Grants for Women Entrepreneurs in Canada: What's Actually Open in November 2026
Grants for women entrepreneurs in Canada, sorted honestly into grants, loans and tax credits, with what's open, always open and closed as of November 2026.
Updated November 2026. Programs open and close through the year. Every status below was read on the program's own page on 5 November 2026, so check that page again before you apply.
The BDC loan for women that tops most lists this year stopped taking applications on 30 September 2026. CanExport, the federal export grant, says all applications for its 2026–27 intake have been processed. And the federal fund with "Women Entrepreneurship" in its name is a loan fund.
Each of those facts sits on the program's own page. Most lists of grants for women in Canada still put loans, tax credits and last year's closed rounds together and call all of it a grant. If you've spent an evening clicking through programs that turned out to be loans or expired, you're in good company: one thread on r/canadasmallbusiness is titled "Finally found some legit Canadian grants for women that aren't expired."
So this list is sorted by what each program actually is and whether you can apply this week. It covers the federal programs anyone in Canada can look at, plus examples from British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Grants for women entrepreneurs in Canada: the list, sorted
Each program name links to its official page, which is where every amount and status below comes from.
| Program | What it is | Who it's for | Up to | Status, 5 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Grant (WomensNet) | Grant | Businesses at least 50% women-owned, in Canada or the US | Three $15,000 grants a month | Open, closes the last day of each month |
| Canada's Total Mom Pitch | Pitch competition | Mom-identifying women founders outside Quebec, sales under $2,000,000 | $10,000 cash plus about $40,000 in services | Open until 15 Nov 2026 |
| Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund | Loan | Women entrepreneurs starting or growing a business | $50,000 | Open, partners "currently accepting applications" |
| Alberta Women Entrepreneurs loans | Loan | Women-owned businesses in Alberta | $150,000 | Through an adviser, no window stated |
| Futurpreneur Startup Program | Loan plus a mentor | Founders aged 18 to 39 | $75,000 | Any time |
| Canada Small Business Financing Program | Loan through your bank | Revenue of $10 million or less | $1.15 million | Any time, through a bank or credit union |
| NRC IRAP | Funding, after advice | Incorporated tech businesses, up to 500 staff | Not published | Starts with a phone call |
| SR&ED | Tax credit | Businesses doing research and development in Canada | 15%, or 35% for some corporations | Claim with your taxes |
| B.C. Employer Training Grant | Grant | B.C. employers training staff or new hires | $10,000 per person, $300,000 a year | Open for 2026/27 |
| B.C. Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit | Tax credit | B.C. corporations making games, educational software and similar | 25% of the wages it covers | Claim with your taxes |
| Alberta Innovates Venture Development Grant | Grant | Alberta tech ventures, fewer than 250 staff | $150,000 | Open, due date "Continuous" |
| Starter Company Plus (Ontario) | Grant plus training | Ontario residents starting, expanding or buying a business | $5,000 | Through a local advisory centre, no dates on the provincial page |
| BMO Celebrating Women Grant | Grant | Businesses owned by women or non-binary founders, two years old, $50,000+ revenue | $10,000 | Closed, the 2026 window ended 23 April |
| BDC Inclusive Entrepreneurship Loan | Loan | Businesses at least 51% owned and led by women, Indigenous or Black founders | $350,000 | Closed since 30 Sep 2026 |
| CanExport SMEs | Grant | Canadian businesses expanding abroad | $50,000 | Closed, 2026–27 intake processed |
| Innovate BC Innovator Skills Initiative | Grant | B.C. employers hiring for tech roles | $10,000 per hire | Closed |
Open now
Three programs are open right now with a date to work to. The Amber Grant runs every month: three $15,000 grants, a deadline of 11:59 pm Eastern on the last day of the month, and a $15 application fee that WomensNet says is the only fee it charges. It's run from New York and the page doesn't name a currency, so don't count on Canadian dollars. Canada's Total Mom Pitch closes at 11:59 pm on 15 November 2026 and charges $35 to apply; the winner gets $10,000 in cash and roughly $40,000 in sponsor services. And the B.C. Employer Training Grant is open for training that starts in the 2026/27 fiscal year, which runs to 31 March.
Two more are open without a deadline. Alberta Innovates shows the Venture Development Grant with "Intake Status: Open" and "Due date: Continuous". The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund's partners are, in the government's words, "currently accepting applications for loans."
One warning on the training grant: the money can run out before the year does. In December 2024 WorkBC posted that the budget was "fully allocated for the 2024/25 fiscal year," months before that year ended. If you're planning training before March, apply early.
Always open: loans through an adviser or your bank
Loans don't usually have intake windows. You start when you're ready, with an adviser or a bank.
Futurpreneur lends up to $75,000, part of it from BDC, to founders aged 18 to 39, and you have to work with a mentor to get it. WEOC Loans, the women's enterprise network's share of the federal loan fund, go up to $50,000 for businesses over 50% women-owned with revenue of $2 million or less. In Alberta, AWE lends up to $150,000 at Prime plus 2% to Prime plus 4%. And the Canada Small Business Financing Program lets a bank or credit union lend up to $1.15 million with the government sharing the risk, but the lender alone decides.
Claim with your taxes
Tax credits run the other way round from a grant: you do the work and spend the money, then claim it when you file. SR&ED earns a credit at a basic rate of 15%, and Canadian-controlled private corporations can earn 35% on the research spending that counts. Corporations generally have 18 months after the tax year end to claim. In B.C., the interactive digital media tax credit is 25% of the salaries and wages it covers, for corporations making things like video games and educational software, and you register with the province every year you claim.
If taxes are already the scary part of your year, our post on the surprise tax bill in your first year is a gentler place to start.
Closed until the next round
BDC's Inclusive Entrepreneurship Loan, CanExport SMEs, the BMO Celebrating Women Grant and Innovate BC's Innovator Skills Initiative are all closed, and none of them gives a reopening date. CanExport says information on future intakes "will be posted here when available." BMO's 2026 window was three weeks long, 2 to 23 April, so if it runs again, the time to write your answers is before it opens.
Are there grants just for women in Canada?
Yes, but fewer than the lists suggest. On this list, the three women-only programs that give money you don't repay (the Amber Grant, the BMO grant and the Total Mom Pitch) all come from private funders. The women-specific federal program here is the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, and it's a loan.
So look at the general programs too. On this list they go higher: the B.C. training grant reaches $300,000 a year and Alberta's Venture Development Grant $150,000, while the women-only grants pay $10,000 to $15,000 each. A woman-owned business can apply to them on the same terms as anyone else.
Is the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund a grant or a loan?
It's a loan. The government's page says it "provides women entrepreneurs with up to $50,000 loans to start or grow their businesses," delivered through four organizations: WEOC, NACCA (for Indigenous entrepreneurs), Nventure and Evol.
In B.C. the WEOC partner is WeBC, in Alberta it's AWE, and in northern Ontario it's PARO. WEOC says an adviser in your region will contact you within about two business days of filling in its form.
Do I have to be incorporated to get a grant?
For some of the biggest programs, yes. NRC IRAP works only with businesses that are "incorporated, for-profit, and operating in Canada," and Alberta's Venture Development Grant wants an incorporated company or a partnership registered in Alberta.
Plenty don't ask. Starter Company Plus, the Amber Grant and the WEOC loans state no incorporation rule on their pages. Futurpreneur wants your business registered and operating in Canada, which a registered sole proprietorship can be. If this is pushing you toward incorporating, read sole proprietor or incorporate before you pay for it, and if you're in B.C., here's how registering a business works.
Can a sole proprietor get a grant?
Sometimes. IRAP says plainly that it doesn't support "sole proprietorships or partnerships." BMO's terms, on the other hand, list "a corporation, organization, partnership or sole proprietorship" as a business that can apply, and SR&ED is open to "corporations, individuals, trusts, and partnerships." Read each program's own rules before you start writing; it's the fastest way to save an evening.
Grants for starting a business vs growing one
Starting-out money in Canada is mostly loans with support attached. Futurpreneur takes businesses that are not yet operating or have been operating full time for 24 months or less, Starter Company Plus covers starting, expanding or buying a business with up to $5,000, and the Amber Grant has a start-up grant for businesses at the idea stage or under $10,000 in revenue.
Growth grants usually want proof first. BMO asked for two years of sales and $50,000 in revenue. The Venture Development Grant wants a 25% cash contribution and evidence you've reached its readiness levels. Starter Company Plus asks for a contribution of at least 25% of the grant, in cash or in kind.
One honest note: if your business is a service business, most of the larger government grants here aren't built for you. IRAP, the Venture Development Grant and the digital media credit all fund technology. That's a gap, and our report with the Elleiance Network, Funding the Unfundable, found grants were still the most common outside funding among 710 women who applied to the Capital Elle award.
How to write a grant application
Answer the question the funder actually asks, in the order they ask it. WomensNet judges three things: your story, your plans for the business, and exactly how you'd spend the grant. Alberta Innovates says you're ready when you can name your customer, the gap holding you back, the milestones you'll hit and the evidence you'll produce.
A few things that help across most of them:
- Give the money a job. "$4,000 for a bookkeeper to set up my accounts before tax season" beats "to grow my business."
- Use numbers you can show. Revenue, customers, a waitlist, a quote from a supplier.
- Write it yourself. BMO's 2026 rules said using AI tools for any part of the application, written or video, would mean disqualification.
- Keep a copy of every answer. Funders ask similar questions, and next year's BMO window may again be three weeks.
How long does approval take?
It depends on the program, and a few publish it. The B.C. training grant tells applicants within 60 days whether they're approved, denied or returned unassessed. Amber Grant winners are announced by the 21st of the following month. Once a WEOC loan is approved and signed, the money arrives within 10 business days.
IRAP is slower by design: it "typically starts with advice and referrals before any funding is provided." If you need money this month, a loan or a line of credit through your bank is the faster route.
FAQ
Is there free money to start a business in Canada?
A little, and most of it is small or competitive: Starter Company Plus in Ontario offers up to $5,000, and private grants like Amber are open every month. Most government money for starting out is a loan.
Is it normal to pay an application fee?
A small, disclosed fee is how some private grants run: Amber charges $15 and the Total Mom Pitch $35. Nobody legitimate asks you to pay to receive money you've already won.
Where do I find programs for my province?
The federal Business Benefits Finder builds a list from a few questions about your business. Check each result's own page for its status before you write anything.
Are there grants for bidding on government work or for joining an accelerator?
They're different routes to money and support. See how to bid on government contracts in Canada, accelerators for women founders and business awards for women entrepreneurs.
Keeping track after tonight
What makes grants hard is timing: noticing when the right one opens, then getting the answers written before it closes. Athena Collective members have a Grants board for that. Staff collect each call from its official page, keep the quoted sentence behind every fact, and re-read open calls every week. Each one is labelled grant, loan or tax credit, and marking one "Applying" turns it into a plan with the funder's checks, a writing step and the day you mean to send it (two days before it closes is the suggestion), with reminders along the way. You can see what membership includes here.
Whatever you use, put three dates in your calendar this week: 15 November for the Total Mom Pitch, 30 November for this month's Amber Grant, and early April, when BMO's window opened this year.