SBA Procedural Notice: Paycheck Protection Program Loans and Changes of Ownership
Summary
This SBA Procedural Notice, Control No. 5000-20057, effective October 2, 2020, sets out the procedures for changes of ownership of a Paycheck Protection Program borrower. A change of ownership occurs when at least 20 percent of the common stock or other ownership interest is sold or transferred, when the borrower sells or transfers at least 50 percent of its assets, or when it merges with another entity. The borrower stays responsible for the PPP loan obligations and certifications, including the certification of economic necessity, and must notify the lender in writing before closing. There are no restrictions if the PPP note is fully satisfied before closing; otherwise the notice sets conditions, including cases that need no SBA prior approval.
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SBA Procedural Notice
TO: All SBA Employees and Paycheck Protection CONTROL NO.: 5000-20057
Program Lenders
SUBJECT: Paycheck Protection Program Loans EFFECTIVE: October 2, 2020
and Changes of Ownership
The purpose of this Notice is to provide information concerning the required procedures for
changes of ownership of an entity that has received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds (a
“PPP borrower”).
For purposes of the PPP, a “change of ownership” will be considered to have occurred when
(1) at least 20 percent of the common stock or other ownership interest of a PPP borrower
(including a publicly traded entity) is sold or otherwise transferred, whether in one or more
transactions,1 including to an affiliate or an existing owner of the entity, (2) the PPP borrower
sells or otherwise transfers at least 50 percent of its assets (measured by fair market value),
whether in one or more transactions, or (3) a PPP borrower is merged with or into another entity.
Regardless of any change of ownership, the PPP borrower remains responsible for (1)
performance of all obligations under the PPP loan, (2) the certifications made in connection with
the PPP loan application, including the certification of economic necessity, and (3) compliance
with all other applicable PPP requirements. Additionally, the PPP borrower remains responsible
for obtaining, preparing, and retaining all required PPP forms and supporting documentation and
providing those forms and supporting documentation to the PPP lender or lender servicing the
PPP loan (referred to as the “PPP Lender” in this Notice) or to SBA upon request.2 SBA reserves
1
For purposes of determining a change of ownership, all sales and other transfers occurring since the date of
approval of the PPP loan must be aggregated to determine whether the relevant threshold has been met. For publicly
traded borrowers, only sales or other transfers that result in one person or entity holding or owning at least 20% of
the common stock or other ownership interest of the borrower must be aggregated.
2
If the buyer or the seller (or both) has an outstanding PPP loan, and the change of ownership transaction is
financed in whole or in part with a 7(a) loan, all SBA Loan Program Requirements, as defined in 13 CFR 120.10,
must be met. In addition, if an escrow account is required under the procedures set forth in this Notice, the 7(a) loan
that finances the change of ownership cannot be used to finance the escrow account.
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all rights and remedies available under the law in the event of fraud, false statements, and/or
unauthorized uses of PPP loan proceeds.
Prior to the closing of any change of ownership transaction, the PPP borrower must notify the
PPP Lender in writing of the contemplated transaction and provide the PPP Lender with a copy
of the proposed agreements or other documents that would effectuate the proposed transaction.
There are different procedures depending on the circumstances of the change of ownership, as
set forth below. In all cases, the PPP Lender is required to continue submitting the monthly 1502
reports until the PPP loan is fully satisfied.
1. The PPP Note is fully satisfied. There are no restrictions on a change of ownership if, prior
to closing the sale or transfer, the PPP borrower has:
a. Repaid the PPP Note in full; or
b. Completed the loan forgiveness process in accordance with the PPP requirements
and:
i. SBA has remitted funds to the PPP Lender in full satisfaction of the PPP Note;
or
ii. The PPP borrower has repaid any remaining balance on the PPP loan.
2. The PPP Note is not fully satisfied. If the PPP Note is not fully satisfied prior to closing the
sale or transfer, the following applies:
a. Cases in which SBA prior approval is not required. If the following conditions are
met for (i) a change of ownership structured as a sale or other transfer of common
stock or other ownership interest or as a merger; or (ii) a change of ownership
structured as an asset sale, the PPP Lender may approve the change of ownership and
SBA’s prior approval is not required:
i. Change of ownership is structured as a sale or other transfer of common
stock or other ownership interest or as a merger. An individual or entity may
sell or otherwise transfer common stock or other ownership interest in a PPP
borrower without the prior approval of SBA only if:
a) The sale or other transfer is of 50% or less of the common stock or other
ownership interest of the PPP borrower3; or
b) The PPP borrower completes a forgiveness application reflecting its use of
all of the PPP loan proceeds and submits it, together with any required
supporting documentation, to the PPP Lender, and an interest-bearing
3
In determining whether a sale or other transfer exceeds this 50% threshold, all sales and other transfers occurring
since the date of approval of the PPP loan must be aggregated.
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escrow account controlled by the PPP Lender is established with funds
equal to the outstanding balance of the PPP loan. After the forgiveness
process (including any appeal of SBA’s decision) is completed, the escrow
funds must be disbursed first to repay any remaining PPP loan balance
plus interest.
In any of the circumstances described in a) or b) above, the procedures
described in paragraph #2.c. below must also be followed.
ii. Change of ownership is structured as an asset sale. A PPP borrower may sell
50 percent or more of its assets (measured by fair market value) without the
prior approval of SBA only if the PPP borrower completes a forgiveness
application reflecting its use of all of the PPP loan proceeds and submits it,
together with any required supporting documentation, to the PPP Lender, and an
interest-bearing escrow account controlled by the PPP Lender is established
with funds equal to the outstanding balance of the PPP loan. After the
forgiveness process (including any appeal of SBA’s decision) is completed, the
escrow funds must be disbursed first to repay any remaining PPP loan balance
plus interest. The PPP Lender must notify the appropriate SBA Loan Servicing
Center of the location of, and the amount of funds in, the escrow account within
5 business days of completion of the transaction.4
b. Cases in which SBA prior approval is required. If a change of ownership of a PPP
borrower does not meet the conditions in paragraph #2.a. above, prior SBA approval
of the change of ownership is required and the PPP Lender may not unilaterally
approve the change of ownership.
To obtain SBA’s prior approval of requests for changes of ownership, the PPP Lender
must submit the request to the appropriate SBA Loan Servicing Center. The request
must include:
i. the reason that the PPP borrower cannot fully satisfy the PPP Note as described
in paragraph #1 above or escrow funds as described in paragraph #2.a above;
ii. the details of the requested transaction;
iii. a copy of the executed PPP Note;
iv. any letter of intent and the purchase or sale agreement setting forth the
responsibilities of the PPP borrower, seller (if different from the PPP borrower),
and buyer;
4
To find the appropriate SBA Loan Servicing Center, see https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-57-7a-loan-
servicing-and-liquidation, Chapter 2.
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Must be accompanied by SBA Form 58
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v. disclosure of whether the buyer has an existing PPP loan and, if so, the SBA
loan number; and
vi. a list of all owners of 20 percent or more of the purchasing entity.
If deemed appropriate, SBA may require additional risk mitigation measures as a
condition of its approval of the transaction.
SBA approval of any change of ownership involving the sale of 50 percent or more of
the assets (measured by fair market value) of a PPP borrower will be conditioned on
the purchasing entity assuming all of the PPP borrower’s obligations under the PPP
loan, including responsibility for compliance with the PPP loan terms. In such cases,
the purchase or sale agreement must include appropriate language regarding the
assumption of the PPP borrower’s obligations under the PPP loan by the purchasing
person or entity, or a separate assumption agreement must be submitted to SBA.
SBA will review and provide a determination within 60 calendar days of receipt of a
complete request.
c. For all sales or other transfers of common stock or other ownership interest or
mergers, whether or not the sale requires SBA’s prior approval. In the event of a
sale or other transfer of common stock or other ownership interest in the PPP
borrower, or a merger of the PPP borrower with or into another entity, the PPP
borrower (and, in the event of a merger of the PPP borrower into another entity, the
successor to the PPP borrower) will remain subject to all obligations under the PPP
loan. In addition, if the new owner(s) use PPP funds for unauthorized purposes, SBA
will have recourse against the owner(s) for the unauthorized use.
If any of the new owners or the successor arising from such a transaction has a
separate PPP loan, then, following consummation of the transaction: (1) in the case of
a purchase or other transfer of common stock or other ownership interest, the PPP
borrower and the new owner(s) are responsible for segregating and delineating PPP
funds and expenses and providing documentation to demonstrate compliance with
PPP requirements by each PPP borrower, and (2) in the case of a merger, the
successor is responsible for segregating and delineating PPP funds and expenses and
providing documentation to demonstrate compliance with PPP requirements with
respect to both PPP loans.
The PPP Lender must notify the appropriate SBA Loan Servicing Center, within 5
business days of completion of the transaction, of the:
i. identity of the new owner(s) of the common stock or other ownership interest;
ii. new owner(s)’ ownership percentage(s);
iii. tax identification number(s) for any owner(s) holding 20 percent or more of the
equity in the business; and
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SBA Form 1353.3 (4-93) MS Word Edition; previous editions obsolete
Must be accompanied by SBA Form 58
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
iv. location of, and the amount of funds in, the escrow account under the control of
the PPP Lender, if an escrow account is required.
PPP Loans Pledged in Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF)
If a PPP loan of a PPP borrower associated with a change of ownership transaction was pledged
by the PPP lender to secure a loan under the Federal Reserve’s PPPLF, the lender is reminded to
comply with any notification or other requirements of the PPPLF.
Questions:
Questions concerning this Notice may be directed to the Lender Relations Specialist in the local
SBA Field Office, which can be found at https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-
assistance/districtoffices.
Dianna L. Seaborn
Director
Office of Financial Assistance
PAGE 5 of 5 EXPIRES: 10/1/21
SBA Form 1353.3 (4-93) MS Word Edition; previous editions obsolete
Must be accompanied by SBA Form 58
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
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