Direct lending

EDC direct lending

Accelerate your growth with support from EDC

If your company’s revenues exceed $10 million and you need extra financing to increase your capacity for trade, or capitalize on international growth opportunities, Export Development Canada (EDC) may be able to provide financing to complement your existing financial institution.

How it works

EDC can provide financing to Canadian exporters to help support their global expansion plans, allowing them to increase their capacity for trade and capitalize their strategic international growth plans. We work to fill the market gaps left by traditional financing lenders.

We provide patient, impactful, non-dilutive financial solutions for Canadian companies, their affiliate, or subsidiary, to scale operations in foreign jurisdictions.
We work on a non-competitive basis, collaborating with you and your lender.
Various financing structures are available, including syndications, clubs, bilateral term loans and guarantees.
Pricing will be market based, or—if appropriate—follow Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consensus arrangement terms, and commensurate with risk.

EDC has two specialized lending teams to structure the right financing for your business:

· Our Mid-Market Lending team supports Canadian exporting companies with revenues between $10 - $300 million, and a minimum transaction commitment of $1 million.

· We have a strong risk appetite to support a broad range of business sectors with tailor-made, flexible solutions that meet your growing business needs—enabling you to scale up and expand operations outside of Canada.

· Our Corporate Lending team supports Canadian exporting companies with revenues exceeding $300 million. Transactions, in this space, generally start at $25 million.

· Corporate Lending offers direct lending solutions to Canadian exporting companies and their foreign customers (see buyer financing).

Who’s eligible

Canadian companies with international growth plans

We can work with Canadian exporters who have big international growth plans. This can include:

Financing a foreign affiliate or subsidiary;
Foreign inventory or equipment; or
Foreign acquisitions.

Businesses with robust lending needs

We provide financing to fill a gap in the lending ecosystem, or add lending capacity in support of global expansion.

EDC’s direct lending may be an option for companies with annual revenues of $10 million or more.
The minimum transaction requirement for EDC direct lending is $1 million.

Purpose of funds

The purpose of funds can be for export capacity needs such as inventory or capital expenditures, and/or Canadian investment in international activities such as foreign expansion, or mergers and acquisitions.

Restrictions

EDC financing can’t be used for day-to-day working capital (e.g. revolving lines of credit) or maintenance CapEx needs.

Minimum transaction commitments of $1 million
We’re unable to finance businesses that are pre-revenue or at a seed stage, or whose products are pre-commercialization.

Other ways to access financing

If you don’t think that your company matches EDC’s criteria for direct lending, you should check out:

EDC working capital guarantees

We may be able to work with your financial institution to take on some of their risk—to offer you more favourable lending options, or free up your assets held in collateral.

BDC business financing

If your company’s annual revenue is below $10 million, or your company has no plans to export, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) offers a variety of financing solutions for every stage of growth.

Still have questions about direct lending?

Please contact us weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET.

1-800-229-0575

Or send us a question and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Send a question.

Date modified: 2024-05-08