The Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN) represents a collaboration of 29 trusted community organizations across Washington state, working together to offer cultural- and language-relevant assistance to historically underserved small businesses. Commerce established the SBRN to ensure business owners would be informed about important resources and programs available to them.
This network strengthens our small business ecosystem by investing in trusted, community-rooted partners who offer responsive technical assistance when and where it’s needed across Washington.
SBRN is designed to:
- Expand equitable access to business support services
- Increase access to affordable capital
- Strengthen local economic ecosystems
- Build long-term small business resilience
To learn more, please read the Time, Trust, Technology report on the business technical assistance ecosystem.
The Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN) supports small businesses in communities that have been underestimated and underserved. We provide access to economic opportunities, promote wealth-building and empower businesses. Commerce and SBRN share decision-making power and responsibilities in a co-governance relationship to achieve our goals together.
Find a SBRN partner in your community
Is your small business or nonprofit looking for help? If “yes”, please use the SBRN member organization map or our table to find a Commerce Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN) member organization for FREE assistance, including:
- Finding and applying for resources
- Technical assistance
- Accessing translation assistance
- Navigating local, state and federal resources
The following highlights reflect statewide activity delivered through the Small Business Resiliency Network for fiscal year 25 (July 2024-June 2025). Results are compiled from standardized monthly reporting submitted by partner organizations servicing communities across Washington state.
Network reach:
- 29 SBRN partner organizations
- 13,000+ businesses served
- 94,000+ hours of business support
- Services delivered in 180 cities
- Provided support in more than 40 languages
For more information about the networks impact, please view and download an overview of the SBRN impact (PDF).
The Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) pilot program was established in 2022 through Senate Bill 5693, expanding access to responsible, credit-building capital for nano-, micro-, and small-businesses that may not qualify for traditional financing. This program is no longer accepting applications. Read below to learn more about the project timeline.
- 2022 – State investment, barriers research
- 2023 – Identify program administrator
- 2023-24 – Community co-design
- 2024 – Pilot program launch, capital deployment
- 2025-26 – Repayment period
- 2026-27 – Pilot program close-out and learnings
Following the $15 million state investment, Commerce commissioned a study and report to better understand the needs and barriers Small Business Resiliency Network businesses face when seeking capital. The study identified key challenges, including limited credit history, lack of collateral, language access barriers, and distrust of traditional financial institutions. View and download the SBRN credit-building loan program report (PDF).
Using these findings, Commerce, GoWest Foundation and SBRN partners co-designed the SBRL through the network’s co-governance model. The program was developed in partnership with 13 participating credit unions (including 6 CDFIs) to directly address the barriers identified in the research.
The Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) program was designed to:
- Increase access to safe, affordable capital
- Provide a low-risk pathway to build or strengthen credit
- Pair lending with culturally responsive technical assistance
- Create a bridge for businesses to engage with traditional financial systems
Entrepreneurs secured loans from $500 to $25,000 at a 4% interest rate. After making at least 12 on-time payments, borrowers unlock a matched savings grant equal to the loan amount, plus interest earned. Community-based SBRN partners provide hands-on support throughout the application and repayment process.
In addition to expanding access to capital, SBRL introduces small businesses to responsible borrowing within a supportive environment. By pairing affordable loans with technical assistance and built-in safeguards, the program helps business owners learn how loans work, build confidence managing repayment, and establish positive credit history without the risks often associated with traditional financing.
These early results demonstrate strong demand among businesses previously excluded from traditional financing and show how research-informed, community-designed lending can responsibly connect entrepreneurs to the broader financial system while strengthening long-term small business resilience.
- $10M total loan capital deployed
- 640 loans issued statewide
- $16K was the average loan size
- 79% of loan recipients had never accessed a loan before