Community Futures Services & Programs Supporting Entrepreneurs

Community Futures offices provide service and program supports to rural small and medium-sized enterprises operating in, or planning to start or expand into rural Alberta.

Community Futures services include:


  • Support to small business in the completion of business planning
  • Small business training
  • One-on-one start up or expansion consulting
  • Pathfinding services (support in gaining access to other small business supports, information, and access to capital)

Community Futures organizations are developmental lenders. We work in collaboration with, not in competition to conventional lenders including banks and credit unions. Community Futures have over 20 years of success in providing access to capital for small and medium sized enterprises and new businesses seeking to:

      • Starting or expanding a business
      • Applying new technology to a business
      • Upgrading a business's facilities and/or equipment
      • Costs associated with the development of new products and markets for the business
      • Commercializing a product or service developed by the business; and to
      • Access working or patient capital necessary to fund business growth

Community Futures Loan Programs

1) General Loan Fund

Each Alberta Community Futures office may lend to a maximum of $150,000.00 to new and existing businesses. Loans are made to start-up or expanding rural Alberta businesses that have a viable business idea that is seen to contribute to the economic growth and diversification of the community.

See www.roadahead.biz for more Community Futures
loan products and information.

2) The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP)

For information on Alberta's Entrepreneur's With Disabilities Program (EDP) click here for our EDP program link. Click here for the Community Futures office in your area.

Related Program Links:

Click here for your copy of our BusinessAble Magazine.
Click here for your copy of the The Self Employment Explorer

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Other Programs Offered by Alberta Community Futures organizations:

The Self Employment (SE) Program

A number of Alberta Community Futures offices deliver the SE Program on behalf of Alberta Employment Immigration and Industry. Participants in the SE Program receive business training and access to financial assistance while getting their new business up and running. The program is designed to reduce some of the financial concerns of self-support for new entrepreneurs who are taking their first step towards self-employment.

Business ventures not eligible for the SE program are:

  • A business started by the applicant prior to the approval of their Self-Employment program application
  • Business that are controlled by persons other than the persons receiving the benefits. Partnership agreements are acceptable, providing ownership by the applicant is 51 percent or more.
  • Businesses that will receive over 50 percent of revenue from commissions
  • Businesses not considered to bringing social and employment benefits to the community
  • Business that are only part-time in nature

For more information on the programs or any of the services offered by Community Futures please contact your local office. Click here for the Community Futures office in your area.

For more information on Entrepreneurship, click here for related links.