The Office of Strategic Capital has begun accepting public input on upcoming loans and loan guarantees for major technology and supply chain areas.
The office released two requests for information — one for lenders and financial institutions and another for private sector organizations and other stakeholders — to collect comments, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.
“OSC-backed financing can help ensure the resilience and security of critical supply chains by supporting businesses that produce key components and materials,” said Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.
She noted that loans and loan guarantees can “help level the playing field by providing businesses with the financial support they need to bring new technologies to market, expand their operations and create jobs.”
Through the RFIs, the OSC aims to gain an understanding of the current state of the market and capital requirements. It also intends to identify areas in which loans and loan guarantees could best support critical technologies.
Questions for lenders cover finance areas such as fees and credit risks, experience with U.S. government financing and their economic outlook. The RFI for commercial entities asks about finance and their economic outlook and includes specific questions about revenue, supply chain and competition in the market.
