Futurpreneur Canada Black Entrepreneur Startup Program
This program lends up to $75,000 to start or buy a business, and adds mentorship. It is for Black entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, and you repay the full amount plus interest over five years.
“Successful applicants receive up to $75,000 in loan financing (up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $50,000 from BDC) and up to two years of mentorship.”
From the official program page
Before you spend any money
Intake is ongoing, so there is no fixed deadline. Your full application must be in before your 40th birthday. You also need approval before you spend, because the money is 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.
Is this for you?
- You self-identify as Black, are between 18 and 39 years old, and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- You are starting a new venture or have been running your business full-time for 24 months or less, and you hold more than 50% ownership.
- You are ready to prepare 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 that must be repaid in full with interest.
- You want to use the funds to refinance existing debt, which is not permitted under this program.
- Your business operates in excluded sectors like cannabis, vaping, gambling, adult content, or bars where most revenue comes from on-site alcohol sales.
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. Plan for a 1% loan management fee on the Futurpreneur part when it is paid out, and a $50 processing fee taken off the BDC part.
What may be supported
- Starting a new business or buying an existing one, including general startup and acquisition costs
What's excluded or restricted
- Refinancing existing debt
- Businesses that can place owners or customers in vulnerable situations (e.g., services involving intimate activities)
- Gambling (gaming) and contests (pay for a chance to win), including casinos, bingo halls, and racetracks
- Businesses in which violence is encouraged or depicted
- Racial, discriminatory, and exclusionary types of content or activities
- Dating apps and websites that are 'hookup' sites
- Editorial (opinion/news based) publications or content, including streaming apps, radio, television, or social media blogs deemed socially unacceptable or posing reputational risk
- Establishments where alcohol consumption on site exceeds (or is seen to exceed) 49% of total revenues
- Night clubs, bars, lounges, cabarets, pool halls, video arcades, festivals, or events posing reputational risk
- Businesses involved with nudity, sex products, services, or adult content (including singles events and mixers)
- Businesses involved with recreational tobacco and/or marijuana, including cultivation, recreational smoking, vapes, e-cigarettes, shisha/hookah lounges, whole body cryotherapy, or any product/service posing a risk to public health
- Businesses involved with or causing unregulated health risks (products/services must be compliant with all applicable regulations)
- Businesses where the applicant does not have majority control (acting only as agent/employee)
How applying works
Effort: moderateThe main work is the business plan and cash flow forecast. A dedicated team member is assigned to help you, which makes it easier, but you still have to do the planning and pass a credit check.
- 01Sign up through the online form to get connected with a dedicated team member.
- 02Build 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.
- 04Authorize the personal credit check.
- 05Submit your full application through the portal before your 40th birthday.
- 06If approved, accept the loan and receive the funds, then begin interest-only payments in year one.
Who to ask: info@futurpreneur.ca (for follow-on financing inquiries); https://futurpreneur.ca/en/contact/ (general contact page); Local BDC office for BDC rate inquiries.
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
- Documentation that your business is majority Black-owned
What to know before you count on it
- It is a loan. You repay every dollar, plus interest. It is not free money and it is not taxable income.
- There is a hard credit check. It shows on your credit report, and your credit history matters.
- You need a complete business plan and a cash flow forecast before you can be approved, which takes work up front.
- 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 depends on a viable business plan, your credit, and meeting every eligibility rule. There is no stated number of spots, but a weak plan or unpaid taxes will stop the application.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay this money back?
Yes. This is a loan. You pay interest only for the first year, then repay the principal plus interest in equal monthly payments over the next four years. It is not a grant and it is not taxable income.
How much can I get and where does it come from?
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 apply if my business is already running?
Yes, if it has been operating full-time for 24 months or less. If it is older than that, you would not qualify.
What if I am close to turning 40?
Your full application must be submitted before your 40th birthday. After that you are no longer eligible.
What you can combine it with
After two years of good repayment you may qualify for up to $40,000 in follow-on financing. The official page does not say whether this loan can be combined with other programs. Ask Futurpreneur whether you can use other funding with it.
Worth reading before you apply
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.
Page last updated ; status and deadline checked . Source: official program page.