Government loan guarantees for Canadian businesses

We track 7 loan guarantee programs that are open or ongoing right now (6 federal, 1 Ontario). 4 of the open or ongoing programs publish a figure of $100K or more. They are ranked below by our 0 to 100 score, which weighs how much a program pays against how hard it is to win; last checked Oct 9, 2026.

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Ranked programs

7 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

  1. Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP)

    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, delivered by banks and credit unions

    Government-backed loans through financial institutions to help small businesses finance equipment, leasehold improvements, intangibles and working capital. The lender...

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $1.1M
    53
    Top pick

  2. Advance Payments Program (APP)

    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    A federal loan guarantee program giving agricultural producers low-cost cash advances against products they will produce or have in storage, with an interest-free...

    OpenFederalLoansLoans up to $1M
    42
    Strong

  3. EDC Export Guarantee Program (EGP)

    Export Development Canada (EDC)

    Guarantees to your lender to secure flexible working capital, optimize an operating line or secure a new loan.

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $25M
    37
    Worth a look

  4. Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program

    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    A federal loan guarantee that makes it easier for farmers and agricultural co-operatives to get loans from lenders to establish, improve and develop farms.

    OpenFederalLoansLoans up to $500K
    36
    Worth a look

  5. EDC Trade Expansion Lending Program (TELP)

    Export Development Canada (EDC), delivered by partner lenders

    EDC guarantees part of a loan or line of credit so your financial institution can offer more working capital to exporters.

    OngoingFederalLoans
    35
    Worth a look

  6. CMHC MLI Select (multi-unit mortgage loan insurance)

    CMHC

    Multi-unit mortgage loan insurance with higher loan-to-value or loan-to-cost, longer amortization and lower premiums for projects earning points for affordability...

    OngoingFederalLoans
    28
    Worth a look

  7. Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program (formerly Aboriginal Loan Guarantee Program)

    Building Ontario Fund (previously Ontario Financing Authority)

    Provincial financial guarantees on loans or bonds that let Indigenous-owned entities buy equity stakes in eligible energy, critical minerals and resource development...

    OngoingOntarioLoans
    13
    Long shot

How we rank

Each program gets a score from 0 to 100 that asks how much money you can realistically get for how little work. It blends the largest published amount (loans count for less because they are repaid), how much effort an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify. Closed programs score zero and programs without a published dollar figure get a neutral value, never a guess. Scores are editorial estimates, not predictions of approval.

Questions

How many loan guarantee programs are open right now?

Of the 7 loan guarantee programs in our database, 7 are open or ongoing and 0 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Oct 9, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

EDC Export Guarantee Program (EGP) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Loans up to $25M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which loan guarantee programs rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Canada Small Business Financing Program (53, Top pick), Advance Payments Program (42, Strong), EDC Export Guarantee Program (37, Worth a look). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 7 open or ongoing programs here, 0 are in our Grants category, 7 are loans and 0 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

6 of the 7 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 1 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.

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Estimates; confirm on the official page. Independent research tool, not a government website. Data last checked Oct 9, 2026. Grants & Loans Finder.