In the spring of this year the U.S. Small Business Administration created the Patriot Express Loan Program. It could be a lower cost ticket for veterans to start their own small business or expand a current enterprise.

The pilot program is a streamlined loan product based on the SBA Express Program, but with enhanced guarantees and interest rates around four percent over the prime rate.

“After they have served their country so proudly, many veterans find themselves looking at entrepreneurship as a career option, when they leave the military,” said James A. Kocsi, SBA New Jersey District Director recently in the Small Biz Journal produced by the office in Newark.

Patriot Express is available to a wide range of military community members including veterans, service-disabled veterans, active-duty service members participating in the military’s Transition Assistance Program, Reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of any of the above, and the widowed spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service, or of a service-connected disability.

The Patriot Express loan is offered by SBA’s network of participating lenders and features SBA’s fastest turnaround time for loan approvals. Loans are available up to $500,000 and qualify for SBA’s maximum guaranty of up to 85 percent for loans of $150,000 or less and up to 75 percent for loans over $150,000 up to $500,000.

The loan program can be used for most business start-ups or expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real-estate purchases. The Patriot Express loan program also has a revolving line of credit feature for those current veteran entrepreneurs.

“It’s no secret that more than 14 percent of businesses in America are owned by veterans, and SBA is proud that we guarantee more than $1 billion annually in loans for veteranowned businesses,” added Kocsi. “Veteran-owned businesses make significant contributions to the economy and because of the unique technical and leadership skills they acquire through military service, they can become successful entrepreneurs.”

The Patriot Express program follows a year after the SBA worked to secure preferential pricing terms on traditional SBA guaranteed loans for vets. To date, 16 lenders have joined ranks with the Veteran Incentive Program to voluntarily provide these incentives to encourage business ownership and expansion.

“The combination of Patriot Express and the Veteran Incentive Program give us the necessary tools to serve our military community,” noted Kosci. “We want our veterans and the military community to know that there are several tools available to them when they do decide to start or expand their small businesses.”

To learn more about Patriot Express and the Veteran Incentive Program, please contact SBA’s Assistant District Director for Lender Relations, William C. Boone, at (973) 645-2179 or via e-mail at william.boone@sba.gov.