Call for Proposals: WES Ecosystem Fund in Canada

The Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) is funding projects through the 2027 WES Ecosystem Fund to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and expand business supports for women entrepreneurs and/or majority women-owned businesses across Canada. The call for proposals is open, with a submission deadline of 9 November 2026 (11:59 pm PST). Opportunity at a Glance

- Funding program: WES Ecosystem Fund (Women Entrepreneurship Strategy)

- Funding provider: Government of Canada, via Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED-ISDE)

- Opportunity type: Call for proposals for non-repayable contribution funding

- Total funding pool: Up to $80 million (non-repayable contribution funding)

- Award amount model: Up to $80 million total; the source does not specify an amount per recipient (varies by selected projects)

- Disbursement timeline: Disbursed over four years, starting in 2027–28

- Eligible applicants: Canadian incorporated not-for-profit organizations (federally or provincially) meeting specified operating and mandate/program criteria

- Eligible geography: Organizations delivering services in Canada (projects must meet national/multi-regional and language requirements noted below)

- Project budget range: $250,000 to $6,000,000

- Project duration limit: Must be completed by 31 March 2031

- Official languages requirement: Must deliver services and products in both official languages as per the Official Languages Act

- Application deadline: 9 November 2026 (11:59 pm PST)

- Submission language: Proposals must be submitted in English or French

About the Opportunity

The WES Ecosystem Fund supports the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy by identifying and selecting projects that provide business support services to women entrepreneurs and strengthen Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem for women. The 2027 call focuses on ecosystem-strengthening work and services that help women start, grow, and scale businesses. Since 2018, the WES Ecosystem Fund has allocated $285 million to strengthen capacity within the entrepreneurship ecosystem to serve women entrepreneurs. (This figure describes historical allocations; the 2027 call’s funding is separate.) Funding and Benefits

- Non-repayable contribution funding: Up to $80 million available to successful applicants.

- Disbursement: Funding will be disbursed over four years, starting in 2027–28.

- Project budget requirement: Eligible project budgets must be between $250,000 and $6,000,000.

- Timing constraint: Projects must be completed by 31 March 2031.

- Language requirement: Funded projects must deliver services and products in both official languages in line with the Official Languages Act.

The source does not specify additional cost-sharing requirements or other payment conditions beyond the contribution model and the disbursement timeline. Who Is Eligible? Eligible lead applicants Projects must be led by a Canadian incorporated (federally or provincially) not-for-profit organization that has been operating for at least three years. Lead applicant criteria (must meet at least one) Lead applicants must meet at least one of the following: - Have an established mandate focused on supporting women entrepreneurs; and/or - Have existing programming (offered within the past three years) focused on women entrepreneurs. Organizations previously funded under WES

This call is open to:

- Organizations that have not previously received WES program funding, and - Organizations that are previous WES funding recipients. Where to confirm additional requirements The source directs applicants to the application guide for further eligibility information. Any detailed exclusions or additional eligibility tests not described in the provided text are Not specified in the source and should be confirmed in the official guide. Eligible Activities or Priority Areas What funded projects must do Eligible projects will offer business support services to: - women entrepreneurs and/or - majority women-owned businesses, and must work to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem for women in Canada. Project scope considerations Funding consideration will be given to projects that: - Are national in scope, or serve a minimum of 4 provinces and territories and are not regionally clustered (multi-regional); - Have a budget between $250,000 and $6,000,000; - Are completed by 31 March 2031; and - Deliver services and products in both official languages per the Official Languages Act. Priority focus areas Priority will be given to projects with focus on: - Access to equity capital; - Women-focused business accelerators and incubators; and/or - Supporting access to procurement and supplier diversity opportunities. Applicants may propose projects that do not align with these priorities if they can demonstrate the project meets a need. The source also indicates that preference may be given to projects serving: - Diverse/intersectional and/or under-served populations of women entrepreneurs; - Women in underrepresented/traditionally male-dominated sectors; - Efforts to diversify trade and exports; and/or - Projects that support other Government of Canada objectives. Why This Opportunity Matters This WES Ecosystem Fund call is designed to strengthen the systems around women entrepreneurship in Canada, not just individual programs. By prioritizing national or multi-regional reach, bilingual service delivery, and targeted support areas such as equity capital, accelerators/incubators, and procurement/supplier diversity, the program aims to expand the availability and effectiveness of business supports for women entrepreneurs and majority women-owned businesses. How to Apply

- Download the application materials:

- Application form (PDF, 89.7 KB) (link provided on the official page) - Project budget form (PDF, 102 KB) (link provided on the official page) The source states that instructions for downloading and completing the PDF forms are in Section 7 of the applicatio