COVID-19 business resources
COVID-19 business resources
This page lists all the resources developed by the government and Crown corporations to help Canadian businesses navigate COVID-19
Government help for Canadian businesses during COVID-19
$40,000 interest-free loan for qualifying businesses. Up to $10,000 of that amount will be eligible for complete forgiveness if $30,000 is fully repaid on or before December 31, 2022.
Reach out to your financial institution
Get the support you need to address rent, payroll and other operational costs. EDC works with your financial institution to provide a guarantee on a new loan or new operating line of credit. Available to both exporting and non-exporting companies.
Reach out to your financial institution
BDC partners with financial institutions to co-lend term loans for their operational cash flow requirements. Eligible businesses may obtain incremental credit amounts up to $12.5 million, 80% of which would be provided by BDC, with the remaining 20% by the financial institution.
Reach out to your financial institution
Businesses can access up to $100,000, have the ability to postpone capital payments for the first six months and repay the loan at their own pace over five years. Reduced rates on new eligible loans are available during this difficult time.
Visit bdc.ca to apply
The BDC COVID-19 Working Capital loan provides loans between $100,000 and $2 million with a 24-month term and 12-month principal postponement. Reduced rates on new eligible loans are available during this difficult time.
Visit bdc.ca to apply
Businesses can wait until August 31, 2020 to pay income tax that becomes owing on or after March 18 and before September 2020. For most businesses, CRA will temporarily suspend audit efforts.
Call liaison officer (small business tax help)
This guarantee helps your financial institution provide you with additional access to financing. EDC shares the risk with your financial institution by providing a guarantee on the money you borrow. EDC’s total exposure cannot exceed US$10 million.
Reach out to your financial institution
Provides a 100% guarantee to your financial institution for any bonds it posts on your behalf, so you don’t have to put up cash or credit as collateral.
Reach out to your financial institution
Protects against foreign exchange fluctuations so you don’t tie up your cash flow.
Reach out to your financial institution
FCC has put in place a deferral of principal and interest payments up to six months for existing loans or a deferral of principal payments up to 12 months and access to an additional credit line up to $500,000.
Get in touch with your FCC Account Manager or contact Customer Service Centre at 1-888-332-3301
Financial assistance up to $75,000 to cover up to 75% of international market development activities for Canadian SMEs looking to sell their products and services abroad.
Protects Canadian companies against the risk of non-payment caused by an array of events including customer bankruptcy, contract cancellation, issues with currency conversion or transfer, and more.
Qualifying businesses can receive up to 75% in a wage subsidy, for up to three months, retroactive to March 15, 2020. This subsidy would be available to eligible employers that see a drop of at least 30% of their revenue.
Helps employers and employees avoid layoffs when there is a temporary decrease in business activity beyond the control of the employer. The program provides employment insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers.
Have questions about COVID-19? EDC’s Export Help Hub can help your business navigate this pandemic. Learn about financial support options, risk management strategies, operational best practices, and the support and resources available to companies in each province. Unsure? You can also submit a question to our expert trade advisors.
Helps small businesses and non-profits with their commercial rent, with CECRA lowering rent by 75% for 3 months (April, May & June). Forgivable loans will be available to qualifying commerical property owners to cover 50% of three monthly rent payments.
More details will be available soon
A top-up loan of up to $10,000, interest-free, with one year of deferred repayment for young enterpreneurs or small businesses with less than 100 employees who are enrolled in the Futurepreneur program and are facing challenges due to COVID-19.
Apply through Futurpreneur
Provides short-term relief to eligible territorial SMEs with short-term relief for operational costs in the form of a non-repayable grant ranging from $2,500 to a maximum of $100,000.
Fill out the application form on the CanNor website
Provides employers the opportunity to top up their employee's EI benefits by up to 95%. The duration of a SUB plan must be at least one year and can last up to five years.
Learn more about SUB
Provides funding to help small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses, and to support Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) that offer financing to these businesses. Includes short term, interest-free loans and non-repayable contributions through AFI's.
Contact your Aboriginal financial institution
Provides financing support to small and medium-sized businesses that are unable to access other COVID-19 business supports. It will be distributed through Canada's Regional Development Agencies.
For small- and medium-sized businesses unable to access other support measures
Provides short-term loans (i.e., bridge financing) to help Canada's largest employers whose needs are not being met by conventional financing.
More details to be made available soon
Provides viable Canadian-based oil and gas producers, oilfield service companies and midstream providers with loans of between $15 million and $60 million at commercial rates, repayable within 4 years, for operational cashflow and business continuity purposes.
More details to be made available soon
Matches (with a convertible note) a current financing round being raised through qualified existing and/or new investors made into eligible Canadian start-ups. The start-up must be backed by a qualified venture capital firm and has raised at least $500,000 in external capital before applying for the program. Must be specifically impacted by COVID-19.
Contact your lead BDC investor for additional information
Connects over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, and over 100 of Canada’s leading business and industry associations, including the Business Council of Canada, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and the Retail Council of Canada, to help the business community prepare, persevere and ultimately, prosper through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Get connected now
Canadian companies are often asked to pay international and Canadian suppliers up front for capital and quasi-capital goods. When the supplier can’t fulfill their obligation and can’t return any advance payments made before shipping, EDC Advance Payment Insurance (CapEx) covers up to 90% of your financial losses.
To address the need for additional liquidity and working capital, EDC has several financial solutions that can help oil and gas companies and their suppliers navigate this economic slowdown. These solutions include a risk-sharing guarantee for loans obtained through your financial institution and guaranteed by EDC, as well as our existing bonding and insurance products.
Reach out to your financial institution
Junior loans ranging between $12.5 million and $60 million for medium-sized businesses particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and/or the recent decline in oil and gas prices.
Reach out to BDC.