Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF)

Receive up to $3M in Non-Repayable Funding.

Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF) aims to increase women-owned businesses’ ability to access funding, talent, networks, and expertise needed to scale up, expand, and access new markets. The overall goal of this initiative is to support projects that will provide business supports for women entrepreneurs and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada.

This program is currently closed and no longer accepting applications. For more government funding opportunities, visit our government funding directory.

Funding Amount

Successful applicants may receive a non-repayable contribution up to $3 million depending on scope and impact of project.

Eligible Applicants

Applicants must be a Canadian not-for-profit organization or association which operates at a local, regional or national level and falls under at least one of the required WEF categories.

Eligible Activities

Must be led by an eligible non-for-profit organization that has been in operation for a minimum of three years as of September 26, 2022.

Deadline to Apply

This program is currently closed.

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Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF)

Amount of Funding

Successful applicants may receive a non-repayable contribution up to $3 million depending on scope and impact of project.

Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF)

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for the Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF) program Applicants must:

Be a Canadian not-for-profit organization or association at a local, regional or national level and falls under at least one of the five categories:
1. Business and entrepreneur support organizations;
2. Research/innovation hubs;
3. Organizations that certify diverse suppliers in Canada;
4. Post-secondary institutions, universities, colleges and technical institutes; and
5. Indigenous organizations; and Business accelerators and incubators.
Applicant must have at least three years as of September 26, 2022;
Partner organizations should have a minimum of one year; and
Applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Have an established mandate focused on supporting women and/or women entrepreneurs; and/or
- Has administered a support program, focused on women entrepreneurs/women skills development, within the past three years.

Eligible Applicants for Canadian Government Funding

Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF)

Eligible Activities

The eligible activities for the Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF) are:

Mentoring or networking;
Facilitate capacity building and skills development opportunities;
Involve innovative business development and deployment supports and/or strategies;
Compilation, development, and delivery of learning materials, policies, procedures, tools, and workshops responsive to the objectives of this initiative;
Establish or strengthen inclusive networks and partnerships that identify and share knowledge and best practices, and/or improve coordination of supports for small businesses and entrepreneurs;
Advance/support procurement and supplier diversity efforts;
Meetings, events, and workshops; and
Promotional initiatives to address issues faced by small businesses and entrepreneurs.