Women Entrepreneurship Strategy’s Ecosystem Fund

The 2027 Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund provides $80 million in non-repayable contributions over four years, starting in 2027–2028. Canadian incorporated not-for-profit organizations can propose women entrepreneurship support projects with budgets of $250,000 to $6 million. Priorities include access to equity capital, women-focused incubators and accelerators, and procurement markets. Services must be bilingual and delivered nationally or across at least four provinces or territories that are not regionally clustered. This is not a direct grant for women-owned SMEs. Applications close November 9, 2026, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time; all project activities must end by March 31, 2031.

• Completed application form in English or French.
• Proposal of no more than 12 pages.
• Two years of audited or review engagement financial statements for the lead applicant.
• Lead applicant incorporation document and completed detailed budget template.
• Partner letters of support, where applicable; Quebec organizations must provide the M-30 disclosure, if applicable.

• Assessment criteria must be met and demonstrated by the applicant; in partnerships, they must be met by at least one organization, and the combined experience of the partners is considered.
• Organization experience and capacity are assessed, including the project team, management structure, similar project management and financial administration experience, and ability to deliver nationally or multi-regionally in both English and French.
• Project objectives, scope and outcomes are assessed for alignment with the Ecosystem Fund, evidence-based ecosystem gaps, national or multi-regional reach, distinctiveness, and fit with priority areas or other Government of Canada objectives.
• Project activities are assessed on relevance, service delivery plan, timelines, sustainability of tools and resources, and clear roles for delivery.
• Risks and mitigation, budget quality and value for money, key partner roles, and the clarity of outcome measurement and data collection are also assessed.

• Use the official 2027 application guide to download the secure application form and budget template; open them with a PDF viewer or reader.
• Complete the application form in English or French, prepare a proposal of no more than 12 pages and attach all required documents.
• Submit electronically using the Submit button at the bottom of the application PDF by November 9, 2026, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.

• If approved, a contribution agreement will set out the legally binding responsibilities and obligations of both parties.
• Successful projects and funded amounts will be publicly disclosed.
• Recipients must produce annual audited financial statements for the duration of the agreement.
• Successful applicants must provide quarterly progress updates, annual reports including audited financials, and a final report.
• Recipients must collect and provide ISED with business participant information and voluntary business diversity characteristics.

• Any proprietary or confidential information in an application must be clearly marked as Proprietary or Confidential on each relevant item or page, or in a statement covering the entire application.
• Information provided in an application may be accessible under the Access to Information Act.
• Once projects are approved, ISED may proactively disclose project information in the public interest, including recipient organization names, project titles, project descriptions and amounts of funding.
• Any document or content submitted as part of the application process remains the property of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.