Carlyle Secured Lending Inc

INDEX

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We have included or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, and from time to time our management may make, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but instead relate to future events or the future performance or financial condition of Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “we,” “us,” “our,” “CGBD” or the “Company”). These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about us, our current or prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K and the documents incorporated by reference herein involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements concerning:

•our, or our portfolio companies’, future business, operations, operating results or prospects, including our and their ability to achieve our respective objectives;

•the return or impact of current and future investments;

•the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest;

•the impact of any protracted decline in the liquidity of credit markets on our business;

•the impact of fluctuations in interest rates on our business;

•the valuation of our investments in portfolio companies, particularly those having no liquid trading market;

•the impact of supply chain constraints on our portfolio companies and the global economy;

•the level of inflation, and its impact on our portfolio companies and on the industries in which we invest;

•the impact on our business of changes in laws, policies or regulations (including the interpretation thereof) affecting our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies;

•our ability to recover unrealized losses;

•market conditions and our ability to access alternative debt markets and additional debt and equity capital;

•our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;

•uncertainty surrounding the financial stability of the United States, Europe and China, including a possible shutdown of the U.S. federal government;

•uncertainty surrounding Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and the impact of geopolitical tensions in other regions such as the Middle East, the imposition of tariffs and developing tensions between China and the United States;

•competition with other entities and our affiliates for investment opportunities;

•the speculative and illiquid nature of our investments;

•the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments;

•our expected financings and investments;

•the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital;

•the timing, form and amount of any dividend distributions;

•the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies;

•the ability to consummate acquisitions;

•the impact of information technology system failures, data security breaches, data privacy compliance, network disruptions, and cybersecurity attacks;

•the ability of Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management L.L.C., our investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”), to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments;

•currency fluctuations and the adverse effect such fluctuations could have on the results of our investments in foreign companies, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars;

•the ability of The Carlyle Group Employee Co., L.L.C. to attract and retain highly talented professionals that can provide services to our investment adviser and administrator;

•our ability to maintain our status as a business development company (“BDC”); and

•our intent to satisfy the requirements of a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Code”);

•the ability of the parties to consummate the Mergers, as defined in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K“Business”, on the expected timeline, or at all;

•the expected synergies and savings associated with the Mergers;

•the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Mergers, including the expected elimination of certain expenses and costs due to the Mergers;

•the percentage of our stockholders voting in favor of the proposals submitted for their approval;

•the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals will be made;

•the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the Mergers may not be satisfied or waived;

•risks related to diverting management’s attention from ongoing business operations;

•risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the Mergers may result in significant costs of defense and liability;

•the combined company’s plans, expectations, objectives and intentions, as a result of the Mergers; and

•any potential termination of the Merger Agreement.

We use words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “plans,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “targets,” “projects,” “outlook,” “potential,” “predicts” and variations of these words and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. Our actual results and condition could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking information for any reason, including the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-K on information available to us on the date of this Form 10-K, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we have filed or in the future may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our annual reports on Form 10-K, registration statements on Form N-2, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

Part I

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, except where the context suggests otherwise:

•the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company” and “CGBD” refer to Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (formerly TCG BDC, Inc.), a Maryland corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries;

•the term “SPV” refers to TCG BDC SPV LLC, a wholly owned and consolidated subsidiary;

•the term “2015-1 Issuer” refers to Carlyle Direct Lending CLO 2015-1R LLC, a wholly owned and consolidated subsidiary;

•the term “Carlyle” refers to The Carlyle Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CG) and its affiliates and its consolidated subsidiaries (other than portfolio companies of its affiliated funds);

•the term “Administrator” refers to Carlyle Global Credit Administration L.L.C., our administrator, a wholly owned and consolidated subsidiary of Carlyle;

•the term “Investment Adviser” refers to Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company and an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and a wholly owned and consolidated subsidiary of Carlyle, which serves as our investment adviser;

•the term “Credit Fund” refers to Middle Market Credit Fund, LLC, an unconsolidated limited liability company, in which we own a 50% economic interest and co-manage with Credit Partners USA LLC, and its wholly owned and consolidated subsidiaries;

•the term “Credit Fund II” refers to Middle Market Credit Fund II, LLC, an unconsolidated limited liability company, in which, as of December 31, 2024, we owned an 84.13% economic interest and co-manage with Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (“CCLF"), and its wholly owned and consolidated subsidiary; and

•references to “this Form 10-K” are to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.