Small business loans for farms and food producers

Personal

Business

Why us

Join us

Why our startup loans stand out.

Inclusive approval

Qualify as a startup, pre-revenue, based on the strength of your experience and your idea, instead of only your credit score.

Advice and support

Get advice from our small business team and connect with third-party support that can help you plan your business.

Financial flexibility

Borrow funds as a term loan or line of credit — whatever is best for you — with no application fee or monthly operating fee.

Loan details.

Loan size

Up to $50,000

Loan type

Term loan or combination of term loan and operating line of credit

Interest charged

Vancity Prime^± plus 3%^†

Repayment period

Up to 7 years

A term loan is repaid over a specific period of time by making payments on both the principal and interest. A line of credit (also known as an operating loan) requires the loan-holder to repay only the interest on the outstanding loan balance each month. A line of credit is limited to a maximum of 25% of the total approved amount. Administrative fees are waived under the startup loan program for all term loans and for the first year on your line of credit.

Get inspired.

How will you use your startup loan? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Working capital

New production and services

Business expenses

New tools or equipment

Leased office space

Research and development that leads to commercialization

Pre-commercial and commercial product development

Market development

Eligibility.

You are starting or expanding a farming operation, or operating a business closely connected to farming and local food

You operate the business in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Regional District, Greater Victoria, or the Sea-to-Sky Corridor

You or another individual agree to sign a personal guarantee. Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.

You have at least one business owner with farming experience or recognized agriculture/horticulture training

You meet one of the following criteria:

At least one business owner is enrolled in or recently graduated from a self-employment or pre-entrepreneurial training program
Your business plan has been reviewed by a coach, mentor or a third-party business advisor like Small Business BC

Let’s get to know your business.

We want your business to be successful and have a positive impact on our community. If this loan sounds right for you, we’ll work with you to understand your business potential and explore financial solutions to meet your needs.

Start with a plan.

A business plan helps us understand your goals and how you’ll achieve them. To get started, read our Start Smart guide. You’ll also need to prepare other documents in our checklist.

Tell us about your business.

Send an email to microfinance@vancity.com with details about your business and what you're looking for.

Meet with us.

We’ll book an appointment with you to talk through the details. Be sure to fill out the startup loan application and owner and shareholder details documents in advance.

Questions?

Browse by location, language, and other details— and pick your preferred account manager.

Browse our directory

Let us do the introductions. Choose a time that works for you, and a Microloan team member will call you to answer your questions.

Book a phone appointment

Small Growers Startup Loan

For small farms and food producers.

Why our startup loans stand out.

Inclusive approval

Advice and support

Financial flexibility

Loan details.

Get inspired.

Eligibility.

Let’s get to know your business.

Start with a plan.

Tell us about your business.

Meet with us.

Questions?

Find a business account manager

Schedule a call

Tools to build your business.

Business credit cards with reward points.

One-stop-shop for business solutions.

Business banking that comes to you.

Point-of-sale and payment technology.

Deposit drop boxes, accessible 24/7.