BDC Business Purchase or Transfer Loan
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- The heaviest thing to produce is registration and legal paperwork. 14 ask for that.
- Scored mainly on whether you can afford it and pay it back. 42 lead with that.
- States real length limits, about 83 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
Do you qualify for this loan?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
BDC provides financing for buyers who have a negotiated agreement to purchase an existing business, including support for legal fees and other one-time transfer costs. Loans are reviewed once the buyer has an agreed purchase price, letter of offer, and closing date.
Eligibility Requirements
- BDC can only review a loan request once the buyer has a negotiated agreement to purchase another company.
- Required supporting documents include an agreed purchase price, a letter of offer, and a closing date.
- Financing can cover one-time costs such as legal fees and moving expenses.
- Specific eligibility requirements (e.g., Canadian-based revenue-generating business, buyer citizenship or permanent-resident status, track record) are not stated on the program page.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- No fixed loan amount is published; financing is sized to the buyer's negotiated purchase agreement (agreed purchase price, letter of offer, and closing date) and can also cover legal fees and other one-time transfer costs.
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- Open continuously — loans are reviewed once the buyer has a negotiated agreement to purchase a business
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
Below average competition
Complex — detailed documentation needed
How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipPrepare the negotiated purchase agreement and closing timeline before applying; the page is an overview, so contact BDC directly to confirm full eligibility and terms.
Rejection Pitfalls 3
- No negotiated purchase agreement yet in place
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How BDC judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 1 source document on bdc.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-07.
Sign up free to save this programme and track your application in your workspace.
What BDC favours
Unfinished details are okay; we help with next steps◦
“If some details are still being finalized, that's okay. We can help identify resources and next steps.”
The form
Eligibility
- 1Eligibilityselectionno limit
Project goal
- 2Project goalselectionno limit
Loan application
- 3Loan applicationshort answerno limit
How can we reach you?
- 4How can we reach you?short answerno limit
- 5How can we reach you?short answerno limit
- 6How can we reach you?short answerno limit
- 7How can we reach you?short answerno limit
- 8How can we reach you?selectionno limit
Your business transfer project
- 9Your business transfer projectcheckboxesno limit
Your business purchase or transfer project
- 10Your business purchase or transfer projectselectionno limit
- 11Your business purchase or transfer projectselectionno limit
- 12Your business purchase or transfer projectselectionno limit
- 13Your business purchase or transfer projectselectionno limit
- 14Your business purchase or transfer projectwritten answer · 500 characters
How do you plan to use the funds? You can also provide any additional information that may help us understand your project.
Information about the business you want to buy
- 15Information about the business you want to buyshort answerno limit
- 16Information about the business you want to buyselectionno limit
- 17Information about the business you want to buyselectionno limit
- 18Information about the business you want to buyshort answerno limit
- 19Information about the business you want to buyshort answerno limit
- 20Information about the business you want to buyshort answerno limit
- 21Information about the business you want to buyshort answerno limit
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
- 1
Is this a real, defined transaction?
Show them State the asset or share structure, the purchase price and how it was set, the down payment, and when you expect to close.◦
- 2
Where is the money coming from?
What to show them in Premium
- 3
Is the target business a sound one?
What to show them in Premium
- 4
Do you know what you are buying?
What to show them in Premium
Premium · the rest of this brief
See the rest of this brief. Then we draft your application for you.
20 more prompts
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
From application to money
- Submit your requestRequest submitted to BDC
- BDC reviews itBDC reviews and may ask more
- Funds at closingFunds available at closing
In the funder’s words · 3
- Submit your request
- Complete the eligibility check and loan request, then submit it to BDC.
- BDC reviews it
- BDC reviews the request and may ask you for more information.
- Funds at closing
- Tell BDC when you want the funds available and when you expect the transaction to close.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to secure BDC Business Purchase or Transfer Loan
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 3 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 3-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 6
Eligible Expenses 5
Deadline Notes
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable RiskHow BDC Business Purchase or Transfer Loan Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDC Business Purchase or Transfer Loan | No fixed loan amount is published | Hard | Loan | Open continuously —... |
| Black Entrepreneurship Program | Up to $250,000 | Moderate | Loan | Ongoing |
| Canada Small Business Financing Program | Up to $1.15 million | Easy | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Investissement Québec — Project Finan... | Varies | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Futurpreneur Canada Startup Program | Up to $75,000 | Moderate | Loan | Ongoing |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BDC Business Purchase or Transfer Loan