To get access to the Capital Access Financial System of SBA, you will need to get an SBA One set up in the first place. The US Small Business Administration is one of the major organizations that offer loans and financial help to small businesses in the US.
In this article, we will basically talk about the SBA Capital Access Financial System if you want to access capital from SBA. On the other hand, you will also get enough information about how the Capital Access Financial System works under the SBA and how you can create an SBA one profile by establishing a Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) user account.
What Is Capital Access Financial System?
To know about CAFS, you will first need to have a basic idea of SBA in the first place. According to the SBA official website,
“Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.”
On the other hand, the Capital Access Financial System of SBA is the new IT environment of SBA. To get access to this system, you will need to log in to your SBA account, which we will show in the later part of the article. The CAFS is home to all the lending software systems of SBA.
Using the Capital Access Financial System will basically offer you ease of access to business capital. SBA software systems and finance systems like E-Tran, SBA One, PIMS, etc., are all housed inside the Capital Access Financial System. Once you try to get access to the system, a local authorizing official will be designated to you.
The United States Small Business Administration offers several small businesses access to capital so that these businesses do not hit a wall and continue to grow by enhancing their performance. Furthermore, the SBA offers access to disaster victims as well.
According to SBA.gov,
“Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) is an Operations & Maintenance (O&M) investment that supports the SBA’s Guaranty Loan Programs (7(a), Payroll Protection/CARES Act, and 504), Surety Bond Guaranty Programs, Direct Loans (EIDL/Disaster/Microloans), and the credit risk management processes.“
The Importance Of Capital Access Financial System
Basically, the CAFS supports SBA’s guarantee and the full life cycle of the Disaster loan programs. The CAFS includes the matchmaking of the lender or borrower, imagination, origination, servicing, and post-servicing. In addition to that, CAFS supports the surety guaranty bond program as well. The system consists of a front-end thin client, along with back-end batch processes, plus web services for better integration with third-party vendors.
With the help of the various Capital Access Financial System programs, SBA offers direct loans and loan guarantees for entrepreneurs, small businesses, individuals, disaster-hit people, and more. The following are some of the major programs associated with the CAFS:
- The 7(a) Program: It offers loan guarantees to small businesses to help them qualify for conventional financing through various commercial lending institutions.
- CARES Act/ PPP: The Payroll Protection Program of the CAFS is put in place to give loans to businesses that are heavily impacted by Covid-19.
- The 504 Loan Program: It offers long-term and fixed-rate financing solutions to small businesses. With the help of these finances, businesses can acquire physical assets through certified development companies.
- The Small Business Investment Company Program: It offers licensing to different venture capital firms, as these offer financial help to smaller businesses.
- The Microloan Program: This program offers small loans for small time periods to entrepreneurs who need special assistance with finance and technicalities.
- Disaster Loan Program: This program assists businesses and homeowners at the time of physical disasters by offering financial help.
- There are surety bond guarantees, too, for small businesses that need finances.
The Office of Capital Access under SBA states that –
“The legal authority which supports this system is Public Law 85-536, 15 U.S.C 631 et seq. (Small Business Act, all provisions relating to loan programs, Public Law 85-699 as amended 15 U.S.C. 661 et seq (Small Business Investment Act of 1958, all provisions relating to loan programs).”
How To Access Capital Access Financial System?
If you want to access capital through the Capital Access Financial System, you will need to sign in through your SBA account. Remember, doing an SBA EIDL login will not do here. Whether you are a lender or a borrower, you can get access to the CAFS in three different ways:
- If you are a lender in SBA, you can go to the ‘For Lenders’ page, and on the “Submit Your Forms…” section, you can click on the E-trans option.
- If you do not get directed to the CAFS page through the ‘For Lenders’ page, you can log in to your CAFS account by clicking on this link.
- You can also search on Google for “Capital Access Financial System” or search for “E-Tran.”
What Are The System Requirements Of Capital Access Financial System?
If you want to run Capital Access Financial System from your system, you will also need to have some system requirements. The following are explained below:
| Factor | Requirements |
| Email Address | Corporate Email Address |
| Approving Official Must Be In Profile | Approving Official |
| Location ID Required For Each Access Request | Partner ID Available Via Approving Official, Look-Up Function ins CAFS or PIMS |
| Supporting Internet Browsers | Internet Explorer 11.0Microsoft EdgeGoogle Chrome 45.0 – 46.0Firefox 40.0 or 41.0 |
How To Create A Profile On CAFS?
Once you get to the homepage of CAFS, you will need to log in to an SBA account. Here, you will need to provide your user ID and password. Also, check the “I agree to these terms” option. After that, click the Login button to get access to the Capital Access Financial System instructions page and the main page.
Creating The Profile On CAFS
On the next page, you will need to do a CLS login. Here, you will need to provide the following information:
- Login Information: Here, you will need to create your username and password. Then, you will need to reenter your password for verification.
- Identity Information: Here, you will need to fill in your name, date of birth, and personal identification number (PIN).
- Contact Information: Here, you will have to fill out your contact information. This information includes your phone number, address, email address, etc.
- User Information: Here, you need to choose ‘User Type’ and ‘Customer Location.’ In the job classification option, you will need to check ‘Authorizing Official’ and ‘LMC Contact.’
According to SBA, “Check the Authorizing official job classification if you are the authorizing official for your bank. If you are the first authorizing official designated at your bank, leave the supervisor email blank and email cls@sba.gov to have the role granted.” In terms of LMC Contact, “If you want to receive Lender Match emails, check the Lender Match Contact job classification. You will need to update your profile once your email address and account have been verified.”
- Supervisor Information: Here, you will need to fill out the supervisor’s email or the name of the supervisor. You will also need to choose a supervisor among the given options. Here, the email should be of the authorizing official at the bank. Also, the official must possess a CLS account in the Capital Access Financial System.
After you fill out all this information, you will need to click the submit button. Suppose you think you made a mistake and want to refill your information, then you must click the ‘Reset’ button.
More Information
On the CAFS homepage, click the Profile icon. Also, you can update changes in your profile by clicking on the Update Profile option. Furthermore, you need to get the CLS page in front of you. Here, you will need to enter new details, and after submission, your information will update itself. However, whether you are filling out the form for the first time or updating it, you will get an email verification in each case, which you will need to comply with.
Summing Up
Hope this article was helpful for you in giving you a better idea of the Capital Access Financial System. Once you associate yourself with the system, it will become easier for you to access. Hence, you can lend capital easily through the system that SBA offers. What do you really think about the CAFS portal? Share your opinion with us in the comments section.
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