Futurpreneur Side Hustle Program
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on whether you can afford it and pay it back. 42 lead with that.
- The work here is mostly building financials. For 59%, the job is assembling documents instead.
- Asks 10 written answers. The median programme we have read asks 5.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Supports young entrepreneurs who want to start a business while keeping a full-time income outside it, offering smaller-scale financing and mentorship.
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian resident (citizen or permanent resident)
- Aged 18-39 at time of application
- You have a full-time income outside the side business, and for the next 12 months the side business will remain your secondary source of income
- Business is not in an ineligible industry (no gambling venues, night clubs, bars, dating platforms)
- Personal taxes are filed and current
- Futurpreneur's 24-month operating cap and its full-time employment requirement do not apply to the Side Hustle Program
- Revenue-generating products or services are ready for market, not still in the research and development phase
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $25,000
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Easy — minimal documentation
How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipMost accessible Futurpreneur product — smaller amounts, simpler context.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- No full-time income outside the business, or unwilling to commit that the side business stays the secondary income for the next 12 months
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How Futurpreneur Canada judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on futurpreneur.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-01.
6 of the sources
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What Futurpreneur Canada favours
Spousal and part-time income also count◦
“We also consider the contributions of spouses and part-time or other income.”
The form
Before you apply
- 1Side Hustle sign-up form (pre-application intake on the program page)short answer
You and the business
- 1.1Business Overviewwritten answer
- 1.2Product / Service Description(s)written answer
- 1.3Ownershipwritten answer
- 1.4Progress to Datewritten answer
- 1.5Legal Structurechoice+table
- 1.6S.M.A.R.T. Goalslist
Your market
- 2.1Target Marketwritten answer
- 2.2Local Marketwritten answer
- 2.3Competitor Analysistable
Offer, pricing and sales
- 3.1Value Proposition – Key Benefitwritten answer
- 3.2Pricing Analysiswritten answer
- 3.3Marketing Plantable
- 3.4Sales Plantable
- 3.5Sales Forecast Assumptionstable
Operations, costs and risk
- 4.1Location (if applicable)written answer
- 4.2Insurance / Regulatory Issueslist
- 4.3Human Resources / Contractorstable
- 4.4Systems and Processestable
- 4.5Equipment and Supplierstable
- 4.6Risk Mitigation Planwritten answer
Your household budget
- 22STEP 1 - Personal Budget - Monthly Household Incometable
- 23STEP 1 - Personal Budget - Monthly Household Expensestable
Costs and cash flow
- STEP 2STEP 2 - Past Purchasestable
- STEP 3STEP 3 - Start Up Costsspreadsheet
- STEP 4STEP 4 - Cash Flow Forecast - Year 1spreadsheet
- STEP 5STEP 5 - Cash Flow Forecast - Year 2spreadsheet
Futurpreneur Canada states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Can Futurpreneur lend to you personally?
Show them A credit file and tax position that clear their gates, majority ownership held in your own name, and the credit-check authorization signed by you and by any associate holding more than 5% of the shares.◦
In the funder’s words · 2
- The credit covenant of applicants
- All Futurpreneur core eligibility requirements
- 2
Can your household carry this loan?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Will your numbers hold up?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Is the business itself viable?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“Too many entrepreneurs tend to be too vague in the description of their business idea. Please be as specific as you can, describing it in simple language that anyone can understand.”
“Saying it “depends” and having vague answers is not an option. You need to focus when you start.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 21 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
19 more rules that can reject you · 8 more criteria · 27 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Canadian citizen or permanent resident
You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
You live in Canada
You must physically reside in Canada.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Futurpreneur loanUp to $25,000, equity-free
A flexible, equity-free loan up to $25,000 to start or buy a business, with a term over five years. Interest is charged at CIBC's prime rate + 3%. (Note that if CIBC's prime rate exceeds 6%, the interest rate charged is capped at 9%. If CIBC's prime rate exceeds 9%, the interest rate charged will be charged at CIBC prime rate.)
RepaymentInterest-only first year, then four years
Interest-only payments for the first year. Principal repayments are made in equal monthly installments together with interest, over the remaining four years.
Fees1% of loan at disbursement
No penalty for early repayment. A one-time loan management fee of 1% of the total loan amount is charged at time of disbursement.
StackingStackable with BDC up to $50,000
However, the loan may be in addition to other sources of financing. If you need additional funding, BDC, our partner for this program, may provide up to an additional $50,000.
Fees1% loan management fee at disbursement
A one-time loan management fee of 1% of the total loan amount is charged at time of disbursement.
What it pays for · 5
- First and last month rent (aka deposit)
- Equipment & Fixtures
- Inventory / Stock / Products (ONLY)
- Do you need any inventory? Please list the cost to make them (buy them), shipping and storage fees, and any import fees or taxes (on average).
- Any equipment over $5,000 you will need an estimate or a quote included in this section. Ensure that the estimate is aligned with your expenses in your cashflow projections.
From application to money
- Talk to FuturpreneurTalk to team before submitting
- Submit on MyFPRollingRolling submissions via MyFP portal
- They contact youContact within 5–10 business days
- Credit adjudicationCredit adjudication decides after analyst review
- Loan and mentorMentor matched for up to 2 years
In the funder’s words · 5
- Talk to Futurpreneur
- Sign up on the program page to be connected with a dedicated team member before you submit.
- Submit on MyFP
- Register in MyFP and upload the business plan, the Side Hustle workbook with the Personal Budget and the 24-month cash flow, and government ID.
- They contact you
- After you submit your application on our portal, MyFP, we'll contact you within 5–10 business days.
- Credit adjudication
- An analyst goes over the file with you, then credit adjudication and a review of the plan and cash flow decide it.
- Loan and mentor
- Once a loan is disbursed, entrepreneurs are matched with an experienced volunteer entrepreneurship mentor who guides them for about 3 – 5 hours per month for up to 2 years.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to secure Futurpreneur Side Hustle Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 9-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 7
Ineligible Expenses 7
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow Futurpreneur Side Hustle Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Futurpreneur Side Hustle Program | Up to $25,000 | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| 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 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Futurpreneur Side Hustle Program