905-372-8315 / Toll Free 1-866-670-1191 info@northumberlandcfdc.ca

Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation

Corl Technologies

growclass

SingularityU Canada

APPLY NOW

for up to $15,000

Business loans starting at 0% interest with flexible terms.

DELIA is an automated lending platform for women-owned and women-led innovation-driven enterprises located anywhere in Southern Ontario.

We are here to help innovative women entrepreneurs grow their business with automated lending and entrepreneurial development.

WHY DELIA?

  • Loans up to $15,000
  • Interest rates starting at 0% (and no more than Prime plus 2%)
  • 12-24 month terms
  • Online application, instant decision
  • No prepayment penalty
  • Non-dilutive
  • Deferred payments in response to COVID-19
  • Loan administration fee of 1.5%

See our Limited Time Offer below
for concurrent entrepreneurial development opportunities.

For approved DELIA loan recipients, additional lending solutions may be available in-house or by referral for amounts up to $250,000 or more.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

The next 30 approved DELIA loan recipients will receive:

  • A seat in Growclass, by Sarah Stockdale, Southern Ontario’s premiere virtual growth marketing course
  • Singularity University Canada Leadership Certificate
  • 1:1 strategy consulting for entrepreneurial and business success, plus access to DELIA webinar series.

Total value: more than $10,000

APPLY NOW

LIMITED TIME OFFER - available to the first 30 approved Delia loan recipients
Click Here to Apply

DETAILS & FAQs

Background

DELIA prioritizes investment in innovative Women-owned and Women-led enterprises in Southern Ontario as part of an inclusive and equity-based strategy for economic development and diversification. The objective of DELIA is to close existing service and access to capital gaps to help to ensure under-represented women can successfully start, scale up and expand their innovative high-growth-potential ventures with dedicated financing and strategy services. It is expected that DELIA will have two cohorts by 2023 and will support a minimum of 30 businesses.

The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) of the Government of Canada is encoded in DELIA’s Fintech-driven lending model developed in partnership with CORL. Our loan automation and credit engine uses Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Bank Level Security in order to streamline funding opportunities. Northumberland CFDC provides an easy, online application process and instant pre-approval decisions on commercial loan applications up to $15,000.

Successful loan recipients will be automatically inducted into a concurrent entrepreneurial and training program providing advisory and support services, networking opportunities, accelerator space, and skills development.

In delivering this initiative with the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) Northumberland CFDC is fully committed to diversity and inclusiveness. Women-owned and Women-led enterprises remain underrepresented in the Canadian economy, however, they experience faster growth relative to men-owned enterprises (Source: Statistics Canada). Now is the time to strive for the potential of equity in gender participation in economic advancement.

What qualifies as “Southern Ontario?”
Southern Ontario is a region defined by the 37 Statistics Canada census divisions of the mandate of the Government of Canada’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). These include: Brant; Bruce; Chatham–Kent; Dufferin; Durham; Elgin; Essex; Frontenac; Grey; Haldimand–Norfolk; Haliburton; Halton; Hamilton; Hastings; Huron; Kawartha Lakes; Lambton; Lanark; Leeds and Grenville; Lennox and Addington; Middlesex; Niagara; Northumberland; Ottawa; Oxford; Peel; Perth; Peterborough; Prescott and Russell; Prince Edward and Lambton; Renfrew; Simcoe; Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry; Toronto; Waterloo; Wellington; and York.
What qualifies as “women-owned or women-led”?
A woman is, or women are, driving the direction of the business (for a minimum of one year) as Founder, Co-Founder, CEO, C-Suite Executive (e.g. CTO, CFO, COO, etc.), Owner-Operator, Principal, etc.; and/or the business is owned by a woman or women (combined) that have majority ownership (a minimum of 51% equity stake).
What type of Women-led SMEs qualify for the purposes of applicant eligibility?
Innovative, for-profit corporations (as well as sole proprietorships) in the following sectors prioritized by the Government of Canada are eligible to apply for DELIA:

  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Agri-Food
  • Health/Bio-sciences
  • Clean Technology
  • Digital Industries
  • Resources of the Future (forestry, water, etc.)

Innovative ventures are typically engaged in bringing valuable new products and processes to market that fill a gap or address a need in a way that is fundamentally different from the existing competition, representing a technological leap forward. Innovative-driven companies are in growth mode and their expansion leads to further investment in innovation capital, increased sales, export market access, quality job creation and other positive economic multiplier effects that contribute to strong, sustainable and diversified economies.

What kind of applicants are prioritized by DELIA?
Northumberland CFDC is committed to inclusivity and equity in community economic development. Prioritization will be given to applications from the following diverse groups:

  • Located in a rural or remote area
  • Indigenous
  • Official language minority community (French)
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Recent immigrants or newcomers
  • Visible minorities
  • LGBTQ2I+
How does the application process work?
You will begin by clicking APPLY NOW. You will be taken to a rapid pre-screening portal to ensure you meet basic eligibility requirements (this portion does not effect your credit score) before proceeding to our fintech-driven lending platform powered by CORL (which will generate a credit enquiry). The credit application portion normally takes no longer than 20 minutes and sometimes as little as 5 minutes if you have all of your information ready. You will be instantly informed of your application status and a DELIA representative will contact you to finalize the lending process and disburse funds to successful applicants.
What information should I have handy for my online application?
  • Scanned image file of your Passport or Driver’s License for identification
  • Articles of Incorporation/Business Registration
  • Business Bank Account online sign in information (username and password)
  • Other online account sign in information (e.g. QuickBooks Online)
  • Business performance metrics (e.g. income, expenses, gross margin calculation, etc.)
  • Other documentation you may wish to include, such as a business plan (a concise document outlining major planning assumptions)
How does the entrepreneurial development work for approved participants under the Limited Time Offer?

Successful DELIA applicants will be contacted by a member of the DELIA team who will organize an onboarding and orientation session. Our strategic advisors will meet with you one on one to determine how to optimize entrepreneurial training and for the recipients of our Limited Time Offer, to advise of upcoming training dates for Growclass and Singularity University Canada sessions. Until further notice, due to COVID-19, all training and mentoring sessions will be online and virtual.

What is the meaning of the DELIA brand?
DELIA is derived from the acronym: Develop, Educate, Lead, Innovate and Accelerate, which defines the nucleus of the DELIA project and outlines our offering to Women-owned and Women-led business. The next layer of meaning derives from Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. DELIA is one of her many and diverse titles, meaning ‘from Delos’, the island where she was born. When you think of DELIA, think of a strong deal for women. With the support of the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, we are pursuing greater gender equity in business development and economic advancement across the region. The DELIA brand encompasses all of this and more.
Who administers the loan?
Northumberland CFDC administers the DELIA loan, with the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario as part of the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES). Northumberland CFDC has provided financing and strategy to entrepreneurs since 2001 as a Community Futures Development Corporation, and since 1985 to small business in Northumberland. Northumberland CFDC is a member of the CVCA and is a non-profit entrepreneurship NGO governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of entrepreneurs, experts and innovators.
What about the confidentiality of my application?

Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Information is collected for the limited purpose of assessing your application to DELIA. If you authorize us to refer your application, we may share basic applicant information with our trusted network of lenders, such as Eastern and Western Ontario CFDCs and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

How is the DELIA decision made?
DELIA decisions are made based on a proprietary credit model that analyzes multiple dimensions and variables and taking into account the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy priorities.
Will a DELIA application affect my credit score?
Pre-screening does not affect your credit score. Completing the full credit application will result in a credit enquiry. For more information about how loan applications affect your credit, read this helpful article from Equifax (click here).
Who are the people behind the DELIA Project?
DELIA Team

Wendy Curtis Susan Carmichael Kim Botrie Erika Seggie

DELIA Developers

Derek Manuge   Daryl Thomas   John Hayden

DELIA Partners & Champions

Sarah Stockdale   Oren Berkovich   Susan Watkin   Ruth van Vierzen   Marquis Murray   Kassia Clifford

WEBINAR SERIES

HACKING THE DIGITAL CURVE - Empowering Women Entrepreneurship
10 Complimentary Sessions. Experience the value of DELIA now!

Learn More
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DELIA - Develop. Educate. Lead. Innovate. Accelerate.

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    With the support of the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario