Grant
Federal
Active
Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Ecosystem Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
Maximum Funding
Up to $80 million
November 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
Varies
Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Ecosystem Fund provides Up to $80 million in non-repayable contribution funding across all successful applicants, disbursed over four years starting in 2027-28. Individual projects must have a total budget of at least $250,000 and no more than $6,000,000. No separate per-project contribution cap is stated; total Canadian government assistance cannot exceed 100% of eligible costs. Non-repayable federal contributions for Canadian not-for-profit organizations that deliver business support services to women entrepreneurs and majority women-owned businesses. Applications are accepted November 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Non-repayable federal contributions for Canadian not-for-profit organizations that deliver business support services to women entrepreneurs and majority women-owned businesses. The 2027 call makes up to $80 million available, disbursed over four years starting in 2027-28, for bilingual projects that are national or cover at least four provinces and territories that are not regionally clustered, with budgets of $250,000 to $6,000,000. Proposals are due November 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
Eligibility Requirements
- Lead applicant must be a Canadian incorporated (federally or provincially) not-for-profit organization or association operating at a local, regional or national level
- Eligible lead categories: not-for-profit social enterprises or co-operatives; consortia of non-profits; consortia of non-profit and for-profit entities where the not-for-profit is the lead; business and entrepreneur support organizations; research/innovation hubs; organizations that certify diverse suppliers; post-secondary academic institutions or research institutes; Indigenous non-profit organizations; business accelerators and incubators
- Lead applicant must have been in operation for at least three years; partner organizations for at least one year
- Lead applicant must have an established mandate focused on supporting women and/or women entrepreneurs, and/or existing programming (offered within the past three years) specifically designed for women entrepreneurs or women's skills development; programming that simply has high uptake by women does not qualify
- Project must focus on women entrepreneurs or majority women-owned businesses (51% or more ownership stake)
- Project must be national in scope or serve a minimum of 4 provinces and territories that are not regionally clustered
- Project budget must be between $250,000 and $6,000,000, with all funded activities completed by March 31, 2031
- Project activities and products must be delivered in both official languages
- Open to organizations that have never received WES funding and to previous WES recipients
- Only one application per organization; if more than one is submitted, only the most recent is reviewed
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $80 million in non-repayable contribution funding across all successful applicants, disbursed over four years starting in 2027-28. Individual projects must have a total budget of at least $250,000 and no more than $6,000,000. No separate per-project contribution cap is stated; total Canadian government assistance cannot exceed 100% of eligible costs.
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- November 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Nov 9, 2026
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
2/5
Difficult — significant preparation needed
Competition
4/5
High competition — many applicants
Difficulty
4/5
Complex — detailed documentation needed
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipOnly the first 12 pages of the proposal are read, including charts, so put eligibility, reach and the bilingual delivery plan up front.
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Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Lead applicant is not an incorporated not-for-profit, or is a Crown organization, CFDC, CBDC, SADC or CAE
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 8 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 win WES
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 7-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
7 docs
Application Steps
1
Confirm lead eligibility Check that the lead is an incorporated Canadian not-for-profit operating for at least three years, with a women-focused mandate or women-entrepreneur programming in the past three years, and that it is not a Crown organization, CFDC, CBDC, SADC or CAE.
Required Documents 7
✓ Completed WES application form (secure PDF, English or French)
✓ Project proposal of no more than 12 pages (12-point font, double spaced, including graphs and charts) following the Section 5 headings of the application guide
Eligible Expenses 9
Ineligible Expenses 7
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Stacking partner data not yet available.
Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How WES Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES)... | Up to $80 million | Hard | Reimbursement | November 9, 2026 at... |
| Industrial Research Assistance Progra... | Up to $1M | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Youth Employment and Skills Program | Up to $25K | Hard | Advance Payment | Between intakes —... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about WES
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Can a woman entrepreneur apply to the WES Ecosystem Fund for her own business?
No. The lead applicant must be a Canadian incorporated not-for-profit organization. For-profit businesses can only take part as partners and are not beneficiaries of project funding.
How large can a WES Ecosystem Fund project be?
Project budgets must be between $250,000 and $6,000,000, and all funded activities must be completed by March 31, 2031. Up to $80 million is available across all successful applicants over four years.
Does the project have to be national?
It must be national in scope or serve at least 4 provinces and territories that are not regionally clustered, and all activities and products must be delivered in both official languages.
Can the funding be passed on as grants or loans to entrepreneurs?
No. Direct funding to third parties, including loans, grants, microloans and scholarships, is not an eligible cost. The fund pays for business services for entrepreneurs, such as training, mentorship and accelerator programming.
When will WES Ecosystem Fund decisions be announced?
ISED expects to make funding decisions in Winter/Spring 2027 and will notify every applicant in writing.
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Full Playbook: WES
5 steps · 7 docs · reviewer insights