Futurpreneur Canada Core Start-Up Program
Get up to $75,000 to launch or buy a business, plus two years of mentorship. This is a repayable loan for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, so you pay back every dollar with interest. Verified against the official source on July 2, 2026.
How we verify funding records →
“Up to $50,000 with a term over five years.”
Before you spend a dollar
Intake is ongoing, so there is no fixed deadline. The deadline that matters is your age: your full application must be completed before your 40th birthday. You also need approval before you spend, because funds are paid out after you are approved.
At a glance
Subject to program rules, available funding, and approval. Confirm current details with the official program administrator.
Not sure if you qualify?
Get a free, 2-minute read on whether this program fits your business. No obligation.
Check your fit →Is this for you?
- You are between 18 and 39 years old and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- You are starting a new business or buying one that has been running for less than 24 months, and you own more than half of it.
- You are ready to create a solid business plan and cash flow forecast, and you are comfortable undergoing a credit check.
Probably not the right fit if
- You are looking for a grant or free money, because this is a loan you must repay over five years.
- You want to use the funds to pay off existing debt, which is not allowed.
- You are a contractor or agent for another company, or your business involves cannabis, gambling, or adult content.
How much you'd realistically get
Up to $75,000 in total borrowing: up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur plus up to $50,000 from BDC. Budget for a 1% loan management fee on the Futurpreneur part when it is paid out, and a $50 processing fee on the BDC part.
What may be supported
- Starting a new business or buying an existing one
- with the goal of creating full-time
- sustainable employment for you. Specific eligible costs are not itemized
- so confirm them on the official page.
What's excluded or restricted
- Refinancing existing debt
- Businesses placing owners or customers in vulnerable situations (e.g., intimate activities)
- Gambling, gaming, contests (pay for a chance to win), casinos, bingo halls, racetracks
- Businesses encouraging or depicting violence
- Racial, discriminatory, or exclusionary content/activities
- Dating apps/websites that are 'hookup' sites
- Editorial (opinion/news) publications, streaming apps, radio, TV, or social media blogs deemed socially unacceptable or high reputational risk
- Establishments where on-site alcohol consumption exceeds 49% of total revenues
- Night clubs, bars, lounges, cabarets, pool halls, video arcades, festivals, or events with reputational risk
- Businesses involved with nudity, sex products, services, adult content, singles events, or mixers
- Recreational tobacco and/or marijuana businesses, including cultivation, vapes, e-cigarettes, shisha/hookah lounges, whole body cryotherapy, or products posing public health risks
- Unregulated health risks (products/services must be compliant with all applicable regulations)
- Contractors or agents working for another already-existing business
How applying works
Effort: moderateMost of the effort is the business plan and cash flow forecast. A dedicated team member helps you through it, but you still do the planning and pass a credit check.
- 01Sign up online to get connected with a dedicated team member.
- 02Prepare a complete, viable business plan and a 24-month cash flow forecast.
- 03Get your taxes up to date and confirm you are not named in any lawsuit.
- 04Agree to the personal credit check.
- 05Submit your full application through the portal before your 40th birthday.
- 06If approved, accept the loan and begin interest-only payments in year one.
Who to ask: https://futurpreneur.ca/en/contact/
Documents commonly required
- A complete and viable business plan
- A 24-month cash flow forecast
- Authorization for a personal credit check
- Proof you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Proof you control more than 50% of the business
How BBN Labs helps
- BBN builds your professional website and online store with the loan funds, giving your new venture a credible digital home that turns visitors into paying customers from day one.
- BBN sets up your Local SEO and Google Business Profile so your business appears when locals search, driving foot traffic and calls to your storefront without extra ad spend.
- BBN designs your brand identity and coordinates qualified partners for storefront signage so your physical presence matches your digital credibility.
- BBN implements a modern POS system and online ordering platform, streamlining sales and inventory so you can focus on growing your team and serving customers efficiently.
- BBN guides you through the application process and deadlines so you don't lose the funding.
What to know before you count on it
- It is a loan. You repay every dollar with interest. It is not free money and it is not taxable income.
- There is a hard credit check that affects your credit and history.
- You must produce a complete, viable business plan and cash flow forecast before approval.
- Your federal, provincial, and municipal taxes must be paid up to date, and you cannot be named in a lawsuit.
What are your odds?
Approval rests on a viable plan, your credit, and meeting every rule. There is no stated cap on spots, but a weak plan or unpaid taxes will stop you. The plan is the part you cannot shortcut.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a grant or a loan?
It is a loan. You pay interest only for the first year, then repay the principal plus interest over the next four years. It is not a grant and it is not taxable income.
How much can I borrow?
Up to $75,000 total: up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $50,000 from BDC. There is a 1% management fee on the Futurpreneur part and a $50 processing fee on the BDC part.
Can I use it to pay off debt I already have?
No. The loan cannot be used to refinance existing debt.
What happens if I want to repay early?
There is no penalty for early repayment on the Futurpreneur portion. The BDC portion has its own prepayment indemnity rules, so confirm those with BDC.
What you can combine it with
Whether this loan can be combined with other funding is not stated. Confirm on the official page before assuming you can stack it with other programs.
Get alerted when this changes
Programs open and close, budgets run out, rules change. We send one short email when something changes that matters for this program.
Record last updated July 3, 2026; last verified July 2, 2026 against the official source. Source: official program page.