The call for proposals of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative is now closed. We are no longer accepting applications.
The WES Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative will fund projects that strengthen and build a more inclusive venture capital environment for Canadian women.
The Government of Canada continues to be committed to advancing gender equality, women's economic empowerment, and supporting women entrepreneurs through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) .
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What is the Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative?
Women entrepreneurs continue to face systemic barriers within the venture capital ecosystem. Globally, women-led startups received just 2.3% of venture capital funding in 2020.Footnote 1 In 2021, Canadian women accounted for 19.4% of partners at venture capital firms.Footnote 2
To address this barrier, Budget 2021 allocated a total of $15 million towards the WES Inclusive Women Venture Capital Initiative to support projects delivered by not-for-profit organizations that will increase Canadian women entrepreneurs' access to venture capital funding, contribute to increasing representation of women in the Canadian venture capital industry, and reduce biases in the Canadian venture capital industry.