Big Blue Swim School franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

6% · 6% of School's Gross Revenue per calculation period, subject to a Minimum Royalty of $5,500 per 4-week period (starts after 12 weeks of operation)

Marketing contribution

2% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Software License Fee (LESSONBuddy) 1.3% to 2% of Gross Revenue per calculation period, minimum $1,500 per 4-week period; Podium $285/month; Uberall $20/month

Other fees

Minimum Software License Fee $1,500 per 4 weeks (after 12 weeks); Member Services Center fee up to 2% of Gross Revenue (not currently charged); Cooperative contributions up to 4% (none formed yet)

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds - 3 Months: $55,000 to $145,000 (other pre-opening expenses plus first 3 months of operation, including labor, supplies, rent, utilities; excludes owner draw/salary)

Fees sourceFDD p.14 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Historical annual Gross Revenue (average, median, high/low) for all schools open all of 2025, split by affiliate-owned vs franchised and by Mature vs Ramping schools

Reporting period

Calendar Year 2025 (Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025)

Sample

42 schools open the full year (20 affiliate-owned, 22 franchised); 29 Mature (opened 2023 or earlier), 13 Ramping (opened 2024); 10 schools opened during 2025 excluded

Reported average

$1,636,545

Reported median

$1,620,442

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.69 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

23

Year-end outlets

30

Net change

+7

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

8

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

1

Transfers

1

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.71 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

24 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$2,550,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

11 loans

Historical charge-off share

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 0

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Big Blue Swim School franchise cost?

Single School (Franchise Agreement): $1,898,350 to $3,478,100; Development Rights Agreement (minimum 2 Schools), amount needed to begin operation of first School: $1,913,350 to $3,493,100 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Big Blue Swim School owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Historical annual Gross Revenue (average, median, high/low) for all schools open all of 2025, split by affiliate-owned vs franchised and by Mature vs Ramping schools. Sample: 42 schools open the full year (20 affiliate-owned, 22 franchised); 29 Mature (opened 2023 or earlier), 13 Ramping (opened 2024); 10 schools opened during 2025 excluded. Period: Calendar Year 2025 (Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025).

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.69 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Big Blue Swim School?

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans; numerator / denominator: 0 / 0. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $2,550,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 11 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗