Executive summary
Franchise lending is still visible in SBA data, but the borrower problem has changed. In 2026, a generic list of franchise opportunities is less valuable than a lender-appetite map that shows who has funded similar transactions and who is active now.
SourceFunding's first index covers 80 current SBA 7(a) lenders, 51 project-state views, and 180 franchise brands from loan-level SBA history. The goal is to help borrowers build a smarter outreach list before they enter formal underwriting.
Current lender activity is the fresh signal
The SBA monthly lender activity workbook shows current fiscal-year approvals by lender and project geography. That matters because a lender with historical brand activity may not be equally active today.
The top current lenders by approved dollars include Live Oak Banking Company, The Huntington National Bank, Newtek Bank, N.A., U.S. Bank, N.A., Northeast Bank. Those names are useful starting points, but the better match depends on state, loan size, industry, borrower strength, and brand history.
Franchise brand history is the matching signal
Loan-level SBA history can show which lenders have funded specific franchise systems. For high-volume brands, this creates a practical borrower question: which of those lenders are also active in my project state right now?
The most visible brands in the first SourceFunding index include The UPS Store, Hotworx, Subway, Quality Inn by Choice Hotels /Quality Inn & Suites by Choice Hotels, Anytime Fitness, Ace Hardware. These pages should be used as lender-research starting points, not approval predictions.
State concentration changes the shortlist
State-level SBA activity can change the lender list quickly. A lender that ranks highly nationally may not be the best first call for a borrower in a specific state. Conversely, a regional lender with meaningful state activity may be a better fit than a national brand-name lender.
The largest current project-state markets in this data pull include California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia.
What this means for borrowers
The right workflow is narrow: identify the franchise brand, project state, loan purpose, estimated loan size, borrower liquidity, and collateral facts. Then compare lenders with historical brand activity against lenders currently active in the project state.
That workflow will not guarantee approval, but it should reduce wasted outreach and expose gaps earlier. If no lenders have funded the brand and few lenders are active in the state, the borrower should plan for more explanation, more equity, or a different capital stack.