1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund provides microloans of up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs, particularly supporting startups, sole proprietors, and underrepresented women entrepreneurs, including newcomers.
It aims to help women business owners expand their companies and reach new markets, with below-market interest rates and no collateral requirements for most loans.
Get alerted about grants like this
Get emailed when new opportunities from “Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada” or related funders appear. Free, weekly, unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund From: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund will help ensure that more women entrepreneurs have the tools and financing they need to succeed. The Government of Canada has selected several delivery organizations to provide loans to women entrepreneurs.
The selected delivery organizations are now accepting loan applications from women entrepreneurs. Please visit the recipient organization websites below to determine if loans are available for your business. The Government of Canada continues to be committed to advancing gender equality and women's economic empowerment and to supporting women entrepreneurs through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES).
What is the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund While progress has been made since the launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) in 2018, access to capital, particularly in smaller amounts, remains a significant barrier for many women entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow their businesses.
To help address this barrier, the Government of Canada allocated $55 million in Budget 2021 for the creation of a new national microloans fund. This new program is providing loans of up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs, particularly for start-ups, underrepresented groups or sole proprietorships which may experience more difficulty in accessing financing.
Selected delivery organizations Through this program, the following organizations are now accepting applications for loans.
Please visit the selected organizations' websites below for details on how to apply: The Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) Start your journey The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) Start your journey Nventure Start your journey Service providers by province or territory Find your local or regional service provider to get started: Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador ** Please note: NACCA is an umbrella organization for Indigenous Financial Institutions (IFIs) across Canada serving Indigenous entrepreneurs.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Women entrepreneurs with 50%+ women ownership. Startups and sole proprietors are eligible. The program specifically targets underrepresented groups, including newcomers. Applicants must apply through one of the national delivery partners. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $50,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This listing is flagged as international in scope. Check the official notice for country-specific restrictions before applying.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act of 2026 saved the programs after a six-month lapse, but it also added $30M strategic-breakthrough awards, per-company proposal caps, and mandatory national-security screening. Here is what changed across all eleven SBIR agencies — and what it means for your next proposal.
Read articleNSF is investing up to $160M per region over a decade through its Engines program. With 15 finalists competing for round two, here is how the program works and who should pay attention.
Read articleThe Economic Development Administration's Build to Scale program is level-funded at $50 million for FY2026 across two competitions — the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge. Both require a 1:1 match and reward regional coalitions that spent months building a pipeline before the NOFO dropped. Here's how the program actually works and how to be ready when it opens.
Read article