Skip to main content

Company FilingsMore Search Options

SEC Emblem
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • About
    • Careers
    • Commissioners
    • Contact
    • Reports and Publications
    • Securities Laws
    • What We Do
  • Divisions & Offices
    • Corporation Finance
    • Enforcement
    • Investment Management
    • Economic and Risk Analysis
    • Trading and Markets
    • Office of Administrative Law Judges
    • Examinations
    • Regional Offices
    • All Divisions and Offices
  • Enforcement
    • Litigation Releases
    • Administrative Proceedings
    • Opinions and Adjudicatory Orders
    • Accounting and Auditing
    • Trading Suspensions
    • How Investigations Work
    • Receiverships
    • Information for Harmed Investors
  • Regulation
    • Rulemaking Index
    • Proposed Rules
    • Final Rules
    • Interim Final Temporary Rules
    • Other Orders and Notices
    • Self-Regulatory Organizations
    • Staff Interpretations
  • Education
    • Investor.gov
    • Five Questions to Ask Before You Invest
    • About Investment Professionals
    • Check Your Investment Professional
    • Investing Tools and Calculators
    • Investment Products
    • Understanding Fees
    • Investor Alerts and Bulletins
    • Glossary
  • Filings
    • EDGAR – Search & Access
    • EDGAR – Information for Filers
    • Company Filing Search
    • How to Search EDGAR
    • Requesting Public Documents
    • Forms List
    • About EDGAR
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Public Statements
    • Speeches
    • Testimony
    • Spotlight Topics
    • What's New
    • Upcoming Events
    • Webcasts
    • SEC in the News
    • SEC Videos
    • Media Gallery

User account menu

  • Log in
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Divisions & Offices
    • Enforcement
    • Regulation
    • Education
    • Filings
    • Newsroom
  • Newsroom
    • Press Releases
    • Public Statements
    • Speehes
    • Testimony
  • RSS Feeds
    • Press Releases
    • Public Statements
    • Speeches
    • Testimony
  • Social Media
    • @SEC_News
    • SEC Channel
    • SEC Photostream
  • Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation
  • Meet the Team
  • COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses
  • Small Business Capital Formation Video Gallery
  • Virtual Coffee Breaks
  • Small Business Forum
  • Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee
  • Resources on How to Raise Capital
  • SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016
  • Cutting Through the Jargon
  • Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation
  • Meet the Team
  • COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses
  • Small Business Capital Formation Video Gallery
  • Virtual Coffee Breaks
  • Small Business Forum
  • Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee
  • Resources on How to Raise Capital
  • SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016
  • Cutting Through the Jargon

Small Business Capital Formation Video Gallery

The following videos are from the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and are meant to provide a high-level summary of the relevant policy or rulemaking.

How to Comment

How to Comment: Engage in the Rulemaking Process

The SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation breaks down how easy it can be to comment on proposed rulemakings.

Recent Policy and Rulemaking Highlights

Proposals to Modernize Equity-Based Compensation (Rule 701 & Form S-8)

On November 24, 2020, through two rule proposals, the SEC proposed changes to exempt offering Rule 701 and Form S-8, which are the primary methods through which companies issue equity compensation, that would change how and to whom equity compensation can be issued. Press releases for both proposals are as follows: temporary platform worker ("gig economy") proposal and other proposed amendments.

Related Information

  • Submit comments on temporary platform worker (“gig economy”) proposal (S7-19-20). Comments received for this proposal are available here.
  • Submit comments on the other proposed amendments proposal (S7-18-20).

Amendments to the Exempt Offering Framework

On November 2, 2020, the SEC adopted changes to the exempt offering framework that are intended to harmonize, simplify, and improve the tools used by businesses and their investors when raising capital, whether to support a start-up raising its first round of funding or a company preparing to one day conduct an initial public offering. A press release is available here.

Related Information

  • Overview chart of Amended Capital-Raising Exemptions
  • Capital Formation Proposal video and press release
  • Harmonization Concept Release video and press release

Finders Proposed Exemptive Order

On October 7, 2020, the SEC proposed a conditional exemption to permit “finders” to engage in limited activities on behalf of businesses seeking to raise investment capital without having to register as a broker. These so-called "finders," who may identify and in certain circumstances solicit potential investors, help to bridge the gap between small businesses that need capital and investors who are interested in supporting them. A press release is available here.

Related Information

  • Comparative overview chart illustrating key permissible activities of Finders.
  • Submit comments on S7-13-20. Comments received for this proposed exemptive order are available here.

Accredited Investor Amendments

On August 26, 2020, the SEC adopted amendments that update the accredited investor definition, adding additional means for individuals and entities to be eligible to invest in the private capital markets. These changes became effective on December 8, 2020. A press release is available here.

Related Information

  • Compliance Guide
  • Accredited Investor Proposal video and press release

SEC’s Small Business Forum Highlight Reel

Engaging with you at the SEC’s annual Small Business Forum provides invaluable feedback to inform our capital formation policy initiatives. This highlight reel shown at the SEC’s 2020 Small Business Forum showcases how the input the Commission received from speakers and the public at the Forum positively impacted the rules that we are responsible for creating and updating. More information on the 2020 Forum, including video archives of the keynote addresses and spotlight discussions, is available here. Learn more about how we are listening and taking action.

COVID-19 Crowdfunding Relief

On May 4, 2020, the SEC announced that it is providing temporary, conditional relief for companies to raise capital via Regulation Crowdfunding. The temporary rules are intended to expedite the offering process for smaller, previously established companies affected by COVID-19 that are seeking to meet their funding needs through a crowdfunding offering. A press release including a summary chart is available here. After considering the feedback on the temporary relief, the Commission extended the relief for offerings initiated through February 2021. In addition, in the Amendments to the Exempt Offering Framework highlighted above, the SEC extended the $250,000 financial statement threshold through August 2022.

Accelerated Filer Amendments (404(b))

On March 12, 2020, the SEC adopted amendments that tailor the accelerated and large accelerated filer definitions, impacting which companies must provide the Sarbanes-Oxley Rule 404(b) independent auditor attestation of their internal controls over financial reporting. A press release is available here.

Related Information

  • Compliance Guide
  • Accelerated Filer Proposal video and press release 

Archives

Capital Formation Proposal

Modernizing the Rule Governing Quotations for Over-the-Counter Securities
(Rule 15c2-11)

Accredited Investor Proposal

Reaching New Heights - Conversations on Raising Capital for Businesses of Color

Comment on Ways to Harmonize the Exempt Offering Framework

Accelerated Filer Proposed Amendments (404(b))

Simplifying the M&A Accounting Rules (3-05)

Modified: Dec. 10, 2020

STAY CONNECTED
1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube
5 Flickr 6LinkedIn 7 Pinterest 8 Email Updates

Footer menu

  • Accessibility
  • Budget & Performance
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Contracts
  • Data
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • FOIA
  • Inspector General
  • Investor.gov
  • No FEAR Act & EEO Data
  • Ombudsman
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy & Security
  • Related Sites
  • Site Map
  • USA.gov
  • Votes
  • Whistleblower Protection
Return to Top