Business
Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL)
A low-rate SBA loan to keep a small business running when a key reservist is called to active duty.
This is a loan, not a grant. It has to be paid back, and SBA says it cannot be used to cover lost income or lost profits.
What it is
If you own a small business and you or an essential employee is a military reservist called to active duty, the SBA can lend you money for ordinary and necessary operating expenses the business cannot cover because of the absence.
What it gives you (SBA page, current September 2026)
- Up to $2 million (SBA may waive the cap for a major source of employment)
- Interest rate: 4 percent
- Up to 30 years to repay, depending on ability to repay; no prepayment penalty or fees
- First payment deferred 12 months, and no interest builds for the first 12 months
What it gives you (SBA page, current September 2026)
Who qualifies
- A small business (13 CFR Part 121 size rules).
- The owner or an essential employee is a reservist called up for more than 30 consecutive days (13 CFR 123.501).
- The business suffers substantial economic hardship from that absence.
- You cannot qualify if the business can fund its own recovery. The rule says you must have used all reasonably available funds and be unable to get credit elsewhere.
How to apply, step by step
- Open the SBA disaster loan portal (link below).
- Choose the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan application.
- Fill it out and submit the documents SBA asks for.
- Call the SBA Disaster customer service line with questions.
SBA disaster loan portalapplication
documentscustomer service
Deadline and traps
You can apply starting on the date your essential employee receives notice of an expected call-up. The window closes one year after that employee is discharged or released from active duty. The window opens at the call-up notice, before the deployment starts. Loan money cannot be used to replace lost income or profits, to pay down existing long-term business debt, or to expand the business.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- SBA Disaster customer service: 800-659-2955 (TTY/relay: 711). Hours are not shown on the SBA page. Source: SBA military reservist loan
- Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
Official pages