Office of Strategic Capital

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) received more than 200 applications, totaling $8.9 billion in financing requests, for its first direct loan product to unlock growth opportunities, expand manufacturing, and modernize operations for American companies.  This robust demand, which significantly exceeds the program's current lending capacity of $984 million, highlights the critical need for federal financing to scale the domestic manufacturing of technologies vital to national and economic security. For additional information on the office's inaugural credit offering, please see the official press release here: https://lnkd.in/eGnrfR5C

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has a job opening for an Attorney-Adviser. Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to, providing legal counsel to shape OSC's investment strategy; leading the development and refinement of legal frameworks, documents, and policies for the OSC loan program; spearheading the legal due diligence process for the OSC loan program; advising on intricate legal and policy matters and interpreting pertinent legislation and regulations for OSC; and managing the selection and oversight of external legal counsel to ensure their alignment with OSC's strategic and legal requirements. To read the full job description, including anticipated job duties, employment requirements, and application instructions, please visit the official job posting on USAJobs at the following link: https://lnkd.in/eduXrBMA

The first cohort of Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies Initiative (SBICCT Initiative) Licensed and Green Light Approved funds is projected to invest over $4 billion into over 1700 portfolio companies focused on all 14 DoD Critical Technology Areas and on strategic component technologies and production processes. Potential portfolio companies interested in directly reaching out to Licensed and Green Light Approved funds in the first SBICCT Initiative fund cohort may review the contact and stage information for each fund in the graphic below. The below graphic lists 17 of the 18 Licensed and Green Light Approved funds in the first SBICCT Initiative fund cohort. One fund that is Green Light Approved has elected not to have their name shared publicly, which is permitted under SBA policy.

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently published the names of the entire first cohort of Licensed and Green Light Approved funds under the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies Initiative (SBICCT Initiative). The SBICCT Initiative is a partnership between the DoD Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation to strengthen U.S. national and economic security by attracting and scaling private investment into the DoD Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) and into component-level technologies and production processes. Collectively, this first cohort is projected to invest over $4 billion into over 1700 portfolio companies focused on all 14 CTAs and on strategic component technologies and production processes. To learn more about the SBICCT Initiative and this first cohort, please visit the official press release at https://lnkd.in/eGyBpFUH. Qualified investment funds or institutional limited partners exploring the SBICCT Initiative are also welcome to email capitalmarkets@osc.mil to set up a 30-minute courtesy call. Furthermore, while neither OSC nor SBA will engage with potential portfolio companies directly for the purpose of investment by an SBICCT Initiative fund, the press release includes contact and stage information for each fund for potential portfolio companies to use as a resource to reach out to these funds directly. The press release lists 17 of the 18 Licensed and Green Light Approved funds in the first SBICCT Initiative fund cohort. One fund that is Green Light Approved has elected not to have their name shared publicly, which is permitted under SBA policy.

***Update as of 01/24/2025: This post has been updated to include a new USAJOBS link to the updated job posting for the OSC Deputy Director role. Candidates who previously applied to the old link will need to re-apply at this new link: https://lnkd.in/ea6eE87P ------------------------ The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has a job opening for the Deputy Director role. The Deputy Director will serve as the principal back-up to the Director for OSC across the scope of their responsibilities, including providing policy guidance and technical direction. Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to, overseeing the implementation of the DoD's Loan Program Office; maintaining a close coordinated relationship with the Strategic Capital Advisory Council, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and other principals and staff for the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and providing expert guidance and project assistance in internal office management, operations, and direction for the staff and activities of the OSC. To read the full job description, including anticipated job duties, employment requirements, and application instructions, please visit the official job posting on USAJOBS at the following link: https://lnkd.in/ea6eE87P

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has released its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Investment Strategy, which details how OSC will prioritize investments through credit-based financial products for critical technologies and their supply chains. The Strategy provides an overarching framework for how the office will invest across industries and economic domains to achieve national security impacts. To read the full FY25 Investment Strategy and to learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/eea4p7NR Concurrent with the release of the FY25 Investment Strategy, OSC is opening the application window for its first credit product, focused on equipment finance. Under its federal credit authorities, OSC launched the equipment finance Notice of Funding Availability on September 30, 2024, to issue direct loans to companies in the critical technologies value chain that have capital investment needs. The “Application Part 1” window for equipment finance loans opens on January 2, 2025 and closes on February 3, 2025. To learn more, please visit: www.osc.mil/credit-program

Please join the Office of Strategic Capital for a webinar on our first credit product for companies next Tuesday, December 17, hosted by our Department of Commerce colleagues. To register, please visit the link in the post below.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently published a report, funded by the Office of Strategic Capital, on “Alternative Funding Mechanisms in Review: Catalyzing Investment to Achieve U.S. Government Aims.” The report summarizes the various non-direct funding tools leveraged by U.S. Government Agencies, with a specific focus on investments that align with the 14 critical technologies the DOD has identified as vital to national security: https://lnkd.in/dfyMyKMu The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense of the linked websites, or the information, products or services contained therein. Other than for authorized activities, such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the United States Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has a job opening for an Attorney-Adviser. Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to, providing legal counsel to shape OSC's investment strategy; leading the development and refinement of legal frameworks, documents, and policies for the OSC Credit Program; spearheading the legal due diligence process for the OSC Credit Program; advising on intricate legal and policy matters and interpreting pertinent legislation and regulations for OSC; managing the selection and oversight of external legal counsel; and collaborating with senior management to introduce and enforce innovative legal concepts and standards. To read the full job description, including anticipated job duties, employment requirements, and application instructions, please visit the official job posting on USAJobs at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gF_HVcx5

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has launched the Department of Defense’s first direct loan product to provide equipment finance to U.S. businesses that need flexible financing to unlock growth opportunities, expand manufacturing, and modernize operations. With this initial credit offering, OSC is implementing its congressionally authorized lending authority to enable transformational investment in critical technologies and supply chains.   The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) lays out eligibility criteria, describes the application process for OSC loans, and ensures that companies are fully prepared to apply for OSC financing. To access the NOFA and to learn more, read the official press release here: https://lnkd.in/e33xZeGu