CARES Act Main Street Lending Program: Loan Parameters, Borrower and Lender Eligibility, Post-Closing Restrictions

On Apr. 9, 2020, the U.S. Treasury announced that it would use funds appropriated under the CARES Act to provide up to $600 billion in new financing to small and medium-sized businesses. The Main Street New Loan Facility will provide new loan facilities to eligible borrowers. The Main Street Expanded Loan Facility will provide eligible borrowers and qualified lenders with financing to increase existing loan facilities by upsizing bank term loan debt.

The Federal Reserve will lend $75 billion to a single purpose vehicle (SPV) on a recourse basis. The SPV will purchase 95% participation of eligible loans from qualified lenders (with these lenders retaining 5% of the loans), with a limit of $600 billion in purchased loans. The SPV will share risk on the funds advanced with the eligible lender on a proportionate basis. Loans under these programs will be available until Sept. 30, 2020, or until the funds are expended.

Borrowers must have a thorough understanding of the required loan terms, attestations, and eligibility requirements for each loan program. Participating borrowers must be U.S. companies with no more than 15,000 employees and no more than $5 billion in 2019 annual revenues. Subject to further guidance, borrowers will be subject to limitations on stock buybacks, and restrictions on dividends and distributions and executive compensation and severance that will extend until one year after the loan is repaid.

Each eligible lender must attest that the proceeds of an eligible loan will not be used to repay or refinance preexisting loans or lines of credit made by the lender, that it will not cancel or reduce any existing lines of credit outstanding to an eligible borrower. Each borrower and lender must certify that its participation will not violate the conflicts of interest prohibition in section 4019(b) of the CARES Act.

Listen as our authoritative panel discusses the loan parameters, eligibility requirements, structuring, and other nuances of the Main Street Lending Program.