Oregon Capital Access Program (CAP)
Business Oregon (Oregon Business Development Department)
State match up to $35,000 per borrower
Researched for this program: 3 rejection traps · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Helps banks say yes to your loan
A loan-loss-reserve credit enhancement run by Business Oregon that helps banks and credit unions make commercial loans to Oregon small businesses that fall just outside conventional underwriting. When an enrolled lender makes a CAP loan, the borrower and lender pay a premium (typically 3%-7% of the loan) into a loan-loss reserve account, and Business Oregon matches those contributions, building a cushion that lets the lender approve loans it would otherwise decline. CAP covers most business loan purposes and types of credit, including lines of credit, for both for-profit and nonprofit small businesses pursuing startup or expansion. The state match covers up to $35,000 per borrower. Businesses access CAP through participating financial institutions rather than applying to the state directly.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- State match up to $35,000 per borrower
- Realistic amount
- The enrolled loan size varies by lender and borrower; CAP is most commonly used to enable smaller commercial loans and lines of credit (often tens of thousands up to a few hundred thousand dollars) that needed the extra reserve cushion to be approved.
- Deadline
- Rolling — enrolled at loan origination by a participating lender.
- Status
- active
- States
- Oregon
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Oregon-based for-profit or nonprofit small business
- Seeking capital for startup or expansion (most business purposes qualify)
- Borrowing from a participating Oregon financial institution enrolled in CAP
- Loan must be for a business purpose (not residential housing or non-business real property)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital
- Equipment and assets
- Inventory
- Business expansion costs
- Most business loan and line-of-credit purposes
Ineligible expenses
- Residential housing purchase or improvement
- Non-business (personal) real property
- Refinancing of existing non-enrolled loan balances
How to apply
-
1
Approach a participating lender
Identify and apply for a commercial loan or line of credit at one of the financial institutions enrolled in CAP (Business Oregon lists participating banks and credit unions).
~3 hrs
-
2
Lender evaluates and proposes CAP enrollment
If your loan is close to approvable but needs extra cushion, the lender proposes enrolling it in CAP and contributing a reserve premium (typically 3%-7%).
~1 hrs
-
3
Loan closes with state match
Business Oregon matches the reserve premium (up to $35,000 per borrower) into the lender's loan-loss reserve, and the loan closes on the lender's terms.
~1 hrs
You do not apply to the state — ask your banker directly whether they are an Oregon CAP-enrolled lender and whether enrolling your loan in CAP would push a borderline approval over the line. It is most powerful for thin-collateral or early-stage borrowers a bank likes but can't quite approve on standard terms.
Deadline & timing
There is no application window. A loan is enrolled in CAP by the participating financial institution at the time it is made, as long as program reserve funds remain available.
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