LETHBRIDGE, AB, June 22, 2026 /CNW/ - Building the strongest economy in the G7 requires the full and equal participation of women. As Canada unlocks new capital and new ideas to grow its economy, women entrepreneurs are essential to starting businesses, creating jobs and strengthening communities across the country.

Today, the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), announced $173.7 million over five years to continue the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) and help more women entrepreneurs access the financing, training and networks they need to start and grow their businesses.

Women entrepreneurs continue to face real barriers: greater difficulty accessing capital, fewer mentorship opportunities and connections to networks, and a lack of data that shape business support programs. Those gaps leave talent and growth on the table at a moment when Canada needs both.

This investment includes funding for the not-for-profit organizations that administer the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, enabling them to continue offering microloans of up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs across Canada. This will build on the more than 1,600 loans that Loan Fund partners have already delivered to women entrepreneurs.

The investment also includes funding for the WES Ecosystem Fund, which supports not-for-profit organizations in delivering advisory services, business training and mentorship to help women entrepreneurs start, grow and scale their businesses.

In addition, the federal government will continue to support the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. With 10 regional hubs and a network of over 250 partners, the Knowledge Hub brings together researchers, business support organizations and key stakeholders to produce the research and insights that help grow women's entrepreneurship in Canada.

Since its launch in 2018, WES has supported more than 500,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada, and today's investment will build on that proven record. Women entrepreneurs also benefit from the federal government's broader efforts to strengthen small businesses, including tariff relief measures, funding for AI adoption, red tape reduction, and support for exporting to new markets.

Quote

"Women entrepreneurs are essential to building the strongest economy in the G7. They create jobs, strengthen communities and contribute to a Canada that is strong for everyone. By continuing to invest in the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, our government is making sure more women have what they need to start, grow and build businesses."

– The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

Quick facts

• The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) is a more than $7 billion investment. The renewed funding includes:
  • $59 million for the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, which funds partner organizations to deliver loans of up to $50,000 to women business owners and entrepreneurs
  • $100 million for the WES Ecosystem Fund, which is helping women entrepreneurs access networks, training and mentorship to start up, scale up and access new markets
  • $7 million for the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, which serves as a one-stop source of knowledge, data and best practices for women entrepreneurs
  • nearly $8 million over five years to support WES program operating costs
• The government is also investing in removing systemic barriers faced by diverse entrepreneurs through programs like the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program and organizations like Futurpreneur.

Stay connected

Follow Canada Business on social media.

X (Twitter): @canadabusiness | Facebook: Canada Business | Instagram: @cdnbusiness

Follow the department on LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

For easy access to government programs for businesses, download the Canada Business app.

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada