ENSURETY BONDS, CONTRACTORS & PROJECT FINANCE · NOVEMBER 8, 2026
SBA Updates Surety-Bond Forms and Contractor Application Rules
Effective November 12, the SBA is introducing Forms 900 and 901, revising key Surety Bond Guarantee forms, and updating CAFS validation and submission requirements for contractors and participating sureties.
What the SBA notice changes
Source publication date: November 6, 2026; effective date: November 12, 2026. SBA Information Notice 5000-880861 announces new Forms 900 and 901 and revisions to Forms 990, 991, 994, 994B, 994F, and 994H for the Surety Bond Guarantee program. The agency said the changes align forms with regulatory updates and current surety practices while clarifying participation and application requirements.
- 01New Forms 900 and 901
- 02Bonding-line requests move to Form 990
- 03CAFS adds required validation fields
Participation and application forms are being reorganized
Form 900 documents Prior Approval, or Plan A, participation and can be accepted before it becomes mandatory under anticipated final rule changes. Form 901 replaces existing participation agreements for Preferred Surety Bond Guarantee, or Plan B, companies. Bonding-line requests move to Form 990, while Form 994B removes that section. The revisions also add or clarify approval numbers, bond type, job-start instructions, backlog, ownership, country, economic-status, and obligee information.
CAFS adds new validations and required fields
The system updates require information about separate or combined bond forms, project country, and excluded scope for Quick Bond applications. Applications with exclusions cannot be submitted as Quick Bonds. When an applicant identifies as socially and economically disadvantaged, CAFS requires economic-status fields for each principal and prevents submission if the entered information does not qualify. The notice also removes the Contractor Outstanding status so applications begin in Agency Outstanding status.
Practical borrower takeaway
Contractors should confirm with their surety which current form and participation path apply, then update ownership, country of residence, economic status, total backlog, project country, obligees, excluded work, hazardous-material or asbestos scope, timber sales, bond type, and job-start information. Reconcile the application to contracts, bids, financial statements, work-in-process schedules, debt, and liquidity. Allow time for new validation rules and do not rely on a prior package or platform status as evidence of approval.
Contractors seeking SBA-backed bonding should use the current forms, reconcile backlog and project details, identify excluded work and ownership information early, and coordinate submission timing with their surety instead of assuming a prior application package remains valid.
Discuss a financing need →This independent summary is based on the cited source and is provided for general educational purposes only. Terms and program requirements may change.