Loans from the Indian Revolving Loan Fund shall be made for purposes which will improve and promote the economic development on Indian reservations.
(a) Loans may be made by the United States to eligible relending organizations for relending to members for economic enterprises and to eligible tribes for relending to members, eligible corporations, cooperative associations, partnerships and subordinate bands and for financing tribal economic enterprises, which will promote the economic development of a reservation and/or the group or members thereon. Loans made by tribes or relending organizations may be for the following purposes:
(1) To individual Indians or Natives, cooperative associations, corporations and partnerships, to finance economic enterprises operated for profit, the operation of which will contribute to the improvement of the economy of a reservation and/or the members thereon.
(2) To individual Indians or Natives for purposes of purchasing, constructing or improving housing on a reservation and to be occupied by the borrower.
(3) To individual Indians and Natives for purposes of obtaining a college or graduate education and degree in a field which will provide employment opportunities, provided that adequate funds are not available from sources such as grants, scholarships or other loan sources.
(4) To individual Indians and Natives for purposes of attending vocational schools which provide training in desired skills in a field in which there are employment opportunities, provided that adequate funds and/or training are not available from grant or scholarship sources, or federal or state training programs.
Loans may also be made by the United States to tribes for loaning to or investing in other organizations subject to the provisions in paragraph (d) of this section.
(b) Direct loans may be made by the United States to eligible tribes, tribal organizations or corporations and tribal cooperative associations without fund restrictions. Direct loans to individual Indians, partnerships, and other non-tribal organizations shall not exceed $350,000. Direct loans from the United States shall be made for the following purposes:
(1) To eligible tribes, individual Indians, Natives, or associations thereof, corporations and partnerships, to finance economic enterprises operated for profit, the operation of which will contribute to the improvement of the economy of a reservation and/or the members thereon.
(2) To individual Indians and Natives for purposes of purchasing, constructing or improving housing on a reservation and to be occupied by the borrower.
(3) To individual Indians and Natives for purposes of obtaining a college or graduate education and degree in a field which will provide employment opportunities, provided that adequate funds are not available from sources such as grants, scholarships or other loan sources.
(4) To individual Indians and Natives for purposes of attending vocational schools which provide training in desired skills in a field in which there are employment opportunities, provided that adequate funds and/or training are not available from grants or scholarship sources or federal or state training programs.
(c) Before a United States direct loan is approved, the Commissioner may require the applicants to prepare a market and capacity report on existing or proposed economic enterprises for which financing is requested if the operation involves manufacturing, selling or providing services.
(d) Loans may be made to eligible tribes and Indian organizations for use in attracting industries and economic enterprises, the operation of which will contribute to the economy of a reservation. Tribes and Indian organizations may receive loans from the revolving loan fund for investment in or lending to other organizations regardless of whether they are organizations of Indians. However, not more than 50 percent of the loan made to an Indian organization may be used for the purpose of making a loan to or investing in other organizations. Applications for loans to provide funds for lending to or investing in other organizations already in operation will be accompanied by:
(1) Audited balance sheets and operating statements of the other organization for the immediate three preceding years;
(2) Pro forma operating statement and balance sheets for the succeeding three years reflecting the results of operations after injection of the additional funds;
(3) Names of owners or if a corporation and stock has been issued, names of major stockholders and shares of stock owned by each;
(4) A copy of the articles of incorporation and bylaws, if incorporated, or other organization papers if not incorporated;
(5) Names of members of the board of directors and officers with a resume of education and experience, and the number of shares of stock owned by each in the corporation;
(6) Purposes for which loan or investment will be used; and
(7) If for manufacturing, selling or providing services, a market and capacity report will be prepared. If a proposed operation is to be established, the information in paragraphs (d)(2) through (7) of this section will be furnished. The Commissioner may require additional information on the other organization, if needed, to adequately evaluate the benefits which the Indian organization will receive and the economic benefits which will accrue to a reservation. If the loan is for relending to another organization, the application must show what security is being offered. If the loan is for investment in another organization, the equity to be obtained must be shown. Copies of all agreements, contracts or other documents to be executed by the Indian organization and the other organization in connection with a loan or investment shall be submitted with the application for a loan and will require Commissioner approval prior to disbursement of loan funds to the Indian organization.
[40 FR 3587, Jan. 23, 1975. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982, as amended at 54 FR 34974, Aug. 23, 1989]