What Yukon government programs help a small business get financing?

The two Government of Yukon pages we read describe programs that work around financing rather than a government loan: a guarantee on part of a loan made by a bank or other participating lender, and a tax credit for people who invest in Yukon companies. Both sit on the Yukon government’s business pages, which we read through Internet Archive copies captured on 23 October 2025. This page covers Yukon only. It describes each program as the territory describes it, so check the current pages, because programs and terms change.

Yukon Venture Loan Guarantee Program

The Government of Yukon says the Yukon Venture Loan Guarantee Program is a partnership between the government and participating financial institutions. It says the program encourages commercial lenders to invest in local businesses by guaranteeing a portion of the loan. The page says the program is delivered by participating financial institutions: you visit one for more information and submit your application to it. It also gives a Government of Yukon contact for finding out whether your project qualifies. The page does not say the guarantee assures approval, so ask the lender how it decides.

Who the guarantee is for

The page lists two kinds of project: new business start-ups, and expansions of businesses in Yukon that fall under the gross revenue and employee limits the page sets. Eligible businesses must be registered in Yukon and pay Yukon corporate taxes. The page does not list buying an existing business. If that is your plan, do not assume it fits. Ask the lender, and ask the territorial program whether an acquisition would count as an expansion of a Yukon business in this case.

How the guarantee is described

The archived page sets a minimum and a maximum guarantee. It states the guarantee level as a share of a venture loan, principal only, and based on the net loss of the venture loan. It also describes a one-time fee, calculated on the guarantee amount and payable when the guarantee is issued, and a maximum repayment term. Those are the program’s own published terms as of the capture date, not statute figures, so confirm the current ones with the lender. Ask the lender to explain, with an example, what “based on the net loss of the venture loan” means for how a claim would be calculated.

Yukon Business Investment Tax Credit

This is a different tool. The Government of Yukon says Yukon corporations or cooperatives can apply for an individual tax credit for Yukon investors. It allows Yukon entities to issue shares to Yukon investors in exchange for an agreed upon return and an individual tax credit on the amount invested. The page lists conditions: the entity must be an incorporated, private corporation, maintain a permanent establishment in Yukon, pay a set share of its salaries and wages to Yukon residents and stay under an asset limit, and the investor must meet an age test and be a Yukon resident on December 31 of the year in which the tax credit is claimed. The page also says applications are taken through monthly intakes until the year’s available funds are allocated. This is a way to raise equity, not a loan, and it comes with share-issuing and tax questions that need professional advice.

National and federal context

Federal programs sit alongside Yukon’s. The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) publishes information about Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon and details about supports for economic development. The federal Canada Small Business Financing Program is a national program for small businesses or start-ups operating in Canada under a gross annual revenue limit, and financial institutions deliver it and approve the loans. Neither is a Yukon program. To see how loan uses are defined nationally, read what a small business loan can be used for.

Questions to put to a lender

• Does the Yukon Venture Loan Guarantee Program apply to my situation, and does an acquisition count as an expansion?
• Which terms in the archived page have changed, including the guarantee level, the fee and the repayment term?
• How does the guarantee interact with the security you would take from me or from the seller?
• If I plan to raise equity from Yukon investors, who advises on the tax credit conditions and share issuance?
• Would you consider a federal program such as the CSBFP for the same project, and what would that change?