MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Minnesota District honored 10 lenders throughout the state for their commitment to helping small businesses succeed at the Minnesota Small Business Lenders Conference on September 22, 2026.
"The Minnesota District Office is thrilled to celebrate our ten outstanding lender awardees for 2026! These lending partners are true champions for Minnesota's entrepreneurs, driving capital into communities from our biggest cities to our smallest towns and fueling the growth that keeps our state's economy strong," said SBA Minnesota District Director Tim Green. "Their energy and partnership don't stop here, we're counting on these lenders, and all of our lending partners, to keep expanding access to capital for every small business owner across Minnesota. The momentum we're building together is just getting started, and we can't wait to see what we accomplish next."
SBA’s ability to help small businesses access capital is tied to the country’s lending institutions and its partners’ ability and willingness to loan money. The SBA doesn’t lend money directly to entrepreneurs to start or grow a business, but sets guidelines for loans made by partners, which include lenders, community development organizations and micro-lending institutions. The SBA guarantees that these loans will be repaid, which eliminates some of the risk to lending partners.
The 2026 Minnesota lenders recognized as having the highest participation in SBA-backed loan programs are:
| Credit Union | Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union |
| Lender with <$250MM in assets | Prime Security Bank |
| Lender with $250MM > $500MM in assets | Granite Bank |
| Lender with $500MM >$1B in assets | BankVista |
| Lender with > $1B in assets | Frandsen Bank & Trust |
| National Lender | U.S. Bank, National Association |
| District Director Award | The Bank of Elk River |
| Certified Development Company (Job Creation) | AMPLIO Economic Development Corporation |
| Certified Development Company (Loan Volume) | Midwest Business Finance Corporation |
| Microlender | Entrepreneur Fund |
SBA Minnesota Lender Awards are based on each lender’s number of SBA-guaranteed approved loans in Minnesota from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. SBA-backed loans are proven tools lenders can use to help small businesses grow while reducing their own risks. The Minnesota Small Business Lenders Conference, which took place at the Doubletree Bloomington-Minneapolis South, 7800 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington, MN on September 22, 2026, provided lenders and lending adjacent professionals training on how to maximize those tools while networking with peers, SBA staff and industry experts.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit
www.sba.gov.
Based in St. Paul, Minn., Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative that puts people first above profits. Members of Affinity Plus receive maximum value through competitive rates, minimal fees, and unique, member-centric products and programs. Established in 1930, Affinity Plus has 35 branches located throughout Minnesota and is owned by more than 280,000 members. Affinity Plus has more than $4.3 billion in assets. Additional information is available at
www.affinityplus.org or by calling
(800) 322-7228.
