Type "small business loans yukon" into a search box and you get national roundups written for southern cities, with the territorial layer missing entirely. That layer is the part that changes what your bank does with your file. Start there.
The loan guarantee that makes a lender say yes
The Yukon Venture Loan Guarantee Program does not hand you cash. It hands your lender security. The Government of Yukon stands behind 65% of the loan principal, with a minimum guarantee of $10,000 and a maximum guarantee of $100,000. The loan itself is issued by a participating financial institution, you repay the full amount plus interest, and you pay a one-time fee of 1.5% of the guarantee amount when it is issued.
It is open to new business start-ups in Yukon and to existing Yukon businesses under $5 million in revenue that are expanding. If your plan is solid and the only obstacle is that a lender wants more security than a young business can post, this is the first door to knock on. Approval is still a real credit decision, so bring numbers.
The Economic Development Fund: up to 75% of the project
The Economic Development Fund runs in tiers. Tier 1 covers projects up to $30,000. Tier 2 covers projects between $30,001 and $100,000. Both reimburse up to 75% of eligible project costs and up to 50% of capital expenses.
What it funds is broader than most owners expect:
- Business plans and market research
- Marketing plans and promotional material for new markets
- Organizational capacity development, training plans and professional workshops
- Participation in trade and investment events
- Capital assets and leasehold improvements, excluding personal-use equipment
This is a cost-share, not a cheque up front. You get approval, you pay, then you claim it back with invoices. Start spending before the green light and the claim is dead before it begins.
Tourism money, if you are in tourism
Tourism has its own Yukon money, worth real dollars to the operators it fits, and the first fund is restricted to the sector.
The Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund is a non-repayable grant for Yukon tourism businesses, covering traditional advertising placements, online advertising including social ads, SEO, SEM and email marketing, hosting media and trade familiarization tours, approved trade and consumer shows, destination sales missions and bid presentations. It is competitive and the intake deadline is October 1, 2026. The specific cap is not published, so confirm it on the official page before you plan around a number.
The Community Tourism Destination Development Fund is a cost-share covering up to 75% of total project costs and 50% of eligible capital expenditures, to a maximum of $375,000. Tier 1 takes project budgets up to $100,000, Tier 2 takes $100,001 to $500,000, and the final amount depends on what other government funding you carry. The portal is closed until September 1.
Indigenous entrepreneurs: NIEOP
The Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program, restricted to Indigenous entrepreneurs in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, provides project-based contributions for business establishment, business growth and operational improvements. You apply through a CanNor-approved service delivery partner rather than to CanNor directly, and in Yukon that includes däna Näye Ventures. Amounts are project-based, so confirm the caps and rates on the official page.
The national layer that actually serves Yukon
Territorial money is the differentiator. National money is usually the bigger number.
The Canada Small Business Financing Program backs up to $1.15 million per borrower, and you apply at your own bank or credit union, not to a government office. The split matters: up to $1,000,000 in term loans, of which no more than $500,000 can go to leasehold improvements and new or used equipment, and of that no more than $150,000 to intangible assets and working capital, plus up to $150,000 in lines of credit. It funds commercial land and buildings, equipment including commercial vehicles and restaurant equipment, renovations to a leased space, and franchise purchase costs.
BDC lends across the country and covers most of the ladder. The BDC Small Business Loan goes up to $350,000 for profitable businesses operating at least 24 months. BDC Start-up financing goes up to $150,000, with interest-only payments available for up to the first 12 months. The Equipment Purchase Loan finances up to 125% of the purchase price of new or used equipment for businesses with 12 months of revenue history, amortized up to 12 years. The Technology Equipment Loan covers servers, cloud, websites and ecommerce and cybersecurity work, with interest-only payments for the first 24 months and amortization up to 8 years.
Community Futures runs 267 non-profit offices across the country lending locally for starting, growing or buying a business. Loan amounts vary by local office and project, and the honest answer is that no single national figure is accurate. Ask your office.
Food and beverage operators can also approach Farm Credit Canada, which finances equipment, inventory, facility construction, real property and start-up costs for food and beverage ventures.
The rules that decide whether you keep the money
- Approval comes before purchase. Cost-share programs will not reimburse spending you started early.
- Cost-share means reimbursement. You pay first and claim it back with invoices, so plan the cash.
- A loan guarantee is not a grant. Backed loans are still repayable in full with interest. Grants are generally taxable income and borrowed money is not, so ask your accountant before you spend.
Almost every one of these applications wants written quotes for the work before anything is approved. That is where we come in: BBN Labs prepares a quote for the work the program funds, free, formatted so it can go straight into your application.
Want the rest of the north on one page? See the territorial funding map, or browse every verified Yukon program we track.