Lightbridge Academy franchise research

Investment by format

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

Investment sourceFDD p.26 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

7% · 7% of Gross Revenues, paid monthly (5th of month); reduced to 4% during first six months open

Marketing contribution

2% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$400 per month (currently), franchisor may increase annually

Other fees

Mobile tablet service and support $90/month; optional Enroll 360 lead-nurture service $250-$349/month; $500/person/day supplemental training tuition (as incurred)

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds - 3 months: $150,000 - $255,000 (employee salaries, rent, grand opening marketing, technology fees, misc. and inventory; excludes royalties/ad contributions and owner's draw)

Fees sourceFDD p.18 ↗

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.26 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median gross revenue plus payroll, non-payroll expenses, EBITDAR, and EBITDA (and adjusted for grant income) for Mature Centers open 24+ months, with franchised/affiliate and regional splits

Reporting period

Calendar year 2023

Sample

62 Mature Centers open 24+ months (46 franchised, 16 affiliate-operated); also 4 Developing Centers open 12-23 months (3 franchised, 1 affiliate)

Reported average

$2,445,118

Reported median

$2,540,335

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.70 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2023

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

50

Year-end outlets

55

Net change

+5

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

6

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

1

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

2

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.76 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

38 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$1,222,100

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

29 loans

Historical charge-off share

0.00%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 14

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 Lightbridge Academy franchise cost?

single leased center: $1,067,233 to $3,120,400; single purchased center (land/building): $2,624,400 to $4,885,000; up to five leased centers (development fee + first center): $1,132,233 to $3,235,400; up to five purchased centers (development fee + first center): $2,689,400 to $5,000,000 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.26 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Lightbridge Academy owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median gross revenue plus payroll, non-payroll expenses, EBITDAR, and EBITDA (and adjusted for grant income) for Mature Centers open 24+ months, with franchised/affiliate and regional splits. Sample: 62 Mature Centers open 24+ months (46 franchised, 16 affiliate-operated); also 4 Developing Centers open 12-23 months (3 franchised, 1 affiliate). Period: Calendar year 2023.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.70 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Lightbridge Academy?

0.00%; numerator / denominator: 0 / 14. 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: $1,222,100; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 29 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗