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Direct lending

Financing to support your international growth

Direct Lending EDC
EDC direct lending
  • How it works
  • Who’s eligible
EDC direct lending
Contact us

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: 

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Mid-Market Lending

· 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.

          

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Corporate Lending

· 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

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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. 
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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. 
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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.

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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. 
EDC’s partnership has been incredibly valuable to us as an entrepreneur business in Canada, and we’re very focused on ensuring our export numbers continue to grow.

Bruce Constantine President and co-founder, Espro Inc.

Industry

Manufacturing

Location

Vancouver, British Columbia

Product

Coffee and tea-making equipment

           

           

Other ways to access financing

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

Export Development Canada logo

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.

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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.

Not sure if this product meets your needs?

Find out which EDC product is right for your business by answering a few quick questions,

or call us at 1-800-229-0575.


 

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Not sure if this product meets your needs?

Find out which EDC product is right for your business by answering a few quick questions, 

or call us at 1-800-229-0575.

Date modified: 2024-08-22

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