---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 690"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "690"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/690"
units:
  - "Chapter 14B — Small Business Investment Program"
  - "Subchapter III — Investment Division Programs"
  - "Part C — Renewable Fuel Capital Investment Pilot Program"
---

# §690. Definitions


In this part:

- (1) **Operational assistance—** The term “[operational assistance](/usc/15/689.md?p=5)” means management, marketing, and other technical assistance that assists a [small business concern](/usc/15/694a.md?p=9) with business development.
- (2) **Participation agreement—** The term “[participation agreement](/usc/15/689.md?p=6)” means an [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2), between the [Administrator](/usc/15/662.md?p=2) and a [company](/usc/15/662.md?p=3) granted final approval under [section 690c(e) of this title](/usc/15/690c.md?p=e), that—
  - (A) details the operating plan and investment criteria of the [company](/usc/15/662.md?p=3); and
  - (B) requires the [company](/usc/15/662.md?p=3) to make investments in [smaller enterprises](/usc/15/662.md?p=12) primarily engaged in researching, manufacturing, developing, producing, or bringing to market goods, products, or services that generate or support the production of [renewable energy](#3).
- (3) **Renewable energy—** The term “renewable energy” means energy derived from resources that are regenerative or that cannot be depleted, including solar, wind, ethanol, and biodiesel fuels.
- (4) **Renewable Fuel Capital Investment company—** The term “Renewable Fuel Capital Investment company” means a [company](/usc/15/662.md?p=3)—
  - (A) that—
    - (i) has been granted final approval by the [Administrator](/usc/15/662.md?p=2) under [section 690c(e) of this title](/usc/15/690c.md?p=e); and
    - (ii) has entered into a [participation agreement](/usc/15/689.md?p=6) with the [Administrator](/usc/15/662.md?p=2); or
  - (B) that has received conditional approval under [section 690c(c) of this title](/usc/15/690c.md?p=c).
- (5) **State—** The term “[State](/usc/15/662.md?p=4)” means each of the several [States](/usc/15/662.md?p=4), the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
- (6) **Venture capital—** The term “venture capital” means capital in the form of [equity capital](/usc/15/689.md?p=1) investments, as that term is defined in [section 683(g)(4) of this title](/usc/15/683.md?p=g-4).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–699, title III, § 381, as added Pub. L. 110–140, title XII, § 1207, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1774.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Part effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.