{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/13-cfr-part-121","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/13-cfr-part-121","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"13-cfr-part-121","term":"13 CFR Part 121","aka":"Code of Federal Regulations Part 121","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"This is the section of federal regulations that defines \"small business\" for various government programs, including SBA loans. It sets the rules for how the SBA determines if a business is eligible based on size.","what_it_means":"For a 7(a) loan, your target business must meet these size standards, usually based on average annual revenue or number of employees. You need to understand these rules, especially those regarding \"affiliation,\" as they combine the size of related businesses. Verify the target business's eligibility early in due diligence.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/13-cfr-part-121","official_sources":[{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"},{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"}],"related":[{"slug":"small-business-size-standards","term":"Small Business Size Standards","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/small-business-size-standards"},{"slug":"affiliation","term":"Affiliation","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/affiliation"},{"slug":"naics-code","term":"NAICS code","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/naics-code"},{"slug":"sop-50-10","term":"SOP 50 10","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sop-50-10"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"How does the SBA define an \"associate\" for affiliation purposes under 13 CFR 121?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-the-sba-define-an-associate-for-affiliation-purposes-under-13-cfr-121"},{"question":"How does SBA define an 'associate' for affiliation purposes under 13 CFR 121, impacting size determination?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-sba-define-an-associate-for-affiliation-purposes-under-13-cfr-121-impacting-size-"},{"question":"How does the SBA define an 'associate' for affiliation purposes under 13 CFR 121, beyond direct ownership?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-the-sba-define-an-associate-for-affiliation-purposes-under-13-cfr-121-beyond-dire"},{"question":"What does the \"7(a)\" part of an SBA loan name mean?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-does-the-7-a-part-of-an-sba-loan-name-mean"},{"question":"What is the \"SBA\" part of an SBA 7(a) loan, exactly?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-is-the-sba-part-of-an-sba-7-a-loan-exactly"},{"question":"What does the 'SBA' part of an SBA 7(a) loan mean?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-does-the-sba-part-of-an-sba-7-a-loan-mean"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — 13 CFR Part 121","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/13-cfr-part-121","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}