Service Standards

The Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP) is dedicated to facilitating access to financing for small businesses. In administering the Canada Small Business Financing Act, we, the CSBFP Directorate, are guided by and proudly adhere to the following values:

  • Integrity in our actions
  • Fairness and Transparency in our decisions
  • Respect in our relationships

We strive for excellence in the service we provide to financial institutions and small businesses and commit to meeting the following service standards:

Language of Service

  • We will provide our services in the official language of your choice.

Response to Enquiries

  • We will respond to general enquires (e-mail, fax or telephone) by the next business day. General enquiries (received by letter) will be responded to within 5 business days of receipt.
  • In the case of more complex enquiries, we will provide, by the next business day, an estimated timeframe for a response.
  • Written ruling requests from lenders or lessors will be answered within 3 business days. Where this is not possible, we will provide the requestor with a timeframe for a complete response.

Availability

  • We will provide relevant and accurate information on our website (www.ic.gc.ca/csbfp) 24 hours a day 7 days a week
  • If the person you are contacting is absent from the office, we will respond and/or provide the name of an alternate contact person by the next business day.

Loan Registration

  • We will confirm registration of loans within 2 business days of receipt.
  • Where a Loan Registration Form is incomplete, we will send a request for the required information within 2 business days of receipt.

Claims for Loss

  • We will confirm registration of claims for loss within 2 business days of receipt.
  • We will process accurate and complete claims for loss and will communicate the results of our review within an average of 20 business days.
  • For files that require more information before we are able to properly review the claim, we will request that the lender provides the necessary information and documentation. We will finalize the review of the claim and inform the lender of our decision within 10 business days of receipt of the required information.
  • We will answer all requests for the extension of claims submission dates within 5 business days of receipt.

Client Satisfaction

We welcome comments regarding our performance against these service standards.