Overview

• BDC and the Community Futures Network of Canada are each committing $100 million and will split each loan 50–50, with Community Futures managing delivery across rural and remote communities.
• Loans are targeted to places with high entrepreneurship rates—17% in rural areas versus 12% in urban centres—where financing options are often limited.
• Officials say the initiative aims to reach 520,000 rural entrepreneurs and could contribute up to $250 million to GDP over five years.
• The program builds on BDC’s Community Banking strategy launched in November 2024, following recent partnerships such as its tie-up with First Nations Bank of Canada.
• Leaders say they expect the $200 million to be deployed within about a year and hope to renew the financing afterward, with the announcement arriving ahead of Small Business Week.