Get financing to reach national audiences and create a more inclusive venture capital environment for women. Assist women entrepreneurs to understand options for financing by providing education and training to support equitable access to funding.

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative are:

Projects must be delivered by not-for-profit organizations.
Projects must aim to increase Canadian women entrepreneurs' access to venture capital funding, improve representation of women in the Canadian venture capital industry, and reduce biases in the venture capital industry.

Who is eligible

Eligible types of companies for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative grant include:

Not-for-profit organizations

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative grant may include but are not limited to:

Program development and delivery costs
Administrative expenses directly related to the project
Consultant fees for project-specific expertise
Training and capacity-building activities
Outreach and networking costs
Evaluation and reporting expenses

Eligible projects & activities

There are eligible projects for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative grant. Projects must be delivered by not-for-profit organizations to increase Canadian women entrepreneurs' access to venture capital funding, contribute to increasing representation of women in the Canadian venture capital industry, and reduce biases in the Canadian venture capital industry.

Projects must be delivered by not-for-profit organizations.
Projects should increase Canadian women entrepreneurs' access to venture capital funding.
Projects should contribute to increasing representation of women in the Canadian venture capital industry.
Projects should aim to reduce biases in the Canadian venture capital industry.

Evaluation & selection criteria

The evaluation and selection criteria for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative include the following:

Alignment with the program objectives and priorities of the WES Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative.
Demonstrated ability to increase access to venture capital funding for Canadian women entrepreneurs.
Potential to contribute to the representation of women in the Canadian venture capital industry.
Strategies to reduce biases in the Canadian venture capital industry.
Sustainability and scalability of the proposed project.

How to apply

Step 1: Prepare your project proposal according to the grant guidelines and criteria.
Step 2: Submit your application during the open call for proposals, which is currently closed.
Step 3: Wait for the evaluation process to be completed by the grant administrators.
Step 4: If successful, follow the instructions provided by the grant program for next steps.

Documents and links