Client Resources — Checklists, Program Links & Glossary

Document checklists

What to gather before you apply

Reviewers move fastest when the file is complete. These are the core document sets for each application type — we confirm the exact list for your program at engagement.

🏦 Bank / CSBFP / BDC loan application

Government-issued ID and personal net worth statement
Last 2–3 years of business financial statements & tax returns (if operating)
Personal T1 returns and Notices of Assessment (2 years)
6–12 months of business and personal bank statements
Quotes/invoices for equipment, leaseholds or property being financed
Lease or offer to lease; purchase agreement if buying
Proof of owner equity injection and its source
Corporate documents: incorporation, share registry, licences
The business plan with 5-year projections — we prepare this

🎯 Grant / subsidy application

CRA business number and program-specific registrations
Project description: activities, timeline, milestones
Detailed budget of eligible costs with supplier quotes
Evidence of matching funds (most programs cost-share)
Financial statements demonstrating capacity to complete the project
Expected outcomes: jobs, revenue, exports, training hours
Incorporation documents and good-standing confirmations
Project plan mapped to the program's scoring criteria — we prepare this

🛂 PNP entrepreneur stream

Passport, education credentials (ECA where required), language test results
Personal net worth verification — often by a program-approved third party
Source-of-funds documentation: sale deeds, bank records, gift deeds, business valuations
Business ownership and employment history evidence
Exploratory visit records (where applicable)
Investment breakdown and job-creation commitments
Business Establishment Plan / business plan to stream criteria — we prepare this

🌐 C11 / ICT work permit

Evidence of business ownership (≥50% for C11) or qualifying corporate relationship (ICT)
Proof of funds and their lawful source
Home-country business records (ICT): financials, staffing, premises
Canadian setup evidence: incorporation, premises search or lease, supplier contacts
Applicant CV and credentials tied to the business
Significant-benefit / expansion business plan — we prepare this

Official sources

Go straight to the government source

Bookmark these. If a consultant tells you something that contradicts the official page, believe the official page — then ask us why.

Topic	Official source
CSBFP loans	ISED — Canada Small Business Financing Program
BDC financing	bdc.ca
Futurpreneur	futurpreneur.ca
Find grants & funding (all programs)	Business Benefits Finder (canada.ca)
CanExport	Trade Commissioner Service — CanExport
SR&ED tax incentives	CRA — SR&ED program
Entrepreneur immigration updates	IRCC — Immigration measures for entrepreneurs
BC PNP	WelcomeBC — BC Provincial Nominee Program
Alberta AAIP	alberta.ca/aaip
Ontario OINP	ontario.ca — OINP
Verify an immigration representative	College of Immigration & Citizenship Consultants — public register

Glossary

The jargon, in plain language

DSCR — Debt Service Coverage Ratio

Cash available for loan payments ÷ the loan payments themselves. A DSCR of 1.25 means $1.25 of cash for every $1.00 of payments. Most lenders want to see 1.20–1.35+ in your projections — it's usually the first number a credit officer checks.

Equity injection

Your own money in the project. Lenders typically expect 10–30%+ of the total project cost from you, with documents proving where it came from. It shows you share the risk.

Working capital

The cash cushion that funds day-to-day operations — inventory, payroll, rent — before revenue catches up. Underestimating working capital is the most common cause of failed first-year projections.

Three-statement model

Financial projections where the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement are built together and reconcile. Reviewers test this: if your balance sheet doesn't balance, the whole plan loses credibility.

Eligible costs (grants)

The specific expense categories a program will reimburse or cost-share. Spending outside them — or before written approval — is usually not covered. Grant budgets must be built from the program's eligible-cost list, not your general budget.

EOI — Expression of Interest

The first stage of most PNP entrepreneur streams: you register a scored profile (net worth, investment, jobs, language, location) and the province invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply fully.

Net worth verification

Several entrepreneur streams require a third-party (often accountant-led) verification of your personal net worth and how you accumulated it. Clean documentation of the source of every major asset is essential.

Performance agreement

In many PNP streams, the contract you sign with the province committing to specific investment and job numbers. Your nomination depends on meeting it — which is why we only put commitments in the plan that you can actually deliver.

NOC / TEER codes

Canada's National Occupational Classification — every job has a code and a skill tier (TEER). Immigration business plans must state the NOC codes and wages of jobs you'll create.

LMIA — Labour Market Impact Assessment

An employer's approval from Service Canada to hire a foreign worker, requiring proof the business is genuine and financially able to pay. C11 and ICT are LMIA-exempt routes; other work permits often need one.

Significant benefit (C11)

The legal test for a C11 entrepreneur work permit: your business must bring significant economic, social or cultural benefit to Canada — jobs for Canadians, regional development, innovation. The business plan is where that case is made.

Amortization

The schedule over which a loan is repaid. Longer amortization lowers each payment (helping DSCR) but increases total interest. Matching amortization to asset life is a standard lender expectation.

Guides

Short guides worth reading before you apply

🏦

Before you ask a bank for money

Know your three numbers: total project cost, your equity injection, and the DSCR your projections produce. Bring quotes, not guesses — a lender funds line items, not ideas. And check your personal credit first; it prices the deal.

🎯

Before you chase a grant

Confirm the program is actually open (intakes close fast), that your costs are on its eligible list, and that you can cash-flow the project — most grants reimburse after you spend. Never sign contracts before approval unless the program allows it.

🛂

Before an entrepreneur stream

Verify the stream is open and your net worth meets the minimum, document the source of every major asset, and visit the community if the stream rewards it. Use only licensed representatives — check the public register (link above).

Checklists, official links and plain-language answers — free