Unlocking Lending Growth: How Open Data Can Power Canadian Credit Unions

Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking framework will begin implementation in early 2026, following the federal government’s Budget 2025 commitment to legislate secure data sharing and a data-mobility right under national privacy law. Together, these measures mark the start of Canada’s open-data era and create a once-in-a-generation opportunity for credit unions to reimagine lending.

Today, Canadian credit-union members often face longer approval times than major-bank customers. Younger borrowers and newcomers are declined more often, costing the sector vital membership growth. With the average CU member now aged 53, attracting and serving the next generation is becoming urgent.

NestEgg is the UK’s leading provider of loan-decisioning technology for credit unions. Working with 50+ UK credit unions, we’ve powered more than 750,000 loan applications using open-data and credit information. The results: faster approvals, fairer and more accurate decisions, and stronger alignment with each CU’s risk appetite.

Open data also unlocks new potential for small-business lending. By analysing real-time transaction data, credit unions can better assess cash flow, understand affordability, and tailor repayment plans that support local businesses and communities.

In this session, we’ll share practical lessons from the UK to help Canadian credit unions prepare for Consumer-Driven Banking – using automation and member-permissioned data to grow membership, improve decisioning, and advance financial inclusion.

With legislation now confirmed and rollout expected to begin in 2026, the time for credit unions to get ready is now.

What you’ll discover

• How Open Data, under Canada’s new Consumer-Driven Banking framework, can turn thin-file applicants into viable borrowers
• Going beyond credit scores – using real-time income and payment patterns to assess affordability more accurately
• Practical examples of newcomer and millennial lending strategies from UK credit unions
• Integrating Open Data insights with existing credit-bureau data for a fuller risk picture
• Building member trust through faster, fairer, and more transparent decisioning
• Using Open Data to design stronger small-business lending journeys – from onboarding through to ongoing credit management

Who should attend

• Credit union leaders and teams interested in lending, data, or member growth
• Risk, lending, and member-services teams looking to improve decisioning
• Policymakers and regulators following Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking rollout
• Financial inclusion advocates and anyone exploring fair, data-driven lending