At a glance
From its website, read 2 Nov 2026Business Development Corp of SC is a loan fund based in Columbia, South Carolina. Its website describes commercial real estate loans, SBA-backed loans and small-business loans. Stated loan amounts run up to $5.5M. Where it lends: South Carolina, plus portions of Georgia and North Carolina for SBA 504 loans. The business loan rate it states is 6.977%. You can start an application online. It serves borrowers in Spanish.
Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.
How to reach them and apply
| Main | (803) 798-4064 source |
|---|---|
| mail@bdcofsc.org source | |
| Apply online | Page with the application link |
| Website | www.bdcofsc.org |
| Office (official list) | 111 Executive Center Drive Ste 225, Columbia, SC 29210 |
What their website says about applying
If your loan has been declined, contact us for a Second Look.
sourceAll SSBCI Loan Participation Program loan applications must be originated through one of our participating banks, so contact a banker today to get started.
source
Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.
Rates and terms they state
Read 2 Nov 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | Rate: 6.977% | 6.977 % 25-Year 504 Loan Rate | source |
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | Term: 5 yr–7 yr | Working capital - up to 5-7 years | source |
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | Term: up to 10 yr | Machinery & equipment - up to 10 years, not to exceed useful life | source |
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | Term: up to 25 yr | Real estate & construction - up to 25 years | source |
As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Loan fund |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 27 Jul 2015 |
| RSSD ID | — (none listed) |
| Address | 111 Executive Center Drive Ste 225, Columbia, SC 29210 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | www.bdcofsc.org |
Head officeBranch or officeApproximate (ZIP code area)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, tiles OpenFreeMap. Head-office points: U.S. Census Bureau geocoder.
Loans and eligibility
Verified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026Read from 7 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: high. Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan and SC Capital Access Program appear only as menu labels without described terms, so they are omitted. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial real estate loans | — | This video provides a clear, concise breakdown of the SBA 504 Loan Program, the ideal solution for acquiring commercial real estate and major equipment. | source |
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | up to $5M | Funding is available up to $5 million. | source |
| Small-business loans | — | The SSBCI Loan Participation Program enables small businesses in South Carolina to obtain short to long-term financing to help businesses grow and expand | source |
Loan sizes
Funding is available up to $5 million.
sourceCan be up to $5.5 million for small business manufacturers
source
Range used for the size filter: not stated to $5.5M
Service area
South Carolina, plus portions of Georgia and North Carolina for SBA 504 loans
Proceeds to be used for a business located in South Carolina, portions of Georgia and North Carolina.
source
Borrower focus
- Low- and moderate-income / underserved
BDC provides individuals and businesses with opportunities to access funds for local growth, job creation and economic development, with a priority focus on low to moderate income and underserved areas.
source - Minority / BIPOC
Most small businesses in SC are eligible, with a special emphasis on increasing access to underserved small businesses, including those owned by minorities, women, veterans and more.
source - Veterans
Most small businesses in SC are eligible, with a special emphasis on increasing access to underserved small businesses, including those owned by minorities, women, veterans and more.
source - Women
Most small businesses in SC are eligible, with a special emphasis on increasing access to underserved small businesses, including those owned by minorities, women, veterans and more.
source
Languages
- Spanish
Brochure for Borrowers - Spanish
source
Online application
Yes — the site links to an application. Apply Now
source
Pages read (7)
- https://businessdevelopment.org/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/business-development-corporation-closes-south-carolinas-first-rural-modernization-program-loan/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/loans/sba-7a-loan-program/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/loans/second-look-program/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/loans/sba-504-loan-program/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/loans/SSBCI-loan-participation-program/
- https://businessdevelopment.org/loans/ssbci-loan-participation-program/
Questions to ask when you contact them
Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.
- Is there a minimum loan amount?
Their website gives a maximum ($5.5M) but no minimum. - Do you need collateral, a business plan or a minimum time in business?
Their website does not say what they require. - Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending. - What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.
Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.
How it compares
Computed from public data| Measure | This lender | Compared with |
|---|---|---|
| Median SBA 7(a) loan it approved, FY2020–FY2026 | $290,000 (41 loans) | All 7(a) lenders in South Carolina: $300,000. Larger than the median loan of 73% of the 97 other certified CDFIs with 10 or more 7(a) loans. |
| Variable-rate 7(a) loans: rate over prime at approval, FY2024–26 | median 2.75 pts, the middle half all at 2.75 pts (11 loans; 9% at the SBA maximum) | All lenders in South Carolina: median 2.75 pts, 11% at the maximum (1,876 loans). |
| SBA approvals, FY2023–24 → FY2025–26 | 5 → 9 | Rank among the 5 certified CDFIs in South Carolina with SBA approvals in either period: 2 → 2. |
| Largest loan its website states | $5.5M | Other loan funds whose website states a maximum: median $250,000. Higher than the stated maximum of 89% of these 184. |
| Business loan rate its website stated (2 Nov 2026) | 6.98% | Prime rate that day: 7.00% (FRED DPRIME), so the lowest stated rate is 0.02 pts below prime. For an SBA 7(a) variable-rate loan the legal maximum is prime plus 3 to 6.5 points, by loan size. |
How these comparisons were worked out
| Measure | Peer group (this lender left out) | Peers | Where this lender sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median SBA 7(a) loan | certified CDFIs with 10+ 7(a) loans, nationwide | 97 | larger than 73% |
| Rate over prime | all variable-rate 7(a) loans in South Carolina, FY2024–26 | 1,876 | median 2.75 pts vs 2.75 pts |
| SBA approvals then vs now | certified CDFIs in South Carolina with SBA approvals FY2023–2026 | 4 | rank 2 → 2 of 5 |
| Largest stated loan | other loan funds stating a maximum, nationwide | 184 | higher than 89% |
“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.
For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered; your rate depends on the loan and on the lender's review. Peer groups and sources: methodology. SBA 7(a) & 504 FOIA data as of 30 Sep 2026. Prime rate: FRED DPRIME.
SBA loans approved
SBA data as of 30 Sep 2026The SBA's public loan data lists 41 SBA-backed approvals for Business Development Corp of SC in fiscal years 2020–2026 (October 2019 to September 2026):
- 41 7(a) loans as the lender: $15.7M in total (gross amount approved), median $290,000
By fiscal year: FY2020 9 · FY2021 5 · FY2022 13 · FY2023 3 · FY2024 2 · FY2025 7 · FY2026 2.
What actually happened
- Size of its 7(a) loans: half were between $150,000 and $531,000, median $290,000 (41 loans)
- Term of its 7(a) loans: median 120 months (10 years) (41 loans)
- Fixed or variable: 2% of its 7(a) loans had a fixed rate (41 loans)
- Young businesses: 68% of its 7(a) loans went to a startup or a business two years old or less (41 loans with an answer)
Descriptive only: what the SBA file records for loans this lender approved in fiscal years 2020–2026. Each figure covers at least 10 loans; with fewer we show nothing. It is not an offer, not the rate or term you would get, and says nothing about your chance of approval.
By program
- 7(a) standard (41, 100%)
Borrower industries
NAICS sector, 3 or more loans.
- Accommodation and food services (13)
- Other services (except public administration) (7)
- Retail trade (6)
- Manufacturing (4)
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation (4)
Where borrowers are
County of the borrower's ZIP code, 3 or more loans.
- Richland County, SC (8)
- Charleston County, SC (7)
- Lexington County, SC (6)
How this lender was matched in the SBA files: SBA lender ID 0188517: same organisation by name and state, checked by hand (SBA lists “Business Development Corporation of South Carolina”).
Approved is not the same as paid out: an approved loan can be reduced or never drawn. SBA lists the lender each loan is currently assigned to, which can differ after a merger or loan sale. Business Development Corp of SC may also make loans outside SBA programs, which are not counted here, and SBA Microloans are not in these files.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Our counts, cancelled approvals left out. How we match lenders.
Other certified CDFIs in Columbia and South Carolina
- Caro Federal Credit UnionCredit union · Columbia, SCOfficial list only
- Midlands Housing Trust FundLoan fund · Columbia, SCAffordable housing development loansVerified
- Optus BankBank or thrift · Columbia, SCAuto / vehicle loans, Commercial real estate loans, Energy / solar / efficiency loans, Equipment loans…Verified
- Optus Financial CorporationBank holding company · Columbia, SCAuto / vehicle loans, Commercial real estate loans, Energy / solar / efficiency loans, Equipment loans…Verified
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