EXIM Bank Multi-Buyer Export Credit Insurance — Small Business Policy
Export-Import Bank of the United States
95% of invoice value
Get paid even if your foreign buyer doesn't
EXIM's Multi-Buyer Small Business Export Credit Insurance policy protects U.S. small businesses against non-payment by their foreign customers — covering both commercial risk (buyer insolvency or default) and political risk (war, currency inconvertibility, expropriation). Coverage is 95% of the invoice value on commercial risk and 100% on sovereign buyers. No advance premium is required from qualifying small businesses, and there is no minimum annual premium. This lets SMBs extend credit terms to foreign buyers they could not otherwise trust.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Federal
- Amount
- Coverage equals 95% of the commercial invoice value for commercial-risk non-payment events and 100% for sovereign (government) buyer defaults. No cap on total insured portfolio for qualifying small businesses. Policy is a revolving insurance facility, not a one-time grant.
- Realistic amount
- EXIM reimburses the insured invoice amount minus the 5% retained risk. A small exporter with $1M in annual foreign recei…
- Deadline
- Rolling — policies can be obtained at any time through EXIM directly or via a registered EXIM broker/agent.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- post award
Who qualifies
- Business must qualify as a small business under SBA size standards (typically fewer than 500 employees)
- At least 1 year in business with at least 1 employee
- Must export U.S. goods and/or services — exports must have ≥51% U.S. content
- Exports must be to buyers in eligible countries (not on EXIM's restricted Country Limitation Schedule)
- Foreign accounts receivable must have payment terms of 180 days or less
- Non-military exports only
Hard requirements
- Max 500 employees
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Foreign accounts receivable from international sales of U.S.-origin goods
- Services performed in the U.S. and delivered to foreign buyers
- Consignment sales to foreign distributors (subject to approval)
Ineligible expenses
- Domestic sales receivables
- Military hardware or defense-related exports
- Exports to EXIM-restricted countries (see Country Limitation Schedule)
- Receivables with payment terms beyond 180 days
How to apply
-
1
Contact EXIM or an authorized broker
Apply directly at exim.gov (call 1-800-565-3946, option 1) or through an EXIM-registered insurance broker. Brokers often expedite the process for small businesses.
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2
Submit company and buyer information
Provide: business history, annual export revenue (or projection), list of foreign buyers you want to insure, and their countries. EXIM evaluates buyer credit risk for each covered customer.
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3
Receive credit limits per buyer
EXIM sets per-buyer credit limits based on buyer financial health and country risk. You can ship to each buyer up to their approved credit limit and be covered.
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4
Insure shipments and file claims if needed
Report shipments per policy terms. If a buyer doesn't pay within 120–180 days past due, file a claim. EXIM processes and pays claims within 60 days of approval.
No advance premium and no minimum annual premium for small businesses is a significant advantage. Many SMBs use this policy to unlock bank financing — banks will lend against EXIM-insured receivables at better rates.
Deadline & timing
No application cycle. Contact EXIM or an authorized insurance broker to initiate. Policy underwriting typically takes 1–3 weeks.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.