Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP)
The Canada Small Business Financing Program puts a federal guarantee behind loans that banks, caisses and credit unions make to small businesses. Businesses with revenue of $10 million or less can borrow up to $1.15 million in total, including term loans up to $1 million and lines of credit up to $150,000. Farms are excluded.
Start an applicationProgram facts
| Type | Loan guarantee |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Businesses with $10M or less in revenue. Farms are excluded. |
| Amount or rate | Up to $1.15M per borrower: term loans up to $1M, of which no more than $500K for equipment and leasehold improvements, and lines of credit up to $150K. Rate caps: prime + 3% on term loans, prime + 5% on lines of credit. Registration fee: 2%. |
| Intake status | Continuous intake. You apply through any bank, caisse or credit union. |
| Run by | Government of Canada (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada), through private lenders |
| Checked on | 8 October 2026 |
| Official page | https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canada-small-business-financing-program/en/canada-small-business-financing-program/find-loan-your-small-business/helping-small-businesses-get-loans |
How it pays
You do not apply to the government. You apply to a bank, caisse or credit union, which makes the loan under the program. The government's guarantee sits behind the lender, not behind you, so the loan is repaid like any other loan.
Rates are capped at prime + 3% for term loans and prime + 5% for lines of credit, and the program charges a 2% registration fee.
Funding your share while you wait
A CSBFP loan is still a bank loan, so the bank's own credit decision applies. Some files fall outside it: the lender declines, the equipment budget is above the $500,000 sub-limit, or the business needs more working capital than a $150,000 line allows.
In those cases Voxen can look at equipment financing, a term loan or a line of credit through its lender panel. Each is assessed on the business's revenue and bank statements, like any other application.
The Voxen products that fit this program. Ranges are the ones on each product page; every file is assessed on the business's revenue and bank statements.
| Financing | Range | What it covers here |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Financing | Equipment Value: $10,000 – $5,000,000 | The equipment itself, whether a machine, a truck or a heating system, financed against that equipment. |
| Line of Credit | Credit Limit: $10,000 – $1,000,000 | Working capital while you wait for a reimbursement or a refund. Draw what the project needs, pay it down when the money arrives. |
| Term Loan | Loan Amount: $10,000 – $2,000,000 | Your share of a larger project, repaid in fixed instalments over several years. |
Related programs
| Program | Type | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLI and FLS local funds | Loan | Open | 8 October 2026 |
| PME MTL funds | Loan or grant (non-repayable) | Open | 8 October 2026 |
| BDC Pivot to Grow | Loan | Open | 8 October 2026 |
- Local investment funds (FLI) and local solidarity funds (FLS)
- PME MTL funds (Fonds PME MTL and FLS Montréal)
- BDC Pivot to Grow
- More programs for this situation: Local and project loan funds
Not sure which program fits? Ask us
Tell us about the project and we will tell you which programs are worth a look and what financing could carry your share. Voxen does not prepare grant applications; if you want help with one, we can point you to specialists who do that work.
Notice
Voxen Capital is a private financing broker, not a government body. It does not decide, influence or guarantee any grant, credit or government loan, and it does not prepare grant applications. Program details change: check the official page before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the CSBFP to buy a truck or equipment?
Yes. Equipment and leasehold improvements are eligible, up to $500,000 of the $1 million term-loan limit.
What does a CSBFP loan cost?
The rate is capped at prime + 3% on term loans and prime + 5% on lines of credit, and there is a 2% registration fee.
Where do I apply?
At any bank, caisse or credit union. The lender makes the loan under the program; there is no application to the government.
Is the CSBFP a grant?
No. It is a government guarantee on a loan from a private lender. The business repays the full loan.