CSBFP calculator.

How it is calculated

Limits: the page checks each amount against the ISED figures: $1,150,000 in total, $1,000,000 of term loans, $500,000 for equipment and leasehold improvements (and, on our reading of the ISED wording, the $150,000 of intangible assets and working capital sits inside it), and $150,000 for lines of credit. Registration fee = 2% of the term loan total, or 2% of the authorized line. Rate ceiling = prime + 3% (floating term), the lender's single-family residential mortgage rate + 3% (fixed term), or prime + 5% (line of credit). The payment is the level monthly amortizing payment; the line of credit is shown as a year of interest on the average balance. The 1.25% administration fee is applied to month-end balances (term) or the average balance (line) only when you tick the box.

Worked example

$150,000.00 equipment term loan over 10 years at 8.5% (floating, lender prime 5% so the ceiling is 8.00%) plus a $50,000.00 line of credit at 10% with a $25,000.00 average balance: the term registration fee is $3,000.00, the payment $1,859.79, total interest $73,174.24, and the quote is above the program ceiling of 8.00%, which the page flags. The line's registration fee is $1,000.00, a year of interest $2,500.00 and the first-year cost $3,500.00. Financing the term registration fee raises the payment to $1,896.98.

Sources and limits

All program figures are from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: Helping small businesses get loans (page modified 2026-06-22: eligibility at $10 million or less in gross annual revenue, loan limits, rate ceilings, the 2% registration fee), the small-business FAQ (costs, lender fees not financed under the program) and the July 2022 bulletin (15-year maximum term, 1.25% annual administration fee, 5-year line of credit term). Retrieved 2026-10-16.

Farming businesses are not eligible. Financial institutions, not ISED, approve loans and set their own fees; ISED does not process applications. The 1.25% administration fee is part of the program's fee structure but the FAQ's list of borrower costs names only the registration fee, interest and lender fees, so check your agreement. Term-loan eligible expenditures, security and other conditions are not tested here.

FAQ

What is the maximum CSBFP loan?

ISED states $1.15 million per borrower: up to $1,000,000 in term loans and up to $150,000 for lines of credit, with sub-limits for equipment, leasehold improvements, intangible assets and working capital.

What is the CSBFP registration fee?

It is 2% of the amount loaned for a term loan, or 2% of the authorized amount for a line of credit. It is paid by the borrower to the lender and may be financed.

What is the maximum interest rate on a CSBFP loan?

For term loans, the lender's prime plus 3% if floating, or its single-family residential mortgage rate plus 3% if fixed. For lines of credit, prime plus 5%.

Does the government lend the money?

No. The loan comes from a bank, credit union or other participating lender. The program shares the risk with the lender.