{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/political-lobbying-activities","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/political-lobbying-activities","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":"political-lobbying-activities","term":"Political/lobbying activities","group":"The loan itself","definition":"Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities are generally ineligible for SBA 7(a) loans. The SBA avoids funding operations that influence government policy directly.","what_it_means":"If the target business spends a significant portion of its time or revenue on lobbying or political campaigns, it likely won't qualify for an SBA loan. This is a clear red flag for eligibility. Verify the business's primary purpose.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/political-lobbying-activities","official_sources":[{"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"},{"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"}],"related":[{"slug":"ineligible-businesses-rule","term":"Ineligible businesses rule","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ineligible-businesses-rule"},{"slug":"7a-loan","term":"7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/7a-loan"},{"slug":"use-of-proceeds","term":"Use of proceeds","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/use-of-proceeds"},{"slug":"compliance","term":"Compliance","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/compliance"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Can a business engaged primarily in lobbying or political activities be eligible for a 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/can-a-business-engaged-primarily-in-lobbying-or-political-activities-be-eligible-for-a-7-a"},{"question":"Can a business engaged in political lobbying be eligible for a 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/can-a-business-engaged-in-political-lobbying-be-eligible-for-a-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Can a non-profit organization receive an SBA 7(a) loan for their activities?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/can-a-non-profit-organization-receive-an-sba-7-a-loan-for-their-activities"},{"question":"Are some business activities or industries automatically disqualified from SBA 7(a) loan eligibility?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/are-some-business-activities-or-industries-automatically-disqualified-from-sba-7-a-loan-el"},{"question":"Are there certain industries or business activities generally ineligible for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/are-there-certain-industries-or-business-activities-generally-ineligible-for-an-sba-7-a-lo"},{"question":"What types of 'lending' activities make a business ineligible for an SBA 7(a) loan as a primary purpose?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-types-of-lending-activities-make-a-business-ineligible-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-as-a-prima"}]},"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 — Political/lobbying activities","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/political-lobbying-activities","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}