Ottawa renews $30 million in loans for women entrepreneurs
Rechie Valdez, federal Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), is pictured at a 2024 event in Richmond, B.C. Valdez announced $30 million in renewed funding for the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund on October 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Abujahangir
WINNIPEG — The federal government is renewing $30 million in funding for a national loan program that helps women start or expand businesses, with loans of up to $50,000 available through participating nonprofit organizations.
Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism, announced the funding October 13 in Winnipeg.
The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund provides smaller business loans through four organizations: Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, Nventure and Evol.
Participating organizations also offer business support services intended to help entrepreneurs develop and grow their operations.
Since the fund launched in 2022, nearly 1,600 loans worth more than $50 million have been provided to women entrepreneurs across Canada, according to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
The renewed funding is part of the federal government's broader Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, which received a five-year funding commitment of $173.7 million in June 2026.
The strategy supports access to financing, business training and mentorship, particularly for entrepreneurs who face barriers to obtaining conventional business loans.
The government says more than 600,000 women entrepreneurs have received support through the broader strategy since its introduction in 2018.
Women interested in applying for financing can contact one of the participating loan organizations to obtain information about application requirements and eligibility.
The federal government is renewing $30 million in funding for a national loan program that helps women start or expand businesses, with loans of up to $50,000 available through participating nonprofit organizations.