Forgivable Loan
Private
Active
Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Program
Waubetek Business Development Corporation
Loan Range
Micro-Loan Fund up to $20,000, of which 45% is non-repayable....
No application deadline is published
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Mixed (Advance + Reimb.)
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Financing share
95%
Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Program provides up to Micro-Loan Fund up to $20,000, of which 45% is non-repayable. Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund up to $50,000, fully repayable, within a total financing package of no more than $100,000. Mentorship Program grant up to $3,000 over six months. Waubetek Business Development Corporation runs three programs for Indigenous women entrepreneurs in its Northeastern Ontario service area. The program covers up to 95% of eligible costs. No application deadline is published.
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Eligibility & Details
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Program Description
Waubetek Business Development Corporation runs three programs for Indigenous women entrepreneurs in its Northeastern Ontario service area. The Micro-Loan Fund lends up to $20,000 of which 45% is never repaid, the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund lends up to $50,000 with no forgivable portion, and the Mentorship Program pairs pre-launch founders with a mentor and a grant of up to $3,000 over six months.
Eligibility Requirements
- Indigenous (First Nations and Inuit) woman, with documentation required to verify
- Eighteen years or over (Micro-Loan Fund)
- Business located in Waubetek's service area of Northeastern Ontario
- Micro-Loan Fund: majority 51% equity stake in the ownership of the business. Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund: 50% owned by Indigenous women. Mentorship Program: Indigenous women-led and controlled
- Must have the necessary skill set for the business, an active role in strategic decision making and in setting business priorities, and integral involvement in day-to-day operations
- For-profit organizations only: sole proprietorship, partnership, social enterprise, incorporated company, corporation or co-operative, where Indigenous women hold 51% ownership
- Micro-Loan Fund: 5% cash equity to contribute to the business project. Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund: 5% equity, described in one place as cash and in another as cash or in-kind contributed equity
- Mentorship Program: business must be in pre-launch or the early start of development, and be a for-profit or social enterprise
- Husband and wife partnerships are considered 50-50 ownership regardless of legal structure and are not eligible for the Micro-Loan Fund
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Micro-Loan Fund up to $20,000, of which 45% is non-repayable. Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund up to $50,000, fully repayable, within a total financing package of no more than $100,000. Mentorship Program grant up to $3,000 over six months.
- Type
- Forgivable Loan
- Level
- Private
- Financing share
- Up to 95% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- No application deadline is published
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe 45% non-repayable share of the Micro-Loan is the reason to start there rather than with the bigger fund: on a full $20,000 package roughly $9,000 is never repaid, while the $50,000 Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund has no forgivable portion at all.
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Rejection Pitfalls 9
- Not an Indigenous (First Nations or Inuit) woman, or unable to provide documentation
+8 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 9 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to secure Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneursh...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 9 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 3-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 2-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
3 docs
Application Steps
1
Check the ownership and location tests You must be an Indigenous (First Nations or Inuit) woman with documentation, the business must sit in Waubetek's Northeastern Ontario service area, and you need a 51% equity stake for the Micro-Loan Fund or 50% Indigenous women ownership for the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund.
Required Documents 3
✓ Documentation verifying Indigenous (First Nations or Inuit) status
✓ Completed application form
Eligible Expenses 10
Ineligible Expenses 9
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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2 partners
Compatible Programs
Waubetek Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (other financing)
NACCA Indigenous Women Entrepreneur (IWE) Program
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneursh... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepren... | up to $20,000, | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | No application deadline... |
| Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (WELF) | Microloans up to $50,000 | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-On... | Up to $10,000 per employee | Easy | Varies | Ongoing — year-round... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
| Commercial Façade Improvement Grant P... | Up to $12,500 (50% of costs) | Easy | Reimbursement | Annual Intake |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneursh...
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How much can I borrow, and how much of it do I pay back?
The Micro-Loan Fund goes up to $20,000, made up of 50% repayable and 45% non-repayable contributions plus 5% equity from you, so nearly half of it is never repaid. The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund goes up to $50,000 and has no forgivable portion or grant.
Who is eligible?
An Indigenous (First Nations or Inuit) woman, with documentation, whose for-profit business is in Waubetek's Northeastern Ontario service area. The Micro-Loan Fund requires a majority 51% equity stake; the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund requires the business to be 50% owned by Indigenous women.
What if my husband and I own the business together?
Husband and wife partnerships are considered 50-50 ownership regardless of legal structure, and on that basis are not eligible for the Micro-Loan Fund.
What are the loan terms?
Interest is the prime rate plus a percentage up to 4% based on risk. The Micro-Loan must be repaid in 3 to 5 years, with repayments deferrable for one year, secured by a promissory note and a general assignment of inventory or assets. The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund must be repaid in 5 years and requires collateral.
What can the money be used for?
Machinery and equipment, leasehold improvements and renovations, inventory and working capital, marketing, external labour, professional and advisory services, IT and software, website and e-commerce development, and business start-up costs.
What is the Mentorship Program?
A one-on-one mentorship and grant program for Indigenous women in pre-launch or early development. Each mentee receives a grant of up to $3,000 over six months and each mentor an honorarium of $1,000.
Is there a deadline?
Waubetek does not publish an application deadline for these programs. Contact them at 1-705-285-4275 or [email protected] to start.
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Full Playbook: Waubetek Indigenous Women's Entrepreneursh...
6 steps · 3 docs · reviewer insights