Canada’s 2027 Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Fund: Eligibility, Budget, and November 9 Deadline

Updated official information: 2026-11-05

• The Government of Canada’s 2027 Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund will provide up to $80 million in non-repayable contributions over four years.
• Eligible applicants are Canadian-incorporated not-for-profit organizations proposing bilingual national or multi-regional projects with budgets from $250,000 to $6 million.
• Applications must be submitted by November 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, with the application form, budget, proposal, financial statements, incorporation documents, and partner letters where applicable.

What the 2027 WES Ecosystem Fund supports

The 2027 Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund is a Government of Canada funding opportunity for organizations that help women entrepreneurs and majority women-owned businesses start, maintain, grow, or scale. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will make up to $80 million available through non-repayable contribution agreements, with funding distributed over four years beginning in 2027–28.

This is not a direct grant for individual business owners. The call is aimed at organizations that deliver business supports, strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem, or address service gaps affecting women entrepreneurs across Canada.

The application deadline is November 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Funding decisions are expected in winter or spring 2027. Approved projects must complete their funded activities by March 31, 2031.

Who can apply?

The lead applicant must be a Canadian-incorporated not-for-profit organization or association that has operated for at least three years. Eligible organization types include business and entrepreneur support organizations, research or innovation hubs, post-secondary institutions and research institutes, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations, diverse-supplier certification organizations, and eligible non-profit social enterprises or co-operatives.

Consortia may also apply. A partnership involving for-profit organizations must be led by the eligible not-for-profit organization. Private-sector organizations can participate as partners, but they cannot be the lead applicant.

The organization must also meet at least one of these conditions:

• Its established mandate focuses on supporting women or women entrepreneurs.
• It has offered programming focused on women entrepreneurs or women’s skills development within the past three years.

Previous WES funding recipients may apply, and organizations that have never received WES funding may also apply. However, each applicant may submit only one application package. If multiple applications are submitted, only the most recent one will be reviewed.

Project requirements to check first

Before spending time on a proposal, confirm that the project fits the call’s basic parameters. A proposal must:

• Support women entrepreneurs or businesses that are at least 51% women-owned.
• Be national in scope or serve at least four provinces and territories that are not regionally clustered.
• Deliver project services and products in both English and French.
• Have a total project budget between $250,000 and $6 million.
• Finish all funded activities by March 31, 2031.

Projects serving all provinces and territories may receive priority. The guide also signals a preference for work supporting diverse, intersectional, or underserved groups, women in traditionally male-dominated sectors, trade and export diversification, and other federal objectives.

Which project ideas fit the priorities?

The strongest alignment will usually come from projects focused on one or more of three priority areas:

1. Access to equity capital: helping women entrepreneurs understand, prepare for, or connect with equity financing.
2. Women-focused accelerators and incubators: delivering structured programming that helps businesses develop, grow, or scale.
3. Procurement and supplier diversity: improving access to corporate, institutional, or public-sector purchasing opportunities.

A project does not have to match one of those priorities. An organization can propose another type of business support if it demonstrates a clear, evidence-based need and explains how the project strengthens the broader women entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Eligible activities may include training, education, financial or strategic planning, networking, mentorship, coaching, matchmaking, advisory services, and other capacity-building supports. The proposal should connect each activity to a specific gap and measurable result rather than describing a general range of services.

How to build a competitive proposal

Start with the service gap

Explain who is underserved, where the gap exists, and how you know. Useful evidence might include participant data, evaluation findings, documented demand, consultations, or research. Then show why the proposed activities are practical for the regions and communities you plan to serve.

Map the delivery model

Describe whether services will be online, in person, or delivered through a combination of both. Identify the provinces and territories involved, the points of service, the recruitment plan, and how participants will access programming in both official languages.

Make partners concrete

Partnerships are encouraged, but a list of logos is not enough. Explain what each partner will do, what experience it brings, how long it has operated, and how it improves the project’s reach or expertise. Obtain signed letters of support from partners before submission when applicable.

Use measurable outcomes

The proposal should include both qualitative and quantitative results. For example, you might measure the number of entrepreneurs receiving training or mentorship, changes in financing knowledge, new business registrations, procurement connections, or employment growth. The measures should match the activities and be realistic for the requested budget.

Budget and document checklist

The application guide sets a maximum of 12 pages for the project proposal, using 12-point font and double spacing. Graphs and charts count toward the limit. The application package must also include:

• The completed application form in English or French.
• The project proposal, no longer than 12 pages.
• Two years of financial statements for the lead applicant, either audited or review engagement statements.
• The lead applicant’s incorporation document.
• The completed budget detail template.
• Signed partner letters of support, where applicable.
• Disclosure about whether Quebec’s M-30 legislation applies, for Quebec-based organizations.

Build the budget around eligible project costs and explain how each major cost supports the work plan. The assessment looks for adequate detail, value for money, and a credible connection between spending and expected results. Include data collection, reporting, and management costs where needed because recipients will have ongoing performance-reporting responsibilities.

How to submit the application

The official application uses secure PDF forms. Download the files to a computer and open them with a non-browser PDF reader such as Adobe Reader. The forms cannot be completed reliably on a phone, tablet, or inside a standard web browser.

Open the official WES Ecosystem Fund page for the current application instructions and downloadable forms.

Download and complete the application form, attach the proposal and supporting documents, then use the form’s built-in Submit button. The budget must be completed separately and attached with the rest of the package.

Submit early rather than waiting for November 9. ISED says technical problems within the final 24 hours will not normally be accepted as a reason for a late application, and documents sent after the deadline will not be considered. If you need an accessible submission format or encounter a technical problem, contact the WES central inbox before the deadline at wes-sfe@ised-isde.gc.ca.

What happens after submission?

ISED aims to acknowledge receipt of a completed and signed application package within 48 hours on business days. Applications are assessed competitively against the guide’s criteria, including organizational capacity, the evidence behind the identified gap, national or multi-regional reach, bilingual delivery, partner contributions, risk planning, budget quality, and expected results.

Funding decisions are expected in winter or spring 2027, and applicants will be notified in writing. If approved, the organization will enter into a contribution agreement with ISED. Costs incurred before approval and before the agreement is signed are not eligible for reimbursement.

Successful recipients must provide performance information, collect participant business data, submit reports, and produce annual audited financial statements during the agreement. A proposal should therefore include a practical system for tracking participants, outcomes, privacy-sensitive information, and reporting deadlines from the beginning.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Proposing a local project without showing national or qualifying multi-regional reach.
• Using a budget below $250,000 or above $6 million.
• Describing bilingual service as a general intention without explaining how English and French delivery will work.
• Submitting a proposal longer than 12 pages.
• Leaving partner roles or letters of support until the last minute.
• Assuming a for-profit organization can apply as the lead.
• Starting project spending before approval and signing a contribution agreement.
• Submitting more than one application or relying on a last-minute technical fix.

The safest next step is to download the official guide and forms, test that your organization and project meet the basic requirements, and work backward from the November 9, 2026, Pacific Time deadline.

Helpful Links

• 2027 WES Ecosystem Fund – Review the official call, eligibility summary, application deadline, and downloadable forms.
• 2027 WES Ecosystem Fund application guide – Read the complete eligibility rules, proposal requirements, assessment criteria, submission instructions, and reporting obligations.
• Frequently asked questions: WES Ecosystem Fund – Check official answers about partnerships, eligible costs, submission problems, reporting, and expected decision timing.
• WES Ecosystem Fund Application Form – Official page referenced in the article.
• ISED-ISDE3829E – Budget Detail Template – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can a for-profit business apply directly to the 2027 WES Ecosystem Fund?

A. No. The lead applicant must be a qualifying Canadian-incorporated not-for-profit organization or association. A private-sector organization may participate as a partner, but it cannot lead the application.

Q. Does a project have to serve every province and territory?

A. No, but it must be national in scope or serve at least four provinces and territories that are not regionally clustered. Projects serving all provinces and territories may receive priority.

Q. Can applicants spend money before receiving approval?

A. No. Costs incurred before the application is approved and a contribution agreement is signed are not eligible for reimbursement under the program.

Q. When will WES Ecosystem Fund applicants hear about the decision?

A. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada says funding decisions are expected in winter or spring 2027. Applicants will be notified in writing whether their application is approved or rejected.