Innovative Financing Solutions(IFS)

What Innovative Financing Solutions(IFS) does

Innovative Financing Solutions (IFS), legally Innovative Financing & Consulting Group, LLC, is a privately held bank consulting and business advisory firm founded in 2009 by Michael D. Ryan and headquartered in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, with a second office in Bonita Springs, Florida. The company provides outsourced government-guaranteed lending services — primarily SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and USDA Business & Industry (B&I) loans — on a turnkey basis to community banks and credit unions that lack the internal volume, staffing, or expertise to operate SBA/USDA programs in-house. IFS also works directly with business borrowers, connecting them to its network of more than 50 government-guaranteed lending partners for customized commercial financing solutions.

IFS's core offering is the IFS Lender Partner Platform, a full-lifecycle service that spans sourcing, loan origination, credit underwriting, SBA One inputs, processing, closing, compliance, secondary market sale execution, servicing (including monthly SBA Form 1502 reporting), workout and liquidation support, and lender training. The company services a $300 million loan portfolio and has facilitated $1 billion in cumulative loan funding across 30+ U.S. states since inception. The technology layer is described as a state-of-the-art loan production platform with internal systems, ticklers, and compliance workflows rather than a customer-facing software product; the company does not expose APIs, SDKs, or apps.

IFS monetizes through professional services fees charged to lender partners (Lender Service Provider Fees for origination, underwriting, processing, closing, compliance, servicing, and liquidation support) and borrower-facing consulting fees for deal structuring and bank-partner matching. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. GTM is sales-led and enterprise-focused: the firm runs direct field sales to community bank and credit union decision-makers, supplements with association-driven referral channels (NJ Bankers Endorsed Service Provider, PA Bankers Select Vendor, plus memberships in FL Bankers, ICBA, NAGGL, IBAT, and MD Bankers), and uses a content marketing program (IFS Viewpoints blog and monthly newsletter) for top-of-funnel demand. A related advisory firm, Commercial Credit Consulting Group (CCG), provides litigation support and expert witness services as a sub-brand. The firm maintains SOC 1 – SSAE 18 Type II audit compliance annually.

Name

Innovative Financing Solutions(IFS)

Legal name

Innovative Financing & Consulting Group, LLC

Website

https://innovativefinancingsolutions.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Innovative Financing Solutions (IFS) is a bank consulting firm founded in 2009 that provides outsourced SBA and USDA government-guaranteed lending services to community banks, credit unions, and business borrowers across 30+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government-Guaranteed Lending Services

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• SBA lending services
• USDA loan programs
• Government-guaranteed lending
• Commercial credit consulting
• Loan processing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Drexel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Lender Service Provider Fees: IFS provides outsourced government-guaranteed lending solutions to community banks and credit unions. As a Lender Service Provider, they charge fees for services including loan origination support, underwriting, processing, closing, compliance review, servicing, and liquidation support. The company helps lenders implement turnkey SBA and USDA lending programs without adding fixed overhead or staffing.
2. Borrower Consulting Fees: IFS works directly with business borrowers to structure and arrange commercial financing. They provide customized financing solutions for complex situations and connect borrowers with their network of 50+ government-guaranteed lending partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IFS provides outsourced government-guaranteed lending solutions to community banks and credit unions, handling SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and USDA B&I loans across the full loan lifecycle including origination, underwriting, processing, closing, compliance, servicing, and liquidation. The company also connects business borrowers with its network of 50+ lending partners for customized commercial financing solutions, and maintains a SOC 1 - SSAE 18 Type II audited loan production platform.

Product overview

Innovative Financing Solutions (IFS) operates as a full-service SBA and USDA Lender Service Provider offering a turnkey outsourced government-guaranteed lending platform. The core product is the IFS Lender Partner Platform, which enables community banks and credit unions to offer SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and USDA B&I loans. Supporting modules include Lead Generation Programs, Loan Processing & Underwriting Services, Secondary Market Sale Services, Loan Servicing & Administration, Workout & Liquidation Services, and Lender Training & Compliance. The company also provides borrower-facing services including customized financing solutions for businesses seeking government-guaranteed loans. Related services are offered through Commercial Credit Consulting Group (CCG) for litigation and expert consulting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFS Lender Partner Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 billion in loans funded since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Jersey Bankers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFS is an Endorsed Service Provider for the New Jersey Bankers Association. This endorsement indicates a formal relationship where NJ Bankers has vetted and approved IFS as a preferred vendor for member banks seeking SBA and USDA lending support services.
• Pennsylvania Bankers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFS holds Select Vendor status with the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, providing preferred access to member financial institutions for government-guaranteed lending services.
• Florida Bankers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the Florida Bankers Association, participating in conferences and educational events for banking professionals.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member providing access to national community banking industry network and resources.
• National Association of Government-Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the primary trade association for SBA lenders, enabling IFS to stay current on SBA policies and industry best practices.
• Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member providing access to Texas community banking network.
• Maryland Bankers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member providing access to Maryland community banking network.
• 50+ Government-Guaranteed Lending PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIFS maintains a network of over 50 community banks and credit unions that serve as the actual lenders for SBA and USDA loans facilitated by IFS. These lenders originate the government-guaranteed loans while IFS provides the operational infrastructure, processing, compliance, and servicing support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Funding: National Funding is an alternative small-business lender and loan broker offering SBA and working capital products. It competes with IFS's borrower-facing loan intermediation services.
• SmartBiz: SmartBiz is an SBA loan marketplace and technology platform connecting small businesses to SBA lenders. It is a direct competitor to IFS in SBA loan brokering, with a stronger digital/fintech orientation.
• Lendio: Lendio operates an SBA and small-business loan marketplace that connects borrowers to a network of lenders. It is directly comparable to IFS in the loan-brokerage/intermediation role, though delivered via a technology platform rather than a high-touch service model.
• Guidant Financial: Guidant Financial specializes in SBA loan advisory and Rollover for Business Startups (ROBS) consulting for small businesses. It is directly comparable to IFS's borrower advisory and SBA loan packaging services.
• Biz2Credit: Biz2Credit is an online small-business loan marketplace matching borrowers with SBA and other lenders. It competes with IFS's borrower-facing services in the SBA 7(a) intermediation space, with a more digital, lower-touch delivery model.

Regional players

• Accion: Accion is a non-profit small-business lender and advisor providing SBA-related services to underserved borrowers. It is comparable to IFS's borrower-facing SBA advisory services in adjacent small-business financing segments.

Broad incumbents

• Celtic Bank: Celtic Bank is a top-10 SBA lender and an established player in SBA/USDA loan origination. As a high-volume SBA lender, it serves as both a potential IFS partner and a competing channel for SBA loan flow.
• Byline Bank: Byline Bank is a Chicago-based community bank with a substantial SBA lending platform. It is comparable as a competitor in SBA/USDA lending to community bank customers that IFS also targets.
• Live Oak Bank: Live Oak Bank is one of the largest SBA 7(a) lenders in the U.S. and offers SBA/USDA lending services. While primarily a direct lender rather than a service provider, it competes for the same SBA-origination volume that IFS helps facilitate.
• Newtek Business Services (Newtek One): Newtek One is an established SBA-focused lender and business services platform. It overlaps with IFS as both a lender and a service provider to community banks, but operates as a much larger incumbent with a broader product suite.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovative-financing-solutions-ifs-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Innovative Financing Solutions(IFS)