Government programs
Loans and support for Black business owners
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
Short answer: The Black Entrepreneurship Program is a federal partnership with Black-led business organizations and financial institutions. It includes a loan fund for Black entrepreneurs, delivered by a designated organization with its own application process, plus a knowledge hub and an ecosystem fund that support mentorship, networking and training.
Key facts
Related: Government Business Programs in Canada: 19 Guides · Funding the Matching Share of a Government Grant · Bridging a Government Grant or Refund Payment · Business Funding Requirements in Canada · Working Capital Funding in Canada
The Black Entrepreneurship Program is a federal partnership with Black-led business organizations and financial institutions. It includes a loan fund for Black entrepreneurs, a knowledge hub and an ecosystem fund that supports organizations providing mentorship, networking and training.
The loan fund is delivered by a designated organization with its own application process.
Owners who have struggled to access bank credit often find the combination of financing and advisory support particularly useful. Prepare as you would for any lender: clear financial records, a plan for how the money will be used and a forecast showing repayment from operations.
As with any loan process, approval can take time. Plan for the period between applying and receiving funds, particularly for seasonal purchases.
Ecosystem organizations can help you prepare documents, which often speeds things up.
Government programs are usually the lowest-cost money available to a Canadian business, and they are worth pursuing first when you qualify. They are also slower, have intake windows and often pay after you spend. Many owners use a short, revenue-based advance only to cover a timing gap, such as paying a share of a project before a contribution arrives, and repay it when the program pays out. Size any advance to the gap, not to the whole project, and confirm that the program's terms allow other financing.
Official program information: ised-isde.canada.ca. Program details change; check current eligibility, intake dates and terms with the program directly. Summary as of October 2026. Merchant Fund Express is not affiliated with this program and does not administer it.
Prepare as for any lender: clean financial records, a clear plan for how the money will be used and a simple forecast showing repayment from operations. Owners who pair the loan with the program's mentorship often build the record that leads to bank credit later.
Black entrepreneurs in Canada meeting the loan fund's criteria.
Ecosystem organizations offer support.
The loan fund provides loans; other parts of the program fund support organizations.
Educational information only. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice.
Same-day decision. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
