Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) - Entrepreneur Support
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on what it puts back into the local economy. 19 lead with that.
- What does not disqualify you: Equity waived in emergency business relief. 119 record an exemption like this.
- Only 1 written answer, against a median of 5.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Provides financial assistance to NWT businesses and entrepreneurs to pursue new opportunities and improve operations, covering costs like market research, feasibility studies, and product development.
Eligibility Requirements
- Entrepreneur or for-profit business registered and actively operating in the Northwest Territories
- Must have a viable business opportunity or improvement project
- Eligible activities include market research, feasibility studies, and product development
- Business must be NWT-based (not just federally registered)
- Businesses in the arts or film sectors (NAICS 7111, 7113, 7114, 7115, 5121, 5122) are not eligible — arts and film projects have been excluded from SEED since April 1, 2026.
- In Level 1 communities (Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik), the 30% equity floor caps maximum SEED support at 70% of project costs — the 80% maximum applies only in Level 2 communities and for NWT-wide projects.
- Capital asset purchases are funded only in Level 2 communities — businesses in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik cannot use the Asset Acquisition category.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $25,000
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Territorial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 80% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing (April 1 – March 31 fiscal year; apply early — regional budgets may deplete by year-end)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipYou must meet with ITI to discuss your application before submitting it — you attest to this in the signed declaration on the application form, and submission does not guarantee approval.
Rejection Pitfalls 7
- Insufficient or no equity contribution (matching requirement not met)
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How SEED judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on iti.gov.nt.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-11.
6 of the sources
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What SEED favours
Projects with greatest economic benefit to NWT◦
“Financial assistance may be provided to those projects deemed as providing the greatest economic benefit to the NWT.”
The form
Applicant information
- 1Application Information / Renseignements sur le demandeurshort answer
- 2Sector / Secteurcheckboxes
- 3Type of Organization / Type d'organisationselection
- 4Type of Assistance / Type d'aideselection
- 5Owner/Shareholder (Principal) / Propriétaire ou actionnaire principaltable
Project description and amount
- 6Project Description / Description du projetwritten answer
- 7Amount of Application and project datesshort answer
Project costs and financing
- 8Project Costs (round to the nearest dollar) / Coûts du projettable
- 9Source of Financing / Sources de financementtable
Project benefits
- 10Project Benefits / Avantages du projettable
Documents, checklist and signature
- 11Supporting Documents / Documents à l'appuilist
- 12Declaration of Applicant / Déclaration du demandeurcheckbox
- 13Applicant Signature / Signature du demandeurshort answer
- 14Requirements for all Applicationscheckboxes
- 15Entrepreneur Supportcheckboxes
SEED states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Does this deliver the greatest economic benefit?
Show them Quantify the jobs the project creates and the share of project spend that stays in the NWT.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- Financial assistance may be provided to those projects deemed as providing the greatest economic benefit to the NWT.
- 2
Can the business get this money elsewhere?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Will it hurt an existing local business?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 4
Does it fit a strategic sector?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
6 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“The SEED Policy Application Form is an application only and additional documentation may be required to assess eligibility. Completion of the application form does not guarantee funding for the proposed project.”
“The meeting of eligibility criteria for any stream in this schedule, in and of itself, does not guarantee subsequent approval of financial support.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 8 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
5 more rules that can reject you · 4 more criteria · 7 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
Your business
NWT business, not arts or film
All NWT Businesses, except those deemed to be part of the arts and/or film sectors.
The project
No arts or film projects
As of April 1, 2026, arts and film projects will no longer be funded through the SEED Programs.
Capital purchase only in Level 2 community
In Level 2 communities only, capital assistance may be provided to assist with the purchase of capital items for operations of the business
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Maximum awardup to $25,000
Under the Entrepreneur Support program, up to $25,000 in support can be provided in four categories
Minimum equity30 percent L1, 20 percent L2/NWT-wide
For a project to be considered, applicants must contribute the following minimum Equity: (a) 30 percent in Level 1 Communities, (b) 20 percent in Level 2 Communities, and (c) 20 percent for NWT-wide projects.
Before paymentFunding agreement, equity, financing, approvals confirmed
Payment will be provided when: a. The recipient has accepted the terms and conditions for a contribution as detailed in a funding agreement; b. The required Equity is in place; c. The availability of additional financing necessary to complete the project has been confirmed; and d. Necessary approval by regulatory, municipal, and other authorities has been confirmed.
Your share30 percent L1; 20 percent L2/NWT
For a project to be considered, applicants must contribute the following minimum Equity: (a) 30 percent in Level 1 Communities, (b) 20 percent in Level 2 Communities, and (c) 20 percent for NWT-wide projects.
StackingComplementary with other agency programs
Where applicable, funding should be complementary of existing programs from other agencies for leveraging additional funding;
What it pays for · 5
- Assistance may be provided for costs associated with planning, engineering, start-up capital or other developments costs deemed to fall within this category by the Regional Superintendent.
- In Level 2 communities only, capital assistance may be provided to assist with the purchase of capital items for operations of the business, as a means to provide Equity necessary to leverage loan financing, or where assistance is not otherwise available to take advantage of a business opportunity.
- new market or product development designed to increase sales of NWT products, to promote the NWT as a travel destination, or to participate in trade shows (excluding attendance at conferences)
- the marketing of existing tourism, products through trade show participation, print advertising, internet marketing, or similar activities.
- Assistance may be provided to: a. Increase business skills and capacity, including mentorship; or b. Identify and address problems faced by the business; or c. Develop a recovery or restructuring plan; or d. Provide emergency relief to effect business recovery; or e. Assist with the cost of "winding down" a business which has a minimal net worth and cannot meet its financial obligations
What it does not pay for · 5
- Assets previously acquired by the applicant, shareholder or partner in the project, or by an associated business;
- The applicant's internal costs not directly related to the project and non-arm's length transactions, including payments made to shareholders or members of their immediate family or businesses related by common effective control;
- Real estate for speculative purposes; or
- Assets previously purchased by third parties with the assistance of the Government of the NWT or the Government of Canada, in which case the amount of the previous contribution will be deducted from the fair market value of the asset to arrive at the eligible cost of the asset.
- to participate in trade shows (excluding attendance at conferences)
From application to money
- Meet your regional EDOMeet ITI before submitting
- Submit to regional officeApril 1 to March 31st annuallySubmit to regional office April 1-March 31st
- Superintendent decidesSuperintendent decides funding and amount
- Sign funding agreementSign funding agreement before disbursement
- Funding releasedFunding released after equity and approvals
- Account for the fundingAccount for funding; allow audit
In the funder’s words · 6
- Meet your regional EDO
- The declaration on the form states that you must meet with ITI to discuss the application before submitting it.
- Submit to regional office
- Download and complete the application form below and submit it to your local regional office of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
- Superintendent decides
- The Regional Superintendent for your region decides whether to fund the project and for how much.
- Sign funding agreement
- The Department shall only disburse funding to which it has executed a funding agreement
- Funding released
- Payment follows once the required equity is in place, the other financing is confirmed and the necessary approvals are confirmed.
- Account for the funding
- Recipients are responsible to account for funding received and may have to grant GNWT access to audit financial statements.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win SEED
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 7 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 11-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 9-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 11
Eligible Expenses 10
Ineligible Expenses 8
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow SEED Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about SEED