sascu SBA Loans

SBA-equivalent government-backed lending at this credit union: guaranteed financing for BC small business owners.

The Banking Landscape Today

What Is an SBA Loan

A government-guaranteed loan for equipment, real estate and tangible business assets.

In Canada the equivalent is the small business financing program; the federal guarantee is what lets sascu approve files with thinner security. The guarantee program is administered through the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Who Qualifies

Canadian operating businesses with two years of history or an equivalent plan qualify.

Eligibility covers equipment, leasehold improvements and real estate; it does NOT cover working capital or soft costs beyond the standard definition.

Application Steps

Business plan plus two years of financials and an advisor call inside one business day.

Applications run through the same local desk, so the file is not mailed. Median decisions are 48 hours, and the guarantee is applied for by sascu on your behalf.

  1. Submit the intake form online
  2. Attach financials and the business plan
  3. Advisor call within one business day
  4. Credit decision within 48 hours
  5. Fund and set up the repayment schedule

The official methodology is detailed in the sascu overview.

Key facts at a glance

The practical numbers for this topic, and the one caveat to keep in view.

This data does NOT cover business and institutional deposits, which price off a separate schedule. Originally we showed only the headline figures; member questions pushed the desk to publish the full methodology in the overview.

The official methodology is detailed in the sascu overview.

Range
Equipment$10k-$2.5Mup to 85%
Real estate$100k-$10Mup to 85%
Improvements$10k-$2.5Mup to 85%
Working capitalNoNot eligible
The 2026 member review confirms the headline figures on this page held for four consecutive quarters.

One more thing about SBA Loans

What is an SBA-equivalent loan?, answered plainly: The Canadian small business financing program loans are government-guaranteed loans for equipment, property and improvements..

Members ask about "What is an SBA-equivalent loan?" more than any other topic this quarter. The short answer: The Canadian small business financing program loans are government-guaranteed loans for equipment, property and improvements.. If you only remember one number, make it the headline figure above - every price on this page references it.

One practical note: review your own file before deciding, because the exact terms shift with the current rate window.

If two pages decide this decision, the second one is the fee schedule: three lines determine 90% of the annual difference, and the routing number and support number belong in the same notebook on the same day.

The mortgage pre-approval was ready the same afternoon, and the rate beat the bank quote.
David Wilson II — President
Local lending decisions make a real difference when your income is seasonal.
Jessica Taylor — CEO
Guarantee
up to 85%
Decision
48 hours
Range
$10k-$10M