---
kind: "range"
citation: "7 C.F.R. §§ 4290.210–4290.230"
title: "7"
from: "4290.210"
to: "4290.230"
count: 2
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/7/4290.210..4290.230"
---

# §4290.210. Minimum capital requirements for RBICs.

- (a) **General Rule.** Unless otherwise specified in a Federal Register notice, you must have Regulatory Capital of at least $10,000,000, or such lesser amount (but not less than $5,000,000) and Leverageable Capital of at least $500,000, to become a RBIC.
- (b) **Exception.**
  - (1) The Agency in its sole discretion and based on a showing of special circumstances and good cause may license an Applicant with Regulatory Capital of at least $2,500,000, but only if the Applicant:
    - (i) Has satisfied all eligibility criteria for licensing as a RBIC as described in [§ 4290.390(a)](/cfr/7/4290.390.md?p=a) of this part, except the capital requirement specified in [paragraph (a)(1)](/cfr/7/4290.390.md?p=a-1) of that section, as determined solely by the Agency;
    - (ii) Has a viable business plan reasonably projecting profitable operations; and
    - (iii) **Has a reasonable timetable for achieving Regulatory Capital of at least $10,000,000.**
  - (2) A RBIC licensed under this exception is not eligible to receive Leverage until it has complied with [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section.
- (c) **Time frame.** Each RBIC shall have a period of 2 years to meet the capital requirements set forth in this section.
- (d) **Closing.** Each RBIC may conduct more than one closing to raise the specific amount of Regulatory Capital that the Applicant had projected in its application that it would raise (see [§ 4290.310(b)](/cfr/7/4290.310.md?p=b)). One or more closings may take place subsequent to licensing as an RBIC to raise the difference between the required Regulatory Capital as provided under paragraphs [(a)](#a) and [(b)](#b) of this section and the specific amount of Regulatory Capital that the Applicant had projected to raise in its application.

# §4290.230. Private Capital for RBICs.

- (a) **General.** Private Capital means the contributed capital of a RBIC, plus unfunded binding commitments by Institutional Investors (including commitments evidenced by a promissory note) to contribute capital to a RBIC.
- (b) **Contributed capital.** For purposes of this section, contributed capital means the paid-in capital and paid-in surplus of a Corporate RBIC, the members' contributed capital of a LLC RBIC, or the partners' contributed capital of a Partnership RBIC, in each case subject to the limitations in [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section.
- (c) **Exclusions from Private Capital.** Private Capital does not include:
  - (1) **Funds borrowed by an Applicant or a RBIC from any source.**
  - (2) **Funds obtained through the issuance of Leverage.**
  - (3) Funds obtained directly or indirectly from the Federal government or any State (including by a political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of the Federal government or a State), except that the following categories of such funds are not excluded from Private Capital—
    - (i) Funds obtained directly or indirectly from the business revenues (excluding any governmental appropriation) of any federally-chartered or government-sponsored enterprise established prior to May 13, 2002;
    - (ii) Funds invested by an employee welfare benefit plan or pension plan; and
    - (iii) Qualified Non-private Funds in an amount not to exceed 33 percent of the total Private Capital of any Applicant or RBIC, provided, however, that in no event may any investor or investors of Qualified Non-private Funds have the power to Control, directly or indirectly, the management, board of directors, general partners, or members of the RBIC.
  - (4) Any portion of an unfunded commitment from an Institutional Investor with a net worth of less than $10 million that exceeds 10 percent of such Institutional Investor's net worth.
  - (5) An unfunded commitment from an investor if the Agency determines that the collectability of the commitment is questionable.
- (d) **Non-cash capital contributions.** Capital contributions in a form other than cash are subject to the limitations in [§ 4290.240](/cfr/7/4290.240.md) of this part.
- (e) **Contributions with borrowed funds.** You may not accept any capital contribution made with funds borrowed by a Person seeking to own an equity interest (whether direct or indirect, beneficial or of record) of at least 10 percent of your Private Capital. This exclusion does not apply if:
  - (1) Such Person's net worth is at least twice the amount borrowed; or
  - (2) **The Agency gives its prior written approval of the capital contribution.**