alaska Native corporations.
A tribal business with ownership interests that are held by individuals or investors other than
the tribal government may pay dividends or make equivalent capital distributions to its tribal
government owner(s), but remains subject to the prohibition on payment of dividends and
other capital distributions with respect to ownership interests held by individuals or investors
other than a tribal government. However, a tribal business that is organized as an
S corporation or other tax pass-through entity is permitted to pay dividends or make other
capital distributions to non-tribal government owners, to the extent reasonably required to
cover the owners’ tax obligations in respect of the company’s earnings, as described in question
H.2.
A tribal business, the ownership interests of which are wholly or majority owned by one or
more tribal governments, should consider this FAQ incorporated by reference into the MSNLF,
MSPLF, or MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants and may rely on this FAQ in relation to
covenants required by section 2.D of each Borrower Certifications and Covenants document.
For the avoidance of doubt, transfers from tribal economic enterprises that do not have a
distinct legal personality to the related tribal government are not considered dividends and are
permitted, subject to the terms of the loan agreement.
H.16. How should an Eligible Borrower that is organized as a partnership, limited
liability company, S corporation, or similar tax pass-through entity comply
with restrictions on compensation and capital distributions under the direct
loan restrictions with respect to payments made to owners of the Eligible
Borrower?
All Eligible Borrowers must commit to comply with the repurchase, capital distribution, and
compensation restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of
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the CARES Act. As described in the Borrower Certifications and Covenants, the restrictions on
capital distributions apply to payments made with respect to common stock or equivalent
interests in a partnership, limited liability company, business organized as a trust, or other legal
entity. In addition, an Eligible Borrower is subject to limitations on compensation of any officer
or employee whose total compensation exceeds $425,000 (see question H.12).
In some cases, an employee or officer that is covered by the limitations on compensation may
also be a shareholder, partner, or member of the Eligible Borrower. In complying with both
sets of restrictions, the Eligible Borrower must distinguish between (i) compensation of the
employee or officer and (ii) dividends and other capital distributions paid to owners, including
the employee or officer. The discussion below provides guidance on distinguishing between
stock- or equity-based compensation and capital distributions paid with respect to common
stock or common stock equivalents.
Corporations: As described in question H.12, Eligible Borrowers must calculate total
compensation according to item 402(c) unless the Eligible Borrower meets the criteria and
chooses to calculate total compensation according to the federal tax rules. Stock-based
compensation, such as stock options, is included in total compensation according to
methodology described in item 402(c) or the federal tax rules. The award of stock-based
compensation would not be considered a capital distribution and, accordingly, would not be
subject to restrictions on capital distributions. However, dividend payments made on such
stock of the Eligible Borrower owned by the officer or employee would be prohibited under the
restrictions on capital distributions, except in the case of dividend distributions made to the
owner of an S corporation that are reasonably required to cover its owners’ tax obligations in
respect of the Eligible Borrower’s earnings. 14
Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies: As described in question H.12, Eligible
Borrowers must calculate total compensation according to item 402(c) unless the Eligible
Borrower meets the criteria and chooses to calculate total compensation according to the
federal tax rules. An officer or employee may receive awards in connection with the
performance of services in the form of an interest in the partnership or limited liability
company, including a capital or profits interest.15 With respect to an award of a capital or
profits interest in connection with services, the value of the award, if any, would be included in
14
Permitted dividends and other distributions by an Eligible Borrower to cover its owners’ tax obligations shall be
subject to an annual reconciliation, with any surplus or deficiency to be deducted from or added to distributions,
as applicable, in the following year. In addition, equity interests in an Eligible Borrower that provide for mandatory
or preferential payment of dividends or other distributions shall be subject to these restrictions unless both the
equity interest and the obligation to pay dividends or distributions existed as of March 27, 2020.
15
The term “officer or employee” is defined in Section 2.D of the Certifications and Covenants and includes an
individual that provides compensated services to a partnership or limited liability company that is taxed as a
partnership.
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total compensation according to the methodology described in item 402(c) or the federal tax
rules, as applicable. The award of an interest in a partnership or limited liability company
would not be considered a capital distribution and, accordingly, would not be subject to
restrictions on capital distributions. However, the Eligible Borrower would be prohibited from
making a distribution with respect to a partnership or limited liability company interest,
including a capital or profits interest, except to the extent reasonably required to cover its
owners’ tax obligations in respect of the Eligible Borrower’s earnings. 16
H.17. How do the capital distribution and repurchase restrictions apply to
ownership interests held by Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)?
Eligible Borrowers must commit to comply with the repurchase, capital distribution, and
compensation restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of
the CARES Act. In some cases, shares of common stock of the Eligible Borrower may be held by
an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The bullets below discuss how the restrictions on
stock repurchases and capital distributions would apply to ownership interests held by the
ESOP.
• Restrictions on repurchases and redemptions. In general, and as discussed in the
Borrower Certifications and Covenants, an Eligible Borrower is restricted from
repurchasing or redeeming an equity security issued by the Eligible Borrower or its
parent company if such equity security is listed on a national securities exchange.
Restrictions would therefore not apply to a repurchase or redemption of an equity
security not listed on a national exchange. For example, an ESOP that holds shares of a
non-public company that has an obligation to repurchase any shares allocated to the
employee’s ESOP account upon the employee’s retirement or termination of
employment would not be prohibited under these restrictions from making such
repurchases. In addition, the restrictions on repurchases and redemptions do not apply
to repurchases or redemptions required under a contractual obligation that was in
effect as of March 27, 2020.
• Restrictions on capital distributions. Eligible Borrowers are also subject to restrictions
on dividends and other capital distributions made with respect to common stock or
equivalent interests in a partnership, limited liability company, business organized as a
trust, or other legal entity. The rules regarding restrictions on capital distributions
would apply to a corporation that maintains an ESOP that holds shares of the company
stock. The restrictions on dividends and other capital distributions do not apply to
repurchases or redemptions, which are governed by the separate restriction in CARES
Act section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii)(I), discussed immediately above. A dividend or other capital
16
See footnote 14.
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distribution with respect to an Eligible Borrower’s common stock or an equivalent
interest held by an ESOP would be subject to restrictions on capital distributions, unless
both the equity interest and the obligation to pay dividends or distributions existed as of
March 27, 2020.
H.18. Do certifications and covenants apply to successors?
An Eligible Borrower also must commit to comply with certifications and covenants included in
the Borrower Certifications and Covenants, including repurchase, capital distribution, and
compensation restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of
the CARES Act. If a Borrower is acquired or otherwise merged into another business, the
acquiring or resulting entity would generally assume all rights and obligations of the Borrower,
including the rights and obligations of the predecessor entity under a Main Street loan. 17
H.19. How do the compensation, capital distribution, and stock repurchase
restrictions apply to an organization in which more than one entity borrows
from the Main Street Lending Program?
The restrictions on compensation, stock repurchase, and capital distributions apply to the
Eligible Borrower. Accordingly, if two affiliates borrow from the Main Street Lending Program
each would be subject to the restrictions on compensation, capital distributions, and stock
repurchases. Note that some restrictions also affect affiliates that are not borrowers. For
example, the calculation of total compensation includes salary, bonuses, awards of stock, and
other financial benefits received by an officer or employee from the Eligible Borrower and its
affiliates. In addition, the Eligible Borrower may be restricted from repurchasing shares of its
parent(s) if those shares are traded on a national exchange, as explained further in the
Borrower Certifications and Covenants.
For additional information on aggregation rules for other criteria (e.g., employees and
revenues) see questions E.5 and E.10.
H.20. Do restrictions on dividend payments and capital distributions apply to loans
made by an Eligible Borrower to an individual that is an owner of such
Eligible Borrower?
After September 18, 2020, a loan made by an Eligible Borrower after origination of a Main
Street loan to an individual who is an owner of the Eligible Borrower will be presumed to be a
capital distribution unless the loan is (i) bona fide and (ii) either repaid according to its terms, or
17
Borrowers should ensure that any such transaction complies with their loan agreement, and that all required
consents or waivers are obtained.
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the lender (in this case the Eligible Borrower) exercises its rights as a creditor upon default. 18 A
loan will be considered bona fide if (i) it is a written instrument with a stated interest rate and a
stated maturity date; (ii) it has terms that are at least as favorable to the Eligible Borrower as
market terms for similar loans at the time of origination; 19 (iii) the lender (in this case the
Eligible Borrower) has a reasonable expectation of repayment, including that payments on the
loan are not deferred; (iv) the debt is enforceable under state law; and (v) the lender (in this
case the Eligible Borrower) has remedies upon default (e.g., a security interest or position with
respect to other creditors).
A loan made before origination of the Main Street loan to an individual who is an owner will be
presumed to be a capital distribution if it is forgiven or discharged, in whole or in part, or if the
Eligible Borrower does not exercise its rights as a creditor.
Eligible Borrowers are subject to compensation, stock repurchase, dividend payment, and
capital distribution restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under
section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act. In determining whether a transaction is a capital
distribution or dividend payment, and therefore subject to the restrictions under
section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act, the Eligible Borrower is required to review and
consider the instructions to the Borrower Certifications and Covenants, the FAQs, and the
purpose of and economic result of the transaction. Transactions that circumvent or evade the
restrictions that apply under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) will be viewed as a violation of these
restrictions.
H.21. What restrictions apply to an Eligible Borrower’s repayment of a loan made
to the Eligible Borrower by an owner of the Eligible Borrower?
The Eligible Borrower’s repayment of a loan made to it by an owner would not be considered a
capital distribution provided that the loan is a bona fide loan and repayment is made when
mandatory and due (see question H.20). A loan will be considered bona fide if (i) it is a written
instrument with a stated interest rate, a stated maturity date, and terms that are at least as
favorable to the Eligible Borrower (in this case the borrower) as market terms for similar loans
at the time of origination; (ii) the lender (in this case the owner) has a reasonable expectation
of repayment, including that payments on the loan are not deferred; (iii) the debt is
enforceable under state law; and (iv) the lender (in this case the owner) has remedies upon
default (e.g., a security interest or position with respect to other creditors).
18
Includes draws on existing lines of credit, renewals of existing loans, or amendments to an existing loan that
results in the terms of the loan becoming more favorable to the owner.
19
Market terms means the prevailing terms at the time of origination. Market terms should be demonstrated,
preferably by receipt of one or more written offers from an unaffiliated lender for a similar loan.
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In addition, as described in question C.4, an Eligible Borrower may, at the time of origination of
an MSPLF Loan, use the proceeds of such loan to prepay existing debt that is outstanding and
owed to lenders other than the Eligible Lender.20
Finally, as indicated in question H.20, transactions that circumvent or evade the restrictions
that apply under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act will be viewed as a violation of these
restrictions.
H.22. Do restrictions on compensation apply to loans made by an Eligible
Borrower to an employee or officer of such Eligible Borrower?
In determining whether a loan by an Eligible Borrower to its employee or officer is
compensation and therefore subject to the restrictions on compensation under section
4003(c)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act, the Borrower is required to review and consider the instructions
to the Borrower Certifications and Covenants, these FAQs (including the definition of total
compensation in question H.12), as well as the purpose of and economic result of the
transaction. As described in question H.12, Eligible Borrowers must calculate total
compensation according to item 402(c) unless the Eligible Borrower meets the criteria and
chooses to calculate total compensation according to the federal tax rules. An Eligible
Borrower is required to determine whether a loan, or whole or partial forgiveness or discharge
of a loan, would be considered compensation to an officer or employee according to these
rules. 21 Under the federal tax rules, for example, the whole or partial forgiveness or discharge
of a loan may be included in total compensation. Similarly, the amount of the canceled debt,
interest or principal, generally is considered income and reported for the year the cancellation
occurs. In addition, an individual who receives a loan with a below market interest rate may
have imputed compensation determined in accordance with the federal tax rules.
Transactions that circumvent or evade the restrictions that apply under section 4003(c)(3)(A)(ii)
of the CARES Act will be viewed as a violation of these restrictions.
H.23. How should an Eligible Borrower that is an S Corporation comply with the
requirement to conduct an annual reconciliation with respect to
distributions paid to cover its owners’ tax obligations?
A Borrower that is an S corporation or other tax pass-through entity may make distributions in
respect of its common stock equivalents to the extent reasonably required to cover its owners’
20
An owner also may make a new loan to the Eligible Borrower while a Main Street loan is outstanding, provided
that all Program requirements are observed (including the requirement that the Main Street loan does not become
contractually subordinated to the new loan extended by the owner). See Appendix B, Section I.
21
See section 2.D of the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants for a definition of
“officer or employee.”
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tax obligations in respect of the entity’s earnings. Such distributions shall be subject to an
annual reconciliation, with any surplus or deficiency to be deducted from or added to
distributions, as applicable, in the following year. This provision applies based on an owners’
tax obligations and, accordingly, is based on the owners’ tax year. For the same reason, the
payment should be reconciled to the owner’s tax liability.
H.24. How should I read the term “Borrower” in the Borrower Certifications and
Covenants for multi-borrower loans?
Each co-borrower in a multi-borrower loan must deliver to the Eligible Lender a set of Borrower
Certifications and Covenants for the appropriate Main Street facility, which must be completed
and signed by such co-borrower’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer. If,
for example, there are three co-borrowers, each with the same principal executive officer and
principal financial officer, three sets of Borrower Certifications and Covenants must be
executed by the same officers in respect of the three different co-borrowers.
Each set of certifications should accurately identify the relevant co-borrower in the “Name of
the Borrower” field. References to “Borrower” throughout the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF
Borrower Certifications and Covenants mean only the co-borrower identified in the “Name of
the Borrower” field in such document, except that:
i. co-borrowers may elect to supply aggregated financial information and an aggregated
EBITDA calculation in relation to section 4.A of the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Borrower
Certifications and Covenants, where permitted by the Eligible Lender; 22 and
ii. for the MSPLF, co-borrowers may elect to submit aggregated Lien and Collateral
Valuation Reporting in relation to section 4.C of the MSPLF Borrower Certifications and
Covenants, where permitted by the Eligible Lender.
H.25. How should I read the term “Borrower” in the Lender Transaction Specific
Certifications and Covenants for multi-borrower loans?
In the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants,
“Name of the Borrower” will be populated by the Portal to include the name of each and every
co-borrower identified in the Portal. References to the “Borrower” throughout the document
22
If an Eligible Lender permits co-borrowers to submit aggregated financial information and EBITDA calculations,
the Eligible Lender should instruct the co-borrowers to use the Eligible Lender’s typical practices to aggregate such
information in a manner that accounts for transactions between the co-borrowers and accurately reflects the
financial position of the co-borrowers and their ability to repay the loan (e.g., in a manner that avoids double
counting of revenues, assets, or liabilities). Each co-borrower should reference section 4.A of the MSNLF, MSPLF,
and MSELF Borrower Certifications and Covenants, as well as question H.10, to determine if they are able to
submit consolidated financial statements, which may then be aggregated with other co-borrowers, if relevant and
permitted by the Eligible Lender.
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will be understood to mean “collectively, the co-borrowers named in the Lender Transaction
Specific Certifications and Covenants,” with the following exceptions:
i. Section 1.A – Due Inquiry with Respect to Formation: Each co-borrower must be a
“Business” that was established prior to March 13, 2020. Therefore, the Eligible Lender
must receive documentation from each co-borrower evidencing that
co-borrower’s legal formation certified by the appropriate governmental authority, and
take those steps to verify such formation as are required under the Eligible Lender’s
ordinary underwriting policies and procedures.
ii. Section 1.B - Delivery of Borrower Certifications and Covenants: Each co-borrower
must submit its own Borrower Certifications and Covenants. References to the
Borrower Certifications and Covenants throughout the Lender Transaction Specific
Certifications and Covenants should be read to include each co-borrower’s Borrower
Certifications and Covenants.
iii. Sections 2.H, 2.I, and 2.J – EBITDA Requirements: Each co-borrower must submit
financial information and a calculated 2019 adjusted EBITDA for such co-borrower,
except that co-borrowers may elect to aggregate their financials and 2019 adjusted
EBITDA, if permitted by the Eligible Lender. 23
iv. Section 3.B of the MSPLF Borrower Certifications and Covenants: Each MSPLF
co-borrower must submit its own Lien and Collateral Value Reporting, except that the
co-borrowers may elect to aggregate such reporting if permitted by the Eligible Lender.
23
While co-borrowers may individually submit financial information and EBITDA calculations, the maximum loan
size must be determined in reference to the adjusted 2019 EBITDA and existing outstanding and undrawn available
debt of “the Borrower” (i.e., collectively, all of the co-borrowers). The Eligible Lender should use (or should
require the co-borrowers to use, as applicable) its typical practices in order to aggregate financial information in a
manner that accounts for transactions between the co-borrowers and accurately reflects the financial position of
the co-borrowers and their ability to repay the loan (e.g., in a manner that avoids double counting of revenues,
assets, or liabilities).
Therefore, to calculate maximum loan size, the aggregate adjusted 2019 EBITDA and aggregate existing
outstanding and undrawn available debt of “the Borrower” should be used for section 2.H of the MSNLF, MSPLF,
and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants; the aggregate adjusted 2019 EBITDA and
aggregate existing outstanding and undrawn available debt of “the Borrower” and its affiliates should be used for
section 2.I of the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants; and, if, on
an aggregated basis, all or substantially all of the assets of the Borrower comprise equity interests in other entities,
then the Borrower must identify Selected Subsidiaries and the maximum loan size would be constrained by such
Selected Subsidiaries’ aggregate adjusted 2019 EBITDA and aggregate existing outstanding and undrawn available
debt.
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For the avoidance of doubt, a notice or report made to an Eligible Lender by any co-borrower is
a notice or report made by “the Borrower.” 24 Further, requirements referencing the other
loans, obligations, or “Loans or Debt Instruments” of “the Borrower” include the other loans,
obligations, or Loans or Debt Instruments, of all co-borrowers in any capacity, and not solely
the other loans, obligations, or Loans or Debt Instruments, jointly shared by the co-borrowers.25
Finally, acceleration of a loan made to any of the co-borrowers should trigger the cross-
acceleration clause required under section 2.N of the Lender Transaction Specific Certifications
and Covenants.
I. Lender Information
I.1. Which financial institutions are eligible to make loans under the Program?
U.S. federally-insured depository institutions (including banks, savings associations, and credit
unions), U.S. branches or agencies of foreign banks, U.S. bank holding companies, U.S. savings
and loan holding companies, U.S. intermediate holding companies of foreign banking
organizations, or any U.S. subsidiary of any of the foregoing are eligible to participate in the
Program. At this time, nonbank financial institutions are not considered Eligible Lenders for
purposes of the Program. However, the Federal Reserve is considering options to expand the
list of Eligible Lenders in the future.
I.2. How should an Eligible Lender evaluate an Eligible Borrower’s
creditworthiness?
The eligibility criteria in the Main Street facility term sheets must be satisfied for a loan to be
eligible for participation by the Main Street SPV. In addition, at the time of the potential
borrower’s application, an Eligible Lender is expected to conduct an assessment of each
potential borrower’s pre-pandemic financial condition and post-pandemic prospects, taking
into account the payment deferral features of Main Street loans. An Eligible Lender may
require additional information and documentation in making this evaluation and will ultimately
determine whether an Eligible Borrower is approved for a Program loan in light of these
considerations. Businesses that otherwise meet the Eligible Borrower requirements may not be
approved for a loan or receive the maximum allowable amount.
24
See, e.g., sections 2.G, or 2.I of the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and
Covenants, section 5.B of the MSNLF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants, and section 6.B of
the MSPLF and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants.
25
See section 2.K of the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants,
section 3 of the MSPLF and MSELF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants, section 4.A. of the
MSNLF Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants, and section 5.A. of the MSPLF Lender Transaction
Specific Certifications and Covenants.
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I.3. Can multiple affiliated Eligible Lenders participate in Main Street?
Yes. Multiple affiliated entities may register as Eligible Lenders under the Program.
I.4. Will standard loan documents be provided for Main Street loans, or should
Eligible Lenders use their own loan documentation?
Each participating Eligible Lender should use its own loan documentation in relation to Main
Street loans. Such documentation should be substantially similar, including with respect to
required covenants, to the loan documentation that the Eligible Lender uses in its ordinary
course lending to similarly situated borrowers, adjusted only as appropriate to reflect the
requirements of the Program. Appendix A contains a checklist of the items that must be
reflected in the loan documentation in order for the Main Street SPV to purchase a
participation in a loan. Appendix B includes certain model covenants that Eligible Lenders can
elect to reference when drafting their loan documentation in order to satisfy the Appendix A
requirements. Appendix C includes a list of the financial information that Eligible Lenders must
require Eligible Borrowers to provide on an ongoing basis until the loans mature.
I.5. How should an Eligible Lender account for the transfer of an undivided
participation interest in the loan to the Main Street SPV?
The transfer of an undivided participation interest in an MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF
Upsized Tranche is structured with the intent to (a) meet the accounting definition of a
participating interest; (b) qualify as a true sale under the Bankruptcy Code; and (c) meet the
criteria for sale accounting outlined in ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing.
The Federal Reserve expects that an Eligible Lender would generally be able to support the
conclusion that the transfer of a participation interest in an MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or an
MSELF Upsized Tranche made in accordance with the Program requirements qualifies for sale
accounting under ASC 860. However, an Eligible Lender will need to evaluate any entity-specific
considerations in determining the appropriate conclusion.
For the MSELF, the accounting considerations described above relate to situations where an
Eligible Lender has appropriately concluded that the MSELF Upsized Tranche is a separate and
distinct unit of account for accounting purposes. This conclusion will vary depending on
transaction-specific considerations as an Eligible Lender has the ability to customize certain
details that may be pertinent to the unit of account analysis. Factors that an Eligible Lender
should consider in evaluating whether the MSELF Upsized Tranche can be considered a
separate and distinct unit of account, apart from the existing term loan or revolving credit
facility, for accounting purposes include, but are not limited to:
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• the characteristics of the MSELF Upsized Tranche compared to the characteristics of the
existing term loan or revolving credit facility (e.g., maturity date, amortization schedule,
collateral requirement, payment date, and interest rate); and
• how an Eligible Lender operationalizes the MSELF Upsized Tranche, including whether
scheduled principal and interest payments are commingled with payments on the
existing term loan or revolving credit facility, whether the payments made by the
Eligible Borrower clearly indicate which loan the payment is intended to settle, and
whether the Eligible Lender separately maintains detailed record-keeping.
Federal Reserve staff has discussed the broad terms and intent of the Program with staff of the
SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA). OCA staff have indicated they are available for
consultation on an entity’s specific facts and circumstances as needed.
I.6. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV under the
Program constitute “true participations”?
The Federal Reserve has designed the legal forms and agreements to facilitate a determination
that the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV in MSNLF Loans, MSPLF
Loans, or MSELF Upsized Tranches are “true participations.” As such, the participation interests
by the Main Street SPV have characteristics of true participations under the Bankruptcy Code,
including the following:
• Sections 2.1(c) and 4.3 of the Participation Agreement explicitly reflect the intention of
the parties to effect a true sale. Section 2.1(b) of the Participation Agreement provides
that it is the parties’ intent to sell an undivided participation interest in 95% of an
MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche. Further, sections 4.3 and
5.3 of the Participation Agreement state that there is a complete and irrevocable
transfer by the Eligible Lender of the rewards and risks of ownership of the participation
interest. Further, section 2.1(d) makes clear that the participation interest cannot be
put-back, voided, or rescinded. While the Eligible Lender will retain bare legal title to
the portion of the MSPLF Loan, MSNLF Loan or MSELF Upsized Tranche underlying the
participation interest, retention of title in this manner is not inconsistent with the sale of
a participation interest in a loan.
• The Eligible Lender does not guarantee repayment of the participation interest or the
MSPLF Loan, MSNLF Loan or MSELF Upsized Tranche underlying the participation
interest, nor is there any other recourse inconsistent with a sale of the participation
interest.
• Sections 2.1(b) and 8 of the Participation Agreement provide for a pure pass-through to
the Main Street SPV of amounts paid by the Eligible Borrower under an MSNLF Loan, an
MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche, excluding the Eligible Lender’s retained
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beneficial interest (a 5% beneficial interest in each MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF
Upsized Tranche). The proceeds of the participation interest will not be commingled
with the Eligible Lender’s funds for any significant period of time. Pursuant to Section
8.1 of the Participation Agreement, (i) the Eligible Lender will accept and hold any
distributions that the Eligible Lender receives in respect of the participation interest for
the account and sole benefit of the Main Street SPV, (ii) the Eligible Lender has no
equitable or beneficial interest in such distributions, which are property of the Main
Street SPV, and (iii) the Eligible Lender is required to deliver any distribution to the Main
Street SPV promptly.
• The participation interest will also have the same duration as the underlying MSNLF
Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche.
• Pursuant to the Servicing Agreement, the Eligible Lender will provide Enhanced
Reporting Services (as defined in the Servicing Agreement) to the Main Street SPV with
respect to the participation interest. As compensation for the Enhanced Reporting
Services, the Main Street SPV will pay the Eligible Lender a servicing fee in the amount
of 0.25% per annum of the total principal amount of the participation interest. The
Federal Reserve believes that the terms of the Servicing Agreement are commercially
reasonable and comparable to terms that unaffiliated third parties would accept to
provide Enhanced Reporting Services, under the terms and conditions set out in the
Servicing Agreement, with respect to the participation interest.
• By agreeing to borrow in connection with the Program, each Eligible Borrower must
consent to the Eligible Lender’s sale of the participation interest in the MSNLF Loan,
MSPLF Loan or MSELF Upsized Tranche, as applicable, to the Main Street SPV.
• The Eligible Lender has agreed to act on behalf of the Main Street SPV with respect to
the Main Street SPV’s participation interest in the MSNLF Loans, the MSPLF Loan, and
the MSELF Upsized Tranche. With respect to Core Rights Acts, Section 11.1 of the
Participation Agreement provides that the Eligible Lender shall only take (or refrain from
taking) Core Rights Acts in accordance with the prior instructions of the Main Street SPV.
Pursuant to Section 12.1 of the Participation Agreement, the Eligible Lender will not be
held to the standard of care of a fiduciary, but will exercise the same duty of care with
respect to the administration and enforcement of the participation interest as it would
exercise if it held the participation interest solely for its own account.
• Sections 11.1(c), 15.1 and 15.2 of the Participation Agreement provide elevation rights
for the Main Street SPV, which establish circumstances under which the Main Street SPV
can request the Eligible Lender to use best efforts or commercially reasonable efforts, as
applicable, to effectuate a full assignment of the legal title to the portion of the MSNLF
Loans, MSPLF Loans or MSELF Upsized Tranche underlying the participation interest.
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I.7. Does the sale of participation interests to the Main Street SPV meet the
criteria for a true sale under the Bankruptcy Code?
The sale of a participation interest in an MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized
Tranche is structured to be a true sale, and the Program transaction terms are consistent with a
true sale, including:
• The express language in section 2.1(b) of the Participation Agreement reflecting the
intent of the parties to sell an undivided participation interest in 95% of an MSNLF Loan,
an MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche.
• The economic substance of the transfer of the participation interest from the Eligible
Lender to the Main Street SPV under the Participation Agreement is a sale.
• The language in sections 4.3 and 5.3 of the Participation Agreement providing for a
complete and irrevocable transfer by each Eligible Lender of the rewards and risks of
ownership of the participation interest, as well as the language in section 2.1(d) making
clear that the participation interest cannot be put-back, voided, or rescinded.
• Any change in the value of the participation interest will not be for the benefit or loss of
the Eligible Lender.
• The Eligible Lender will receive the entire consideration for the participation interest
representing at least the fair market value for the participation interest on the
applicable closing date. There will not be any post-closing adjustment of the purchase
price, and the Eligible Lender does not have any right or obligation to transfer additional
property to the Main Street SPV.
• The Participation Agreement makes explicit the parties’ intention for the Eligible Lender
to relinquish the benefits and risks associated with ownership of the participation
interest.
In addition to the above, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston agrees that it will not assert in any
proceeding that the sales of the participation interests are other than true sales constituting
true participations.
While not inconsistent with a true sale of participation interests, the Program does have certain
unique features including the following:
• Each Eligible Lender under the Program must retain its 5% of the MSNLF Loan, MSPLF
Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche until (A) the underlying MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or
MSELF Upsized Tranche matures or (B) neither the Main Street SPV nor a Governmental
Assignee holds an interest in the loan in any capacity, whichever occurs first.
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• Under the MSELF, each Eligible Lender must also retain its interest in the underlying
loan until (A) such underlying loan matures, (B) the MSELF Upsized Tranche matures or
(C) neither the Main Street SPV nor a Governmental Assignee holds an interest in the
loan in any capacity, whichever occurs first.
It is important to note, however, that the Eligible Lender’s retained interest in the MSNLF Loan,
MSPLF Loan, MSELF Upsized Tranche, or MSELF underlying loan will be pari passu with the Main
Street SPV’s participation interest. Thus, the Eligible Lender’s retained interest in the MSNLF
Loan, MSPLF Loan, MSELF Upsized Tranche, or MSELF underlying loan does not provide credit
support for the related participation interest(s). As noted above, the material terms of the
MSNLF, MSELF, and MSPLF are consistent with a true sale determination.
I.8. Does the Main Street SPV have the right to put back the participation
interests to the Eligible Lender?
Neither the Eligible Lender nor any of its affiliates will have any right or obligation to purchase,
repurchase, acquire, or reacquire the participation interest or to substitute other assets for the
participation interest subsequent to sale to the Main Street SPV, or any right of first refusal, last
look, or other similar right with respect to a purchase of the participation interest, or any
obligation to pay any amount in connection with a loss of value with respect to the
participation interest once it has been sold to the Main Street SPV. Further, under section
2.1(d) of the Participation Agreement, the Main Street SPV has no right to put the participation
interest back to the Eligible Lender.
I.9. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV potentially
qualify for a “safe harbor” in relation to FDIC resolution proceedings?
The Federal Reserve has structured the transfer of the interests in financial assets under the
Participation Agreement from the Eligible Lender to the Main Street SPV with the intent that it
would qualify for the safe harbor regulations adopted by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, under 12 CFR 360.6(d)(1), regarding the treatment of financial assets transferred
in connection with a participation. This safe harbor provides protection to the transfer of
financial assets by an insured depository institution under a properly structured participation
without recourse that satisfies the safe harbor’s requirements by providing, in general, that the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (as conservator or receiver of the institution) will not
reclaim or recover any such transferred financial assets, provided that such transfer satisfies
the conditions for sale accounting treatment under U.S. GAAP, other than the legal isolation
condition that is addressed by the safe harbor. The Federal Reserve has structured the
Program with the intent that participations purchased by the Main Street SPV should qualify as
“participations” within the meaning of 12 CFR 360.6(a)(7), as they are sales of an undivided
interest in an MSPLF Loan, an MSNLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche, without recourse to
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the Eligible Lender. Staff of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation were consulted in
preparing this response.
I.10. Do the participation interests purchased by the Main Street SPV potentially
qualify for a “safe harbor” in relation to NCUA resolution proceedings?
The Federal Reserve has structured the transfer of the interests in financial assets under the
Participation Agreement from the Eligible Lender to the Main Street SPV with the intent that it
would qualify for the safe harbor regulations adopted by the Board of the National Credit Union
Administration regarding the treatment of financial assets transferred in connection with a
participation, under 12 CFR 709.9(d)(1). This safe harbor provides protection to the transfer of
financial assets by a federally insured credit union under a properly structured participation
without recourse that satisfies the safe harbor’s requirements by providing, in general, that the
Board of the National Credit Union Administration (as conservator or receiver of the institution)
will not reclaim or recover any such transferred financial assets, provided that such transfer
satisfies the conditions for sale accounting treatment under U.S. GAAP, other than the legal
isolation condition that is addressed by the safe harbor. The Federal Reserve has structured the
Program with the intent that participations purchased by the Main Street SPV should qualify as
“participations” within the meaning of 12 CFR 709.9(a), as they are sales of an undivided
interest in an MSPLF Loan, an MSNLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche, without recourse to
the Eligible Lender. Staff of the National Credit Union Administration were consulted in
preparing this response.
I.11. Does the Servicing Agreement contemplated between the Eligible Lender
and the Main Street SPV impact whether the sale of participation interests
can be considered a “true sale”?
No, the Federal Reserve believes that the terms of the Servicing Agreement are commercially
reasonable and comparable to terms to which unaffiliated third parties would agree to provide
Enhanced Reporting Services (under the terms and conditions set out in the Servicing
Agreement) with respect to the participation interest. The Servicing Fee does not represent
any type of recourse or credit support for the participation interest, given that the fee is being
paid by the Main Street SPV to the Eligible Lender. The Main Street SPV may also terminate the
Servicing Agreement and remove the Eligible Lender as servicer at any time for “Cause,” as such
term is defined in the Servicing Agreement.”
I.12. Will payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest that has accrued (but has not yet been
capitalized to principal) during the period of time starting on the date when
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the loan agreement is funded to the date when the loan participation
purchase is funded be allocated to the Seller (i.e., the Eligible Lender)?
No. Under the Participation Agreement, all accrued, but uncapitalized PIK Interest on the
Purchase Amount of the loan that is participated is for the account of the Main Street SPV (as
the Buyer), regardless of when such interest accrued. Further, the Purchase Price is determined
based upon the Purchase Amount of the participation interest as of the effective date of the
Participation Agreement. Therefore, the Participation Agreement does not require the Main
Street SPV to pay for the accrued, but uncapitalized interest, if the interest has not yet been
added to the principal amount as of the effective date of the Participation Agreement.
I.13. Can an Eligible Lender that is a depository institution pledge its 5% of a Main
Street loan to a Federal Reserve Bank as collateral?
An Eligible Lender that is a depository institution may pledge its 5% of a Main Street loan,
provided that the loan meets the collateral eligibility requirements of its local Federal Reserve
Bank. General acceptance criteria for loans can be found in the Federal Reserve Collateral
Guidelines. A depository institution should contact its local Reserve Bank to discuss specific
questions regarding collateral eligibility or pledging procedures. The “Federal Reserve
Collateral Guidelines” and toll-free phone numbers and other contact information of each
Reserve Bank can be found on www.frbdiscountwindow.org.
I.14. [Reserved.]
I.15. Must Main Street loan documents be governed by U.S. law?
Yes. Main Street loan documents must be governed by the laws of any of the several states,
the District of Columbia, or any of the territories of the United States.
J. Loan Participation
J.1. What loan documentation is required to sell a participation to the Main
Street SPV under the Program?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Legal Forms and Agreements website includes the form
loan participation agreement, borrower and lender certifications and covenants, and other
related documentation necessary to effect the sale of a qualifying participation interest to the
Main Street SPV. See question I.4 for information about the underlying loan documentation.
J.2. What loan-level information will the SPV collect for credit monitoring
purposes?
See Appendix C.
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J.3. Is there a limit to the volume of participations the Main Street SPV can
purchase from a single Eligible Lender?
Apart from the Program’s size and time limitations, there is no limit on the amount of
participations the Main Street SPV can purchase from a single Eligible Lender.
J.4. Under the Loan Participation Agreement, when can the Main Street SPV sell
its loan participation or elevate its loan participation into an assignment?
Under the Loan Participation Agreement, the Main Street SPV is generally permitted to sell its
participation (without elevating) only with the contemporaneous consent of the Eligible Lender.
In addition, it is generally permitted to elevate its participation into an assignment only with the
contemporaneous consent of the Eligible Borrower, the Eligible Lender, and other necessary
parties (i.e., the administrative agent in a multi-lender facility). However, the SPV may do the
following without such contemporaneous consent:
• It may sell or transfer its loan participation in full, but not in part, without elevating, at
any time to any Federal Reserve Bank, any vehicle authorized to be established by the
Board or any Federal Reserve Bank, any entity created by an act of Congress, or any
vehicle established or acquired by the Department of the Treasury or any other
department or agency of the federal government. These transfers cannot be
undertaken to effect a securitization.
• It may sell or transfer its loan participation, or elevate its participation to an assignment
(to itself or a third-party), upon the following events:
o at the option of the Main Street SPV, if the Eligible Borrower has failed to make
any payment due under its loan contract with the Eligible Lender and the
applicable grace period has elapsed;
o at the option of the Main Street SPV, if the Eligible Borrower or the Eligible
Lender has become the subject of bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings;
o automatically, if the Eligible Lender would take, or refrain from taking, an action
that would result in impermissible forgiveness of principal of the portion of the
Program loan beneficially owned by the Main Street SPV (to prevent a violation
of section 4003(d)(3) of the CARES Act); and
o if required to do so by a statute or court.
Please see the form Loan Participation Agreement Standard Terms and Conditions for more
detail regarding the above.
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J.5. What role will the Main Street SPV play in the event an Eligible Borrower
enters distress?
Prior to an Eligible Borrower entering distress, the Main Street SPV will rely on the Eligible
Lender to service each Main Street loan in accordance with the standard of care set out in the
Loan Participation Agreement and in light of the duties of the Eligible Lender under the
Servicing Agreement. Except as set out in question J.4, the Main Street SPV cannot elevate its
interest during this time without the contemporaneous consent of the Eligible Borrower and
the Eligible Lender, and typically would not seek to do so.
Once an Eligible Borrower misses a mandatory and due payment on the Program loan (beyond
the applicable grace period), or the Eligible Borrower or Eligible Lender enters into bankruptcy
or other insolvency proceedings, the Main Street SPV will have the option to elevate its
participation to an assignment to be in privity with the Eligible Borrower. However, the Federal
Reserve does not expect the Main Street SPV to use this right as a matter of course. Rather, the
Federal Reserve would expect Eligible Lenders to follow market-standard workout processes
and to exercise the standard of care set out in the Loan Participation Agreement (i.e., to
exercise the same duty of care in approaching such proceedings as it would exercise if it
retained a beneficial interest in the entire loan). In general, the Federal Reserve expects that
the Main Street SPV generally would not expect to elevate and assign except in situations
where (i) the economic interests of the Eligible Lender and the Main Street SPV are misaligned,
or (ii) the loan amount is relatively large in comparison to other loans in the Main Street SPV’s
portfolio of participations.
J.6. How will the Main Street SPV approach decision-making with respect to its
voting rights under the Loan Participation Agreement or Co-Lender
Agreement?
Main Street is an emergency lending program, not a grant program. Consistent with
Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Reserve’s obligations under the
CARES Act, the Main Street SPV will make commercially reasonable decisions to protect
taxpayers from losses on Main Street loans and will not be influenced by non-economic factors
when exercising its voting rights under the Loan Participation Agreement or the Co-Lender
Agreement, including with respect to a borrower that is the subject of a workout or
restructuring.
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J.7. Will the Main Street SPV assert special administrative priority under
Section 507(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code for its claims against an Eligible
Borrower in bankruptcy proceedings?
No. Under the Loan Participation Agreement and Co-Lender Agreement, the Main Street SPV
(and any other entity that steps into its shoes) has waived and disclaimed its right to assert
special administrative priority under Section 507(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Federal
Reserve believes that waiving and disclaiming its right to such priority will enhance the efficacy
of the Program and provide certainty to Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers, without
compromising taxpayer protection.
• Taxpayer Recovery. The Federal Reserve has determined that failing to waive and
disclaim its right to assert this special priority may trigger technical cross-defaults
related to an Eligible Borrower’s other existing debt obligations, and could prevent
Eligible Borrowers from securing new debt, including potential Debtor-in-Possession
financing. Such consequences would undermine the Main Street SPV’s efforts to
maximize recovery for taxpayers, including in the case of an Eligible Borrower’s
restructuring or workout. Further, the assertion of this special priority could require
costly litigation in the case of any Eligible Borrower bankruptcy, which would limit net
recovery.
• Limited Scope of the Special Priority. Special priority is likely to improve taxpayer
recoveries only in limited situations. In general, special priority would enhance the
Federal Reserve’s recoveries only in some situations where the Main Street SPV is one
of multiple unsubordinated unsecured creditors of the Eligible Borrower at the time of
its bankruptcy, and only to the extent the SPV would not have to share its special
recoveries with other creditors due to underlying inter-creditor agreements.
• Efficacy of Main Street. The Federal Reserve also believes that failing to waive or
disclaim its rights to assert special priority may limit the efficacy of the Program,
because Eligible Lenders likely would be hesitant to use a Program that would
effectively subordinate the credit they have already extended to an Eligible Borrower.
• Other Taxpayer Protections. The MSNLF, MSELF, and MSPLF include features that are
intended to mitigate risk to the Federal Reserve and taxpayers. For example, Eligible
Lenders are required to retain a portion of each loan’s risk, the maximum loan size for
each facility is limited by an Eligible Borrower’s existing leverage, and Eligible Borrowers
are constrained in their ability to prepay other existing debts. Further, an Eligible
Borrower’s loans outstanding with the Eligible Lender must have received an internal
FFIEC “pass” rating, as of December 31, 2019. Together, the Federal Reserve believes
that these and other design features are sufficient to protect taxpayers from losses.
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K. Regulatory Treatment
K.1. What is the regulatory capital treatment for the interest in a Main Street
loan retained by an Eligible Lender?
The interest in the portion of a Main Street loan that is retained by an Eligible Lender should be
assigned the risk weight applicable to the counterparty for the loan—generally a 100% risk
weight for a corporate exposure under the standardized approach. For purposes of risk-based
capital rules and leverage rules, the exposure amount for MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and
MSELF Upsized Tranches is 5% of the MSNLF Loan balance, MSPLF Loan balance, or MSELF
Upsized Tranche balance, respectively. With respect to the MSELF, this treatment applies only
to the outstanding MSELF Upsized Tranche balance; the underlying loan or line of credit would
be subject to the capital treatment that applied prior to the sale of the participation to the
Main Street SPV.
Secured Main Street loans are eligible for the credit risk mitigation treatment in the
standardized approach provided that any collateral securing the loan is eligible financial
collateral. Eligible Lenders are not permitted to recognize collateral attributable to the Main
Street SPV’s interest for purposes of the credit risk mitigation treatment under the capital rule.
The treatment described above applies only to Eligible Lenders that are subject to the federal
banking agencies’ capital rule. Credit unions that participate in the Program are subject to any
capital requirements implemented by the National Credit Union Administration.
K.2. How will Program loans be treated for supervised firms subject to stress
testing?
The capital planning guidance issued by the Federal Reserve in 2015 (SR 15-18 and SR 15-19)
includes supervisory expectations for capital planning and stress testing for certain supervised
firms. Such firms should continue to reference that guidance when evaluating Program loans
for capital planning and stress testing purposes. Eligible Lenders subject to capital planning
guidance should evaluate only the retained portion of Program loans for capital planning and
stress testing purposes, as the sale of participations to the SPV will be structured as “true
sales.”
The supervisory stress test methodology to assign losses to and revenues stemming from
different types of exposures is publicly available and described in “Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test
2020: Supervisory Stress Test Methodology.”
K.3. Are Main Street loans for existing customers considered new accounts for
FinCEN Rule CDD purposes? Are lenders required to collect, certify, or verify
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beneficial ownership information in accordance with the rule requirements
for existing customers?
FinCEN has provided the following guidance to the Board with respect to this question: If the
Main Street loan is being made to an existing customer and the necessary information was
previously verified, you do not need to re-verify the information. Furthermore, if Eligible
Lenders for purposes of the Program have not yet collected beneficial ownership information
on existing customers, such institutions do not need to collect and verify beneficial ownership
information for those customers applying for new Main Street loans, unless otherwise indicated
by the Eligible Lender’s risk-based approach to Bank Secrecy Act compliance.
K.4. How will federal supervisors treat loans extended through the Main Street
program?
Given the severe economic dislocations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Main Street
loan applicants may be experiencing temporary cash flow disruptions. Supervisors acknowledge
the high degree of uncertainty in predicting COVID-19’s economic impact and effect on
individual borrowers. Eligible Lenders are encouraged to work with borrowers affected by
COVID-19 and may originate or expand loans to such borrowers under the Main Street
Program.
Supervisors will not criticize Eligible Lenders for originating Main Street loans in accordance
with the Program’s requirements, including cases when such loans are considered non-pass at
the time of origination, provided these weaknesses stem from the pandemic and are expected
to be temporary or if such loans are part of a bank’s prudent risk mitigation strategy for an
existing borrower.
The supervisory approach for assessing the safety and soundness of institutions given the
ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is outlined in SR 20-15.
K.5. For an Eligible Lender that is a national bank or savings association, do
lending limits apply to the entire size of a Main Street loan, or only the
percentage of a loan that is retained by the Eligible Lender?
Loans made under the Main Street lending program apply towards an Eligible Lender’s lending
limit.
From the OCC: For Eligible Lenders that are national banks, federal savings associations, and
state savings associations, the Main Street loan should be treated as follows:
1. Funded Loan: If the Eligible Lender funded an MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF
Upsized Tranche to an Eligible Borrower before seeking to sell a participation to the
Main Street SPV (under the “Funded Loan” method described in question L.4), the full
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amount of the loan would be treated as a loan by the Eligible Lender to the relevant
Eligible Borrower and would count towards the Eligible Lender’s lending limit. The full
amount of the loan will count towards the Eligible Lender’s lending limit until such time
as the Main Street SPV has purchased the participation (i.e., once the Eligible Lender has
received full payment by the Main Street SPV for the participation). After the purchase
of the participation by the Main Street SPV, the portion of the loan that has been sold as
a participation to the Main Street SPV would no longer be treated as a loan to the
relevant Eligible Borrower for purposes of the OCC’s lending limit regulations.
2. Condition of Funding: Under the Program, the Eligible Lender has the option of entering
into a loan agreement to extend an MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF Loan, or an MSELF Upsized
Tranche to an Eligible Borrower, for which the funding of such loan is contingent on the
Eligible Lender receiving a binding commitment from the Main Street SPV to purchase a
participation in the loan (as discussed under the “Condition of Funding” method
described in question L.4). If the Eligible Lender chooses this option and provides a
Funding Notice to the Main Street SPV by the specified deadline, the Eligible Lender
need only include the retained percentage of the loan when calculating its lending limit
to the Eligible Borrower. Loans extended in this manner are structured to be exempt
loan participations under the OCC’s regulation (12 CFR 32.2(q)(2)(vi)(A)-(B)). The Main
Street SPV will generally be able to advance funds to purchase the participation within
one business day of receiving notice from the Eligible Lender that it has funded the loan,
if such notice is received before 7 p.m. ET. In instances where funding from the Main
Street SPV occurs more than one business day after the loan is funded by the Eligible
Lender, provided such delays were outside of the Eligible Lender’s control, the entirety
of the loan will be treated as a loan to the relevant Eligible Borrower and count towards
the Eligible Lender’s lending limit, but any amount of the loan exceeding the Eligible
Lender’s lending limit will not be considered a violation and will instead be treated as
nonconforming for the interim period under 12 CFR 32.2(q)(2)(vi)(B). Once the Eligible
Borrower receives full payment from Main Street SPV for the portion of the loan that
has been sold as a participation to the Main Street SPV, that portion of the loan will no
longer be treated as a loan to the relevant Eligible Borrower for purposes of the OCC’s
lending limit regulations.
Federal Reserve staff have consulted with staff of the OCC and the FDIC in providing this
response. OCC staff have indicated they are available for consultation on a national bank’s or
federal savings association’s specific facts and circumstances, as needed. FDIC staff have
indicated they are available for consultation on a state savings association’s specific facts and
circumstances, as needed.
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Eligible Lenders that are state-chartered banks should review applicable state law to determine
to what extent a Main Street loan applies to its lending limit. State member and nonmember
banks should consult with their state banking supervisor.
K.6. For Eligible Lenders that are federally insured credit unions, does the
member business loan limit apply to the entire size of a Main Street loan, or
only the percentage of a loan that is retained by the Eligible Lender?
Under the Federal Credit Union Act, federally insured credit unions (whether federally or state
chartered) that are not exempt by statute are subject to an aggregate limit on “member
business loans” set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 1757a(a). The aggregate limit applies to all member
business loans made by a federally insured credit union under the Program, irrespective of any
advance commitment to purchase a participation interest prior to funding the loan. However,
when a participation interest in the Program loan is actually purchased and transferred to the
SPV, without recourse and qualifying for true sale accounting under U.S. GAAP, the portion of
the loan that has been sold as a participation shall no longer count toward the aforementioned
aggregate limit on member business loans. Other exceptions to and exclusions from the
member business loan limit are set forth in 12 U.S.C. § 1757a and 12 CFR 723.8.
Federal Reserve staff have consulted with staff of the NCUA in drafting this response. NCUA
staff have indicated they are available for consultation on a federally insured credit union’s
specific facts and circumstances as needed.
K.7. For Eligible Lenders that are federally insured credit unions, does the limit
on commercial loans to one member apply to the entire size of a Main
Street loan, or only the percentage of a loan that is retained by the Eligible
Lender?
Under the NCUA’s regulations, the aggregate dollar amount of commercial loans to any one
borrower or group of associated borrowers may not exceed the greater of 15% of the federally
insured credit union's net worth or $100,000, plus an additional 10% of the credit union’s net
worth if the amount that exceeds the credit union’s 15% general limit is fully secured at all
times with a perfected security interest by readily marketable collateral as defined in
12 CFR 723.2. Such limitation applies to all commercial loans made by a federally insured credit
union under this Program, irrespective of any advance commitment to purchase a participation
interest in the funded loan. Provided, however, that when the participation interest in the
Program loan is actually purchased and transferred to the SPV, the portion of the loan that has
been sold as a participation shall no longer count toward the aforementioned limit on
commercial loans to one borrower.
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Federal Reserve staff have consulted with staff of the NCUA in drafting this response. NCUA
staff have indicated they are available for consultation on a federally insured credit union’s
specific facts and circumstances as needed.
Eligible Lenders that are state chartered credit unions should also review applicable state law to
determine to what extent a Main Street loan applies to any lending limit under state law.
L. Operational Details
L.1. How will the Federal Reserve administer the Program?
The Program will be administered by the FRB Boston, which has established the Main Street
SPV to purchase loan participations from Eligible Lenders in any of the twelve Federal Reserve
districts.
L.2. What information will the Federal Reserve disclose regarding the Main
Street facilities?
The Federal Reserve will disclose information regarding the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF during
the operation of the facilities, including information regarding names of lenders and borrowers,
amounts borrowed and interest rates charged, and overall costs, revenues and other fees.
Loans made under the MSNLF, MSPLF, and MSELF will affect the size and composition of the
Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. Balance sheet items related to the MSNLF, MSPLF and MSELF
will be reported weekly, on an aggregated basis, on the H.4.1 statistical release titled "Factors
Affecting Reserve Balances of Depository Institutions and Condition Statement of Federal
Reserve Banks," published by the Federal Reserve. In addition, the Federal Reserve will disclose
to Congress information pursuant to Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended by
the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and the Board’s
Regulation A. These disclosures are available here.
Under section 11(s) of the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve also will disclose
information concerning the facilities one year after the effective date of the termination by the
Board of the authorization of the facilities. This disclosure will include names and identifying
details of each participant in the facilities, the amount borrowed, the interest rate or discount
paid, and information concerning the types and amounts of collateral pledged or assets
transferred in connection with participation in the facilities.
L.3. How will the remaining capacity of the Program be communicated?
The Federal Reserve will provide periodic reports on the size of the Program and its remaining
capacity.
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L.4. Are Eligible Lenders required to commit and pre-fund loans under the
Program before the SPV has committed to purchase its participation in a
Program Loan?
No. Eligible Lenders have two options for funding loans under the Program:
1. Funded Loan: An Eligible Lender may extend an MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF Loan, or an
MSELF Upsized Tranche to an Eligible Borrower and fund such loan. The Eligible Lender,
if registered with the Program, can then seek to sell a participation in such loan to the
Main Street SPV by submitting all of the required documentation, completed and
signed, for processing. Upon determining that such paperwork is complete and
consistent with Program requirements (see FAQ L.7), the Main Street SPV would
purchase a participation in such loan by dating and countersigning the Participation
Agreement and returning it to the Eligible Lender.
In general, Eligible Lenders using this option must submit the loan to the Main Street
SPV for sale of a participation interest expeditiously (i.e., no later than 14 days) after the
closing of such loans. However, for the first 14 days that the SPV purchases
participations in loans, it will accept submissions of any MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or
MSELF Upsized Tranche for sale of a participation interest, provided that such MSNLF
Loan, MSPLF Loan, or MSELF Upsized Tranche was originated after April 24, 2020 and
before the date that the relevant Main Street facility begins purchasing participations in
loans.
2. Condition of Funding: An Eligible Lender may also extend an MSNLF Loan, an MSPLF
Loan, or an MSELF Upsized Tranche to an Eligible Borrower, but make the funding of
such loan contingent on a binding commitment from the Main Street SPV that it will
purchase a participation in the loan. Under this option, the Eligible Lender, if registered
with the Program, would submit all of the required documentation, completed and
signed, for processing, but would indicate in its submission that the loan has not yet
been funded. The Main Street SPV would review the required documentation and, if
complete and consistent with Program requirements (see FAQ L.7), would provide the
Eligible Lender with a binding commitment to purchase the loan after it is funded
(Commitment Letter). The Commitment Letter (template available here) will indicate
that (i) the Eligible Lender is required to fund the loan within three business days of the
date of the Commitment Letter and (ii) the Eligible Lender must then provide notice to
the Main Street SPV of the date the funding occurred (Funding Notice) by entering the
date in the appropriate field in the Main Street Portal. 26 The Main Street SPV will
generally be able to advance funds to purchase the participation within one business
26
The Main Street Portal can be found here.
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day of receiving the Funding Notice, if the Funding Notice is received before 7 p.m. ET.
If the Funding Notice is submitted by the Eligible Lender on or after 7 p.m. ET, the notice
will be treated as if it were received the next business day.
The Main Street SPV will then process its purchase of a participation in such loan on the
basis of the previously received paperwork. The Eligible Lender will not need to submit
the required documentation a second time. If Eligible Lenders elect to use this option,
the loan documentation should include language similar to the model provision below.
In the “Conditions to All Borrowings” section:
“(i) the [Eligible Lender] shall have received a commitment letter from MS
Facilities LLC that it will purchase a participation interest in $[PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT TO BE PARTICIPATED] aggregate principal amount of the [APPLICABLE
LOAN DEFINITION] under the Main Street Lending Program”
L.5. Will the Main Street SPV purchase participations in MSNLF Loans, MSPLF
Loans, or MSELF Upsized Tranches that conform to the April 30, 2020
version of the Program term sheets?
Yes. Any loans that were issued in reliance on the April 30, 2020 term sheets will be accepted
for purchase by the Main Street SPV during the first 14 days of the relevant Main Street
facility’s operation, provided that (i) the required documentation is complete and consistent
with Program requirements under the April 30, 2020 term sheets (see FAQ L.7); and (ii) the loan
was funded on or before June 10, 2020.
L.6. If a loan was originated or upsized in conformance with the April 30, 2020
term sheets, could it be refinanced or otherwise amended under the
June 8, 2020 terms?
Yes. Any loans that were issued in reliance on the April 30, 2020 term sheets may be amended
or refinanced in accordance with the June 8, 2020 terms. Such refinancing or amendment
would not violate any of the Program’s terms. Eligible Lenders and Eligible Borrowers must,
however, execute the legal forms and agreements, as published on the FRB Boston’s website,
that are aligned with the June 8, 2020 terms. An Eligible Lender may not charge an Eligible
Borrower any additional fees in connection with such refinancing, apart from customary and
necessary fees for services, such as legal fees, that are directly related to the refinancing and
are de minimis.
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L.7. What conditions will the Main Street SPV place on purchasing participations
in Program loans?
The Main Street SPV intends to purchase 95% participations in any MSNLF Loan, MSPLF Loan, or
MSELF Upsized Tranche that are submitted to the SPV for purchase, provided that (i) the
required documentation is complete and properly executed, and (ii) the required
documentation evidences that the loan is consistent with the relevant Main Street facility’s
requirements. If these requirements are met, the Main Street SPV intends to purchase the loan
without additional conditions.
L.8. What financial information is an Eligible Borrower required to submit to an
Eligible Lender at the time of origination of a Main Street loan? What
Eligible Borrower financial information is an Eligible Lender required to
submit to the Main Street Portal with other loan participation
documentation?
An Eligible Borrower is required to provide an Eligible Lender with two sets of financial
information at the time of origination:
1. 2019 Financial Information:
o Data Requirements: As required under section 4.A of the Borrower
Certifications and Covenants, the Eligible Borrower must submit its 2019
financial records to its Eligible Lender (see question H.10 for more information).
o Portal Input Requirements: The Eligible Lender must submit all 2019 financial
data described above in the Main Street Portal with other loan participation
documents at the time a loan is submitted to the Main Street SPV for sale of a
participation Specifically, the Eligible Lender must:
input the Eligible Borrower’s 2019 revenues, 2019 adjusted EBITDA, and
the Eligible Borrower’s total assets, current assets, and current liabilities
as of December 31, 2019, 27 into the Main Street Portal’s data fields; 28
and
27
As indicated in FAQ H.10, if an Eligible Borrower typically prepares audited or reviewed financial statements and
does not yet have audited or reviewed financial statements for 2019, the Eligible Borrower should use its most
recent audited or reviewed financial statements. Eligible Borrowers that do not typically prepare audited or
reviewed financial statements should submit financial statements prepared for the purpose of filing taxes.
28
Except to the extent set forth in any separate certifications, covenants, or agreements provided by the Eligible
Lender (e.g., the Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants), and any standard of care or standard of
inquiry of the Eligible Lender set forth in those documents, the Lender assumes no obligation or liability with
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upload all other required 2019 financial data (in the format in which the
Eligible Borrower delivered it to the Eligible Lender) to the Main Street
Portal.
2. Most Recent Quarter Available at Time of Origination:
o Data Requirements: The Eligible Borrower must also submit financial data
consisting of all of the data fields required in Table II of Appendix C to these
FAQs (which vary by Main Street facility) for the most recent quarter available at
the time of origination of the Main Street loan.
o Portal Input Requirements: The Eligible Lender must input all of the data fields
set out in Table II of Appendix C to these FAQs into the Main Street Portal.29
For loans submitted to the Portal on or after September 4, 2020, these
data must be submitted at the time the other required documentation to
sell a loan participation is submitted. 30
For loans submitted before September 4, 2020, these data must be
submitted either:
• at the time the other required documentation to sell a loan
participation is submitted; or
• at a later date, not to exceed (i) 60 days after the submission of
the documentation required to sell a participation in the loan, or
(ii) 15 business days after communication from the Main Street
SPV indicating an alternative process to submit the data is
available, whichever is later.
Finally, for all Main Street loans, in addition to the above, Eligible Lenders may require other
financial information as appropriate under their underwriting practices. All data collected by
the Eligible Lender, including the data described above and any additional data collected,
should be uploaded to the Main Street Portal (in the format in which the Eligible Borrower
respect to the accuracy and completeness of Eligible Borrower financial information provided or the failure of the
Eligible Borrower to provide such information.
29
For loans made to multiple borrowers, the Eligible Lender must enter aggregated financial information,
reflecting all co-borrowers collectively. See footnote 23 for more information.
30
The change in the requirement for when such data must be submitted as of September 4, 2020, is to ensure
that the Federal Reserve has the information it requires to monitor its portfolio from the time of funding a
participation, and in light of the fact that bulk-upload functionality is now available in the Portal to ease data-entry
burden. It does not indicate a change in policy regarding how loans submitted to the Portal will be assessed prior
to purchase of a loan participation.
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delivered it to the Eligible Lender) when the other required documentation to sell a loan
participation is submitted.
L.9. What information is an Eligible Lender required to submit to the Main Street
Portal in connection with the submission of the documentation required to
sell a loan participation to the Main Street SPV?
As set out in question L.8 above, an Eligible Lender must submit certain Eligible Borrower
financial information at the time a loan is submitted to the Main Street SPV for sale of a
participation, or within a given period of time following such submission for loans submitted
before September 4, 2020. In addition, Eligible Lenders are required to input the following
fields into the Main Street Portal in order to complete their submission to sell a loan
participation to the Main Street SPV:
Borrower • Borrower Name
Identification • Borrower Address (street address, city, state/territory, and zip code)
• Borrower Primary Contact (name, email and phone number)
• Borrower ID (i.e., Dunn & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number (if applicable))
• Borrower North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Industry Code
• Borrower Legal Entity Type (i.e., type of “Business” (see FAQ E.2))
• Borrower Tax Identification Number
• Optional: Borrower Ultimate Parent (name, Tax Identification Number)
• Optional: Borrower Parent (name, Tax Identification Number)
Select • Business Establishment Date
Borrower • 2019 Adjusted EBITDA31
Characteristics • 2019 Revenues
• Total Outstanding and Undrawn Debt
• Borrower Accounting Convention Information (accounting basis, fiscal year-end,
whether assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value on balance sheet)
• 2019 Select Balance Sheet Information (total assets, current assets and current
liabilities)
Loan • Loan Type (i.e., MSNLF, MSELF, MSPLF)
Characteristics • Total Loan Amount (for MSNLF and MSPLF)
• Upsized Tranche Amount (for MSELF)
• Lender Loan Number
• Loan Origination Date
• Loan Maturity Date
• Prior Loan Maturity Date and Origination Date (for MSELF)
31
For loans made to multiple borrowers, the Eligible Lender must enter the aggregate 2019 revenue, 2019
adjusted EBITDA, and outstanding and undrawn debt of the co-borrowers, collectively. See footnote 23 for more
information.
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• Loan Interest Rate and Interest Rate Index (i.e., LIBOR 1-month or LIBOR 3-
month)
• Interest Accrual Convention (i.e., 30/360; Act/360; Act/365; Act/Act)
• Interest Accrual and Interest Capitalization Accrual Month (i.e., month that
interest begins accruing and capitalizing)
• Interest Capitalization Frequency (i.e., annual, monthly, quarterly, semiannual)
• Interest Payment Frequency and Payment Day of Month
• Principal Amortization Schedule
• Lien Position (i.e., first, second, third, N/A)
• Guarantor (yes or no; if yes, provide name, email address and Tax Identification
Number)
• Collateral Type and Value, and Location if Collateral Type is Real Property (if
applicable)
• Lender Contact Information (Mailing address, contact person, telephone,
facsimile, email)
• Syndicated Loan (yes or no)
• Secured Loan (yes or no)
• Origination Fee (dollars and basis points)
• If Borrower Paid Transaction Fee (yes or no)
• Covenant Status including Default Date, Nature of Default, and Date of Covenant
Cure (if applicable)
• Default Interest Spread
• Senior Debt Balance
Legal • Title and Description of Credit Agreement
Agreements • Description of Tranche in the Credit Agreement
and • Bilateral Facility
Certifications • Agent
• Elevation Transfer Fee Amount
• Whether the Loan is Funded (yes or no)
In addition to the information that must be input, the Eligible Lender is required to upload the
following documents:
• an Assignment Executed-in-Blank, completed and executed in accordance with the Main
Street Lending Program Instructions for Lender Required Documentation;
• for bilateral facilities, a Co-Lender Agreement (Transaction-Specific Terms only),
completed and executed in accordance with the Main Street Lending Program
Instructions for Lender Required Documentation;
• Borrower Certifications and Covenants (MSNLF, MSPLF or MSELF, as applicable),
completed and executed in accordance with the Main Street Lending Program
Instructions for Lender Required Documentation;
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• the credit agreement documenting the Main Street loan and other related credit
documents (e.g., intercreditor agreements, subordination agreements, security
agreements, etc.); and
• any financial information that the Eligible Borrower provided to the Eligible Lender, in
the format in which the Eligible Borrower provided it (see also FAQ L.8).32
The Main Street Legal Forms and Agreements can be found on the FRB Boston’s website.
L.10. What type of Lender Portal security is in place, such that lenders and
borrowers can be assured that their data will be maintained securely?
Information security is central to the design, implementation, and ongoing operation of the
Main Street Portal. This starts with the hosting environment; the Main Street Portal is hosted
on a platform that maintains a FedRAMP Moderate Authority to Operate (ATO). During the
Main Street Portal design and implementation, control requirements defined in the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-53 (Rev. 4) were adhered
to closely.
Detailed secure coding standards specific to the underlying platform informed the development
process. Robust application security testing was used to identify code quality issues and prior to
each major release, the Main Street Portal was subject to in depth penetration testing.
Secure operation and risk minimization were guiding principles throughout the process of
establishing the Main Street Portal.
L.11. If an Eligible Lender uses the Condition of Funding Model in Question L.4,
how should loan documents be prepared to reflect the required maturity
period, interest rate, deferral and accrual, principal amortization, and loan
number?
If an Eligible Lender elects to use the Condition of Funding Model set out in question L.4, the
credit agreement and other loan documents for a particular loan will need to be completed and
executed prior to submission to the Portal and funding of the loan. The Federal Reserve
suggests that Eligible Lenders refer to the following guidance for structuring loan
documentation to comply with Program requirements when using this model:
32
This obligation extends to financial records, including balance sheets, income statements, statements of cash
flows, or other similar financial statements of a general nature that are of the type required to be delivered by an
Eligible Borrower to an Eligible Lender under section 4.A of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants. The Eligible
Lender is not required to upload other information provided by the Eligible Borrower at the time of origination.
However, the Main Street SPV retains the option to collect from the Eligible Lender any additional information
provided by the Borrower at a later date.
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• Maturity and Payment Dates: Eligible Lenders should select a maturity date that is five
years from the date of the credit agreement (i.e., the Effective Date) to satisfy the five
year maturity requirement. The Eligible Lender should also select a principal and
interest payment schedule that is set based on the Effective Date. While the principal
amount of the loan will be outstanding for slightly less than five years due to the delay
in funding the loan, this will provide greater clarity to the Eligible Borrower, Eligible
Lender, and other parties regarding a date certain for the loan’s maturity and dates of
payment.
• Interest Rate: Eligible Lenders should identify the applicable reference rate (1 month or
3 month LIBOR) in the loan documents on the Effective Date and indicate in the Portal
the calculated interest rate, based upon the reference rate plus 300 basis points. While
the calculated rate may differ at the time of funding, identifying the applicable
reference rate in the loan documents on the Effective Date provides clarity as to how
the rate will be calculated.
• Interest Deferral, Accrual, and Capitalization: Eligible Lenders should measure interest
deferral and set an interest capitalization schedule based on the Effective Date of the
loan. However, the Eligible Borrower should not accrue interest until the loan is funded
by the Eligible Lender.
• Lender Loan Number: It is preferred that the Lender create a “Lender Loan Number” at
the time the credit agreement is written, even though the loan will not have been
funded at that time. If an Eligible Lender is unable to provide a “Lender Loan Number”
for the loan prior to funding, the Eligible Lender may use a temporary Lender Loan
Number and subsequently update such number in connection with its submission of
Eligible Borrower financial information on a quarterly basis, as required under the
Servicing Agreement.
L.12. Can a single Main Street loan be made to multiple co-borrowers?
Yes. The Main Street SPV expects to begin accepting loans made to multiple co-borrowers in
the week of September 21, 2020. For information on how to read the Borrower Certifications
and Covenants and Lender Transaction-Specific Certifications and Covenants in the multi-
borrower context, please see questions H.24 and H.25, respectively. Please also reference the
Instructions for Lender Required Documentation for instructions on completing documentation
for multi-borrower loans.
M. Other Information
M.1. Where should questions regarding the Program be directed?
Inquiries can be submitted by email to
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M.2. How can I receive updates regarding changes to the Program?
The terms of the Program are available on the Board’s website and will be updated to reflect
modifications as they are made. Interested parties can sign up for alerts here.
M.3. Will the Federal Reserve provide further guidance on how to apply the
terms of the Program to individual borrowers?
The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department have designed Main Street to facilitate the
provision of credit to Eligible Borrowers of varying sizes, across a broad range of industries, in
every state and territory of the United States. While the Federal Reserve will continue its
efforts to provide answers to questions of broad applicability, we are unable to provide
guidance with respect to an individual business’s financial, credit, or legal analysis or decisions,
which may be fact-specific or contingent on the applicable state’s or territory’s laws. In cases
where the Program term sheets, legal forms and agreements, and these FAQs do not explicitly
address a specific set of facts and circumstances, Eligible Borrowers should work with Eligible
Lenders and legal counsel to make informed, reasonable, good-faith applications of the
Program’s terms and conditions to their individual facts and circumstances.
We recommend that, in addition to these FAQs and the Program’s legal forms and agreements,
potential borrowers and lenders consult the recorded Main Street webinars, each of which may
provide further clarity and detail on the requirements of the Program.
M.4. Are recordings of Main Street webinar sessions available?
Yes. The Federal Reserve has held webinars intended for potential Main Street borrowers and
lenders, as well as legal counsel. The webinars have been recorded and are posted on the
FRBB’s website, along with downloadable versions of the presentations, which are available
after signing into a recorded webinar.
M.5. Where can I find instructions for how to complete the Main Street legal
forms and agreements?
Instructions for completing the Main Street legal forms and agreements can be found here.
Example templates of the Main Street Lending Program documentation that must be uploaded
into the Portal are available below for reference.
The following templates have been filled in to show how they would be completed for an
MSNLF loan made by a single lender to a single borrower (Hypo123 Company, Inc.):
• Example Assignment Executed-in-Blank for Hypo123 Company, Inc.
• Example Co-Lender Agreement Transaction-Specific Terms for Hypo123 Company, Inc.
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• Example Borrower Certifications and Covenants for Hypo123 Company, Inc.
• Example of fields that are auto-populated into the Loan Participation Agreement,
Servicing Agreement, and Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants via
the Portal for Hypo123 Company, Inc.
The following templates have been filled in to show how they would be completed for an
NONLF loan made by a single lender to five co-borrowers:
• Example Assignment Executed-in-Blank for NONLF loan to five co-borrowers.
• Example Co-Lender Agreement Transaction-Specific Terms for NONLF loan to five
co-borrowers.
• Example Borrower Certifications and Covenants for NONLF loan to five co-borrowers.
• Example of fields that are auto-populated into the Loan Participation Agreement,
Servicing Agreement, and Lender Transaction Specific Certifications and Covenants via
the Portal for NONLF loan to five co-borrowers.
While these examples relate to a nonprofit organization loan, the fields would need to be
completed in the same manner for multi-borrower loans made to for profit businesses. The
Main Street legal forms and agreements can be found here.
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Appendix A: Loan Document Checklist
Each participating Eligible Lender should use its own loan documentation in relation to Main Street loans. Such documentation
should be substantially similar, including with respect to required covenants, to the loan documentation that the Eligible Lender uses
in its ordinary course lending to similarly situated borrowers, adjusted only as appropriate to reflect the requirements of the
Program. In order for the Main Street SPV to participate in a loan, the loan documentation must reflect the required components
set out in the charts below.
MSELF
Term MSNLF MSPLF
Upsized Tranche Underlying Loan
1 Maturity 5 years 5 years 5 years remaining maturity of at least
18 months (taking into account
any adjustments made to the
maturity of the underlying loan
after April 24, 2020, including
at the time of upsizing)
2 Principal 2 years 2 years 2 years no requirements applicable
Deferral under the Program
3 Interest 1 year 1 year 1 year no requirements applicable
Deferral under the Program
4 Capitalization Yes Yes Yes no requirements applicable
of Unpaid under the Program
Interest
5 Interest Rate adjustable rate of LIBOR adjustable rate of LIBOR adjustable rate of LIBOR (1 or 3 no requirements applicable
(1 or 3 month) + 300 (1 or 3 month) + 300 month) + 300 basis points under the Program
basis points basis points
6 Principal 15%at the end of the 15% at the end of the 15% at the end of the third no requirements applicable
Amortization third year, 15% at the third year, 15% at the year, 15% at the end of the under the Program
Schedule end of the fourth year, end of the fourth year, fourth year, and a balloon
and a balloon payment and a balloon payment payment of 70% at maturity at
of 70% at maturity at of 70% at maturity at the end of the fifth year
the end of the fifth year the end of the fifth year
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MSELF
Term MSNLF MSPLF
Upsized Tranche Underlying Loan
7 Minimum $250,000 $250,000 $10 million no requirements applicable
Loan Size under the Program
8 Maximum the lesser of (i) $35 the lesser of (i) $50 the lesser of (i) $300 million or no requirements applicable
Loan Size million or (ii) an amount million or (ii) an amount (ii) an amount that, when under the Program
that, when added to the that, when added to the added to the Eligible
Eligible Borrower’s Eligible Borrower’s Borrower’s existing
existing outstanding and existing outstanding and outstanding and undrawn
undrawn available debt, undrawn available debt, available debt, does not exceed
does not exceed four does not exceed six six times the Eligible
times the Eligible times the Eligible Borrower’s adjusted 2019
Borrower’s adjusted Borrower’s adjusted EBITDA
2019 EBITDA 2019 EBITDA
9 Priority / May not include any May not include any May not include any provisions that would cause the MSELF
Security provisions that would provisions that would Upsized Tranche to be contractually subordinated to other debt
Requirement cause the MSNLF Loan cause the MSPLF Loan in or outside of bankruptcy.
to be contractually to be contractually
subordinated to other subordinated to other Must include a standard lien covenant or negative pledge that is
debt in or outside of debt in or outside of of the type and that contains the exceptions, limitations, carve-
bankruptcy. bankruptcy. outs, baskets, materiality thresholds, and qualifiers that are
consistent with those used by the Eligible Lender in its ordinary
Must include a standard course lending to similarly situated borrowers.
lien covenant or • See Appendix B for a model covenant.
negative pledge that is • For MSELF Upsized Tranches where the underlying loan is
of the type and that part of a multi-lender facility, any lien covenant or
contains the exceptions, negative pledge that was negotiated in good faith prior to
limitations, carve-outs, April 24, 2020, as part of the underlying loan shall be
baskets, materiality deemed sufficient.
thresholds, and
qualifiers that are
consistent with those
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MSELF
Term MSNLF MSPLF
Upsized Tranche Underlying Loan
used by the Eligible
Lender in its ordinary
course lending to
similarly situated
borrowers. See
Appendix B for a model
covenant.
10 Prepayment permitted without permitted without permitted without penalty no requirements applicable
penalty penalty under the Program
11 Type term loan term loan term loan term or revolving credit facility
12 Origination after April 24, 2020 after April 24, 2020 after April 24, 2020 on or before April 24, 2020
Date
13 Borrower Must include a Must include a Must include a Borrower Certifications and Covenants material
Certifications Borrower Certifications Borrower Certifications breach mandatory prepayment provision to the extent feasible in
and and Covenants material and Covenants material light of existing voting arrangements (see Appendix B for more
Covenants breach mandatory breach mandatory information).
Material prepayment provision prepayment provision
Breach (see model provision in (see model provision in
Mandatory Appendix B). Appendix B).
Prepayment
14 Cross- Must include a cross Must include a cross Must include a cross acceleration provision (see model provision
Acceleration acceleration provision acceleration provision in Appendix B).
Provision (see model provision in (see model provision in
Appendix B). Appendix B). For MSELF Upsized Tranches where the underlying loan is part of
a multi-lender facility, any cross-default or cross-acceleration
provision that was negotiated in good faith prior to April 24,
2020, as part of the underlying loan shall be deemed sufficient.
15 Collateral If secured, collateral If secured, collateral If secured, collateral should be described in accordance with the
should be described in should be described in bank’s ordinary practices in its loan documentation
accordance with the accordance with the
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MSELF
Term MSNLF MSPLF
Upsized Tranche Underlying Loan
bank’s ordinary bank’s ordinary
practices in its loan practices in its loan
documentation. documentation.
16 Financial Must include a quarterly Must include a quarterly Must include a quarterly financial reporting covenant requiring
Reporting financial reporting financial reporting the financial information set out in Appendix C (see model
covenant requiring the covenant requiring the covenant in Appendix B).
financial information set financial information set
out in Appendix C (see out in Appendix C (see For MSELF Upsized Tranches where the underlying loan is part of
model covenant in model covenant in a multi-lender facility, any financial reporting provision that was
Appendix B) Appendix B) negotiated in good faith prior to April 24, 2020, as part of the
underlying loan shall be deemed sufficient.
In addition to the above, any Eligible Lender that elects to make receipt of a binding commitment letter from the Main Street SPV a condition of
closing (see question L.4 above), should include language similar to the model provision below in its loan documentation:
In the “Conditions to All Borrowings” section:
“(i) the [Eligible Lender] shall have received a commitment letter from MS Facilities LLC that it will purchase a participation interest in
$[PRINCIPAL AMOUNT TO BE PARTICIPATED] aggregate principal amount of the [APPLICABLE LOAN DEFINITION].
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Appendix B: Required Covenants in Loan Documentation
Each participating Eligible Lender should use its own documentation for Main Street loans.
Such documentation should be substantially similar, including with respect to required
covenants, to the loan documents that the Eligible Lender uses in its ordinary course lending to
similarly situated borrowers, adjusted only as appropriate to reflect the requirements of the
Program. Appendix A sets out the components that must be reflected in such documentation.
Model covenants are provided below in relation to #9, #13, #14, and #16 of Appendix A.
Please note: Eligible Lenders are not required to use the model covenants provided; these are
provided only as examples for the convenience of Eligible Lenders. Eligible Lenders are
permitted to use variations of such provisions to the extent they serve the same substantive
purpose and are otherwise substantially similar to provisions that the Eligible Lender uses in its
ordinary course lending to similarly situated borrowers.
I. Priority and Security Covenant
Each Main Street facility includes a requirement concerning the priority and/or security of the
loan, which must be reflected in the loan documentation through the presence or absence of
certain covenants.
I.A. MSNLF Loans
MSNLF Loans must not be, at the time of origination or at any time during the term of the
MSNLF Loan, contractually subordinated in terms of priority to any of the Eligible Borrower’s
other loans or debt instruments. See question B.3 for more information about how to interpret
this term. In accordance with this term, the loan documentation should not include any
provisions that would cause the MSNLF Loan to be contractually subordinated to any other
debt whether in or outside of bankruptcy. For the avoidance of doubt, prohibitions on
contractual subordination do not prevent the incurrence of obligations that have mandatory
priority under the Bankruptcy Code or other insolvency laws, or other relevant law or
regulation, that apply to entities generally.
I.B. MSPLF Loans and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are Part of Bilateral
Facilities
MSPLF Loans and MSELF Upsized Tranches must be, at the time of origination and at all times
thereafter, senior to or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s
other Loans or Debt Instruments (other than Mortgage Debt). See questions C.5 and D.11 for
more information about how to interpret these terms in the context of the MSPLF and MSELF,
respectively.
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In accordance with this term, the loan documentation for MSPLF Loans and MSELF Upsized
Tranches that are part of bilateral facilities (i.e., where the Eligible Lender is the only lender)
should not include any provisions that would cause the MSPLF Loan or MSELF Upsized Tranche
to be contractually subordinated to any other debt whether in or outside of bankruptcy. See
section I.A of this Appendix B for more information.
In addition, the loan documentation for MSPLF Loans and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part
of bilateral facilities must contain a lien covenant or negative pledge that is of the type – and
that contains exceptions, limitations, carve-outs, baskets, materiality thresholds, and qualifiers
– that is consistent with those used by the Eligible Lender in its ordinary course lending to
similarly situated borrowers. A model lien covenant is set out below for the convenience of
Eligible Lenders.
In the “Negative Covenants” section:
“The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer
to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or
hereafter acquired, securing any debt for borrowed money or any obligations evidenced
by a bond, debenture, note, loan agreement or other similar instrument, or any guarantee
of the foregoing, other than the following:
(a) Liens securing obligations under the [MSPLF Loan][MSELF loan];
(b) [Liens on real property in connection with loans with respect to which
substantially all of the proceeds were used for acquisition, construction, fit-
out, and/or renovation of the property];
(c) [Junior Liens securing permitted Indebtedness]; or
(d) [Liens on receivables assets and related assets incurred in connection with a
receivables facility, provided that such debt is secured only by the newly
acquired property].
Lien covenants included in Main Street loan documentation may include carve-outs at the
discretion of the Eligible Lender in accordance with its customary underwriting practices with
respect to similarly situated borrowers. The carve-outs from the lien covenant listed above
illustrate the types of carve outs, among others, that Eligible Lenders may choose to include in a
Main Street loan’s lien covenant.
I.C. MSELF Upsized Tranches that are Part of Multi-Lender Facilities
MSELF Upsized Tranches must be, at the time of origination and at all times thereafter, senior
to or pari passu with, in terms of priority and security, the Eligible Borrower’s other Loans or
Debt Instruments (other than Mortgage Debt). See question D.11 for more information about
how to interpret this term.
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In accordance with this term, the loan documentation for MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part
of multi-lender facilities (i.e., where there are multiple lenders) should not include any
provisions that would cause the MSELF Upsized Tranche to be contractually subordinated to
any other debt whether in or outside of bankruptcy. See section I.A of this Appendix B for more
information.
For MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of multi-lender facilities, the facility must include a
provision like the one described in section I.B of this Appendix B, unless the loan
documentation has a lien covenant that was negotiated in good faith prior to April 24, 2020.
II. Borrower Certifications and Covenants Material Breach
Mandatory Prepayment Provision
Each participating borrower must submit signed Borrower Certifications and Covenants in
connection with the Main Street Loan. If the Board determines that the borrower made a
material misstatement in certifications, or materially breached covenants, relating to
CARES Act, the Federal Reserve Act, or the Board’s Regulation A, the Board will notify the
Eligible Lender to trigger a mandatory prepayment requirement under the Main Street loan. To
implement these measures, the Borrower Certifications and Covenants should be referenced in
loan documents for Main Street loans as set out below.
II.A. MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are
Part of Bilateral Facilities
For all MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of a bilateral
facility, the loan documents must contain a mandatory prepayment provision related to a
material breach of the Eligible Borrower certifications in Section 2 (CARES Act Borrower
Eligibility Certifications and Covenants) and Section 3 (FRA and Regulation A Borrower Eligibility
Certifications) of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants. A model provision is set out below
for convenience.
In the “Mandatory Prepayment” section:
“If, on any date (such date, a “Trigger Date”), the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System or a designee thereof has, after consultation with [the Administrative
Agent][the Eligible Lender], notified [the Administrative Agent][the Eligible Lender] in
writing that the Borrower has materially breached, made a material misrepresentation
with respect to or otherwise failed to comply with certifications in Section 2 (CARES Act
Borrower Eligibility Certifications and Covenants) or Section 3 (FRA and Regulation A
Borrower Eligibility Certifications) of the Borrower Certifications and Covenants in any
material respect or that any such certification has failed to be true and correct in any
material respect, then [the Administrative Agent][the Eligible Lender] shall promptly so
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notify the Borrower and the Borrower shall, no later than two (2) Business Days after such
Trigger Date, prepay the [Eligible Loan] in full, along with any accrued and unpaid interest
thereon.”
II.B. MSELF Upsized Tranches that are Part of Multi-Lender Facilities
For MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of multi-lender facilities, a mandatory prepayment
provision substantially similar to the model mandatory prepayment provision set out in
section II.A of this Appendix B must be included if the percentage (or number) of lenders
required to consent to a new mandatory prepayment provision under the existing agreements
(typically a simple majority) consents to any other changes to the loan documents in the
process of upsizing the loan or selling the participation to the Main Street SPV. Further, if 100%
of the lenders agree to any other changes to the loan documents in the process of upsizing the
loan or selling the participation to the Main Street SPV, this mandatory prepayment provision
must be inserted into the loan documents and treated as a “sacred right,” the amendment,
waiver, or modification of which would require 100% lender consent.
III. Cross-Acceleration Provision
Each Main Street loan should contain a cross-acceleration provision that would trigger an event
of default under the Main Street loan if a different loan extended to the Eligible Borrower by
the Eligible Lender or the Eligible Lender’s commonly controlled affiliate is accelerated.
III.A. MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are
Part of Bilateral Facilities
For all MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of a bilateral
facility, the loan documents must contain a cross-acceleration provision that would be triggered
if other debt owed by the Eligible Borrower to the Eligible Lender or any commonly controlled
affiliate of the Eligible Lender is accelerated. A model provision is set out below for the
convenience of Eligible Lenders.
In the “Event of Default” section:
“(i) [the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment when due (whether
by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in
respect of any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness under the Loan Documents) owing
to the [ELIGIBLE LENDER] or any commonly controlled Affiliate of the [ELIGIBLE LENDER],
in each case beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any; or (ii) the
Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to observe or perform any other agreement or
condition relating to any such Indebtedness or contained in any instrument or agreement
evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which
failure to make a payment, default or other event described in cause (i) or (ii) is to cause
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such Indebtedness to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed
(automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such
Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity; provided that clause (ii) shall not
apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or
transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, if such sale or transfer is
permitted hereunder and under the documents providing for such Indebtedness and such
Indebtedness is repaid when required under the documents providing for such
Indebtedness; provided that, as used in this clause, the term “Indebtedness” shall mean
all debt for borrowed money and any obligations evidenced by a bond, debenture, note,
loan agreement or other similar instrument, and any guarantee of any of the foregoing”
III.B. MSELF Upsized Tranches that are Part of Multi-Lender Facilities
For MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of multi-lender facilities, the facility must include a
provision like the one described in section III.A of this Appendix B, unless the loan
documentation has a cross-default or cross-acceleration provision that was negotiated in good
faith prior to April 24, 2020.
IV. Financial Reporting Covenant
Each Main Street loan should contain a financial reporting covenant requiring the regular
delivery of certain financial information and calculations.
IV.A. MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are
Part of Bilateral Facilities
For MSNLF Loans, MSPLF Loans, and MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of a bilateral facility,
the loan documents must contain a financial reporting covenant requiring the quarterly delivery
of Borrower financial information and calculations set out in Appendix C. A model covenant is
set out below for the convenience of Eligible Lenders.
In the “Affirmative Covenants” section:
“as soon as available, but in any event within [60] days after the end of each fiscal quarter
of the Borrower, the Borrower shall deliver to the [Administrative Agent] [Eligible Lender]
financial reporting in a form and substance reasonably acceptable to the [Administrative
Agent] [Eligible Lender] setting forth the financial information, and where applicable
reasonably detailed calculations of the required data, set forth in [See Appendix C to these
FAQs] as at the end of such fiscal quarter of the Borrower, which financial reporting and
calculations, in each case, shall be true and accurate in all material respects and, where
applicable, present fairly in all material respects the financial condition of the Borrower
for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied.”
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IV.B. MSELF Upsized Tranches that are Part of Multi-Lender Facilities
For MSELF Upsized Tranches that are part of multi-lender facilities, the facility must include a
provision like the one described in section IV.A of this Appendix B, unless the loan
documentation has a financial reporting covenant that was negotiated in good faith prior to
April 24, 2020.
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Appendix C: Required Financial Reporting
Each Main Street loan should contain a financial reporting covenant requiring the regular
delivery of certain financial information and calculations. The items listed in Table I below must
be provided by each Main Street borrower to their Eligible Lender at least annually. The items
listed in Table II must be provided by each Main Street borrower to their Eligible Lender at least
quarterly; the quarterly requirements vary based on the Main Street facility in which the
borrower is participating. Eligible Lenders will specify the required reporting standards and
forms for each Eligible Borrower. 33
Table I: Data Required Annually from All Main Street Borrowers
Required Data Definition
Total Assets The sum of current assets, fixed assets, and other non-current assets (including, but
not limited to, intangible assets, deferred items, investments, and advances).
Current Assets Cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and other short-term assets that are likely to be
converted into cash, used, sold, exchanged, or otherwise expensed in the normal
course of business within one year.
Cash & Marketable Cash, depository accounts, and marketable securities that can be easily sold and
Securities readily converted into cash.
Tangible Assets Assets having a physical existence, measured as total assets less intangible assets.
Tangible assets are distinguished from intangible assets, such as trademarks,
copyrights, and goodwill.
Total Liabilities The total amount of all outstanding obligations, both current and noncurrent.
Current Liabilities Short term debt, accounts payable, and other current liabilities that are due within
one year.
Total Debt (Incl. Undrawn Existing outstanding and committed debt (including any undrawn available amounts).
Available Lines of Credit)
Total Equity Measured as total assets minus total liabilities.
Total Revenue Total income generated by the sale of goods or services from ongoing operations.
Total Revenue excludes any non-recurring sales or gains.
Net Income The income (or loss) after expenses and losses have been subtracted from all
revenues and gains for the fiscal period, including discontinued operations.
Unadjusted EBITDA Earnings before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation expense, and
amortization expense. The starting point is net income.
Adjusted EBITDA Unadjusted EBITDA adjusted for any non-recurring, one-time, or irregular items. The
Adjusted EBITDA measurement should align with the relevant facility’s term sheet.
33
Under the Servicing Agreement, in the case of multi-borrower loans, this information must be entered into the
Portal “on a consolidated basis” (otherwise referred to in this document as on an “aggregated basis”). Eligible
Lenders may elect to require reporting from the co-borrowers on an aggregated basis, or may aggregate such
information after requiring individual co-borrower financial statements. If an Eligible Lender permits co-borrowers
to submit aggregated financial statements, the Eligible Lender should instruct the co-borrowers to use the Eligible
Lender’s typical practices to aggregate such information in a manner that accounts for transactions between the
co-borrowers and accurately reflects the financial position of the co-borrowers and their ability to repay the loan
(e.g., in a manner that avoids double counting of revenues, assets, or liabilities).
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Table I: Data Required Annually from All Main Street Borrowers
Required Data Definition
Depreciation Expense Non-cash expense measured based on the use of fixed assets, recognized over the
useful life of the fixed assets.
Amortization Expense Non-cash expense measured based on the use of intangible assets, recognized over
the life of the intangible asset.
Interest Expense The periodic finance expense of short term and long term debt.
Tax Expense Federal, state and local income tax expenses.
Rent Expense The contractual costs of occupying leased real estate.
Dividends / Equity Distributions to equity owners.
Distributions
Accounts Receivable (net Amounts owed to the borrower resulting from providing goods and/or services.
of allowances) Accounts receivable will be net of any allowances for uncollectible amounts.
Inventory (net of Value of the raw materials, work in process, supplies used in operations, finished
reserves) goods, and merchandise bought which are intended to be sold in the ordinary course
of business. Inventory should be net of reserves.
Fixed Assets, Gross Tangible property used in the business and not for resale, including buildings,
furniture, fixtures, equipment, and land. Report fixed assets gross of depreciation.
Accumulated Cumulative depreciation of all fixed assets up to the Date of Financial Information.
Depreciation
Accounts Payable (A/P) The obligations owed to the borrower's creditors arising from the entity’s ongoing
operations, including the purchase of goods, materials, supplies, and services.
Accounts payable excludes short term and long term debt.
Short Term Debt Debt obligations of the borrower due with a term of less than one year, including the
current portion of any Long Term Debt.
Long Term Debt Debt obligations of the borrower that are due in one year or more, excluding the
current portion that is otherwise captured in Short Term Debt.
Description of EBITDA Description of items that are added to Unadjusted EBITDA to determine Adjusted
Adjustments EBITDA.
Total Expenses All money spent and costs incurred, both recurring and non-recurring, to generate
revenue. Expenses exclude items capital in nature (i.e., expenses that are allowed to
be capitalized and included in the cost basis of a fixed asset).
Operating Expenses Money spent and costs incurred related to normal business operations including
selling, general & administrative expenses, depreciation, and amortization (i.e., total
expenses less non-recurring expenses). Exclude capital expenditures.
Operating Income Profit (or loss) realized from continuing operations (i.e., revenue less operating
expenses).
Fixed Charges Expenses that recur on a regular basis, regardless of the volume of business (i.e.,
lease payments, rental payments, loan interest payments, or insurance payments).
Capitalized Expenditures Non-operating expenditures capitalized to fixed assets.
Guarantor Net Assets Total assets less total liabilities of the guarantor (also referred to as net worth).
Sr. Debt Balance Debt amount ranking senior to the Main Street loan.
Additional Pari Passu Debt amount ranking pari passu to the Main Street loan.
Debt Balance
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Table I: Data Required Annually from All Main Street Borrowers
Required Data Definition
Collateral Type (Non-Real If the loan is secured by collateral that is not predominantly real estate, including if
Estate) the collateral provided is different types, report the predominant type of collateral
(e.g., inventory, receivables, securities, etc.) by aggregate value.
Collateral Type (Real If the loan is secured by real estate collateral, indicate the property type (e.g., hotel,
Estate) multifamily, residential, industrial, etc.). If the loan is secured by multiple real estate
property types, report the predominant property type by aggregate value.
Collateral Value For loans that require ongoing or periodic valuation of the collateral, report the
Reporting market value of the collateral as of the reporting date.
Collateral Value Date Define the as-of date that corresponds with the Collateral Value Reporting field.
Covenant Status (Pass / Yes/no, indicating if the facility has satisfied covenant tests.
Fail)
Date of Covenant Default If applicable, report the date when borrower defaulted covenants.
Nature of Covenant If applicable, describe the covenant default (i.e., missing financial statements, ratio
Default trigger).
Date of Covenant Cure If applicable, report the date when borrower cured previous defaults.
Table II: Data Required Quarterly from Main Street Borrowers by Main Street Facility
Required Data MSELF MSNLF MSPLF Definition
Total Assets Yes Yes Yes The sum of current assets, fixed assets, and other non-
current assets (including, but not limited to, intangible
assets, deferred items, investments, and advances).
Current Assets Yes Yes Yes Cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and other short term
assets that are likely to be converted into cash, used, sold,
exchanged, or otherwise expensed in the normal course of
business within one year.
Cash & Marketable Yes Yes Yes Cash, depository accounts, and marketable securities that
Securities can be easily sold and readily converted into cash.
Tangible Assets Yes No No Assets having a physical existence measured as total assets
less intangible assets. Tangible assets are distinguished
from intangible assets, such as trademarks, copyrights, and
goodwill.
Total Liabilities Yes Yes Yes The total amount of all outstanding obligations, both
current and noncurrent.
Current Liabilities Yes Yes Yes Short term debt, accounts payable, and other current
liabilities that are due within one year.
Total Debt (Incl. Yes Yes Yes Existing outstanding and committed debt (including any
Undrawn Available undrawn available amounts).
Lines of Credit)
Total Equity Yes Yes Yes Measured as total assets minus total liabilities.
Total Revenue Yes Yes Yes Total income generated by the sale of goods or services
from ongoing operations. Total Revenue excludes any non-
recurring sales or gains.
Net Income Yes Yes Yes The income (or loss) after expenses and losses have been
subtracted from all revenues and gains for the fiscal period,
including discontinued operations.
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Table II: Data Required Quarterly from Main Street Borrowers by Main Street Facility
Required Data MSELF MSNLF MSPLF Definition
Unadjusted EBITDA Yes Yes Yes Earnings before interest expense, income tax expense,
depreciation expense and amortization expense. The
starting point is net income.
Adjusted EBITDA Yes Yes Yes Unadjusted EBITDA adjusted for any non-recurring, one-
time or irregular items. The Adjusted EBITDA measurement
should align with the relevant facility’s term sheet.
Depreciation Yes No No Non-cash expense measured based on the use of fixed
Expense assets, recognized over the useful life of the fixed assets.
Amortization Yes No No Non-cash expense measured based on the use of intangible
Expense assets, recognized over the life of the intangible asset.
Interest Expense Yes Yes Yes The periodic finance expense of short term and long term
debt.
Tax Expense Yes No No Federal, state and local income tax expenses.
Rent Expense Yes No No The contractual costs of occupying leased real estate.
Dividends / Equity Yes Yes Yes Distributions to equity owners.
Distributions
Accounts Yes No No Amounts owed to the borrower resulting from providing
Receivable (net of goods and/or services. Accounts receivable will be net of
allowances) any allowances for uncollectible amounts.
Inventory (net of Yes No No Value of the raw materials, work in process, supplies used in
reserves) operations, finished goods, and merchandise bought which
are intended to be sold in the ordinary course of business.
Inventory should be net of reserves.
Fixed Assets, Gross Yes No No Tangible property used in the business and not for resale,
including buildings, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and land.
Report fixed assets gross of depreciation.
Accumulated Yes No No Cumulative depreciation of all fixed assets up to the Date of
Depreciation Financial Information.
Accounts Payable Yes No No The obligations owed to the borrower’s creditors arising
(A/P) from the entity’s ongoing operations, including the
purchase of goods, materials, supplies, and services.
Accounts payable excludes short term and long term debt.
Short Term Debt Yes No No Debt obligations of the borrower due with a term of less
than one year, including the current portion of any Long
Term Debt.
Long Term Debt Yes No No Debt obligations of the borrower that are due in one year or
more, excluding the current portion that is otherwise
captured in Short Term Debt.
Description of Yes No No Description of items that are added to Unadjusted EBITDA
EBITDA to determine Adjusted EBITDA.
Adjustments
Total Expenses Yes No No All money spent and costs incurred, both recurring and non-
recurring, to generate revenue. Expenses exclude items
capital in nature (i.e., expenses that are allowed to be
capitalized and included in the cost basis of a fixed asset).
98
This document was issued on September 18, 2020 and was replaced with a new version on
October 30, 2020. It is no longer effective.
FAQs in this document have been updated, see: https://www.bostonfed.org/-
/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf
Table II: Data Required Quarterly from Main Street Borrowers by Main Street Facility
Required Data MSELF MSNLF MSPLF Definition
Operating Yes Yes Yes Money spent and costs incurred related to normal business
Expenses operations, including selling, general & administrative
expenses, depreciation, and amortization (i.e. total
expenses less non-recurring expenses). Exclude capital
expenditures.
Operating Income Yes Yes Yes Profit (or loss) realized from continuing operations (i.e.,
revenue less operating expenses).
Fixed Charges Yes No No Expenses that recur on a regular basis, regardless of the
volume of business (i.e., lease payments, rental payments,
loan interest payments, or insurance payments).
Capitalized Yes Yes Yes Non-operating expenditures capitalized to fixed assets.
Expenditures
Guarantor Net Yes No No Total assets less total liabilities of the guarantor (also
Assets referred to as net worth).
Sr. Debt Balance Yes Yes Yes Debt amount ranking senior to the Main Street loan.
Additional Pari Yes Yes Yes Debt amount ranking pari passu to the Main Street loan.
Passu Debt
Balance
Collateral Type Yes No No If the loan is secured by collateral that is not predominantly
(Non-Real Estate) real estate, including if the collateral provided is different
types, report the predominant type of collateral (e.g.,
inventory, receivables, securities, etc.) by aggregate value.
Collateral Type Yes No No If the loan is secured by real estate collateral, indicate the
(Real Estate) property type (e.g., hotel, multifamily, residential,
industrial, etc.). If the loan is secured by multiple real estate
property types, report the predominant property type by
aggregate value.
Collateral Value Yes No No For loans that require ongoing or periodic valuation of the
Reporting collateral, report the market value of the collateral as of the
reporting date.
Collateral Value Yes No No Define the as-of date that corresponds with the Collateral
Date Value Reporting field.
Covenant Status Yes Yes Yes Yes/no, indicating if the facility has satisfied covenant tests.
(Pass / Fail)
Date of Covenant Yes Yes Yes If applicable, report the date when borrower defaulted
Default covenants.
Nature of Yes Yes Yes If applicable, describe the covenant default (i.e., missing
Covenant Default financial statements, ratio trigger).
Date of Covenant Yes Yes Yes If applicable, report the date when borrower cured previous
Cure defaults.
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