Funding for
founders
Loans, equity funds, mentorship and pitch competitions for Black and women founders in Canada and Alberta, with amounts and eligibility from each program's own page. Starting with C-Black Pitch and C-ElevateHer, $20,000 CAD in prizes each.
- $20,000 CAD pitch prizes, twice
- Loans up to $250,000
- Mentorship included
- Apply by March 7
C-Tribe x Tech · pitch day August 15, 2027
Two pitch competitions, free to enter
C-Tribe Society, a registered Canadian nonprofit in Edmonton, runs two pitch competitions at C-Tribe Festival. Each awards $20,000 CAD: $10,000 CAD for 1st place, $5,000 CAD for 2nd place, $3,000 CAD for 3rd place, $500 CAD each for runner-ups (four of them).
Finalists get pitch coaching and design help with their decks, then pitch live on August 15, 2027. Applying is free and closes March 7, 2027.
C-Black Pitch
Black, African or Caribbean founders who own a majority controlling stake (more than 50%), in a team of at least two.
C-ElevateHer
Women founders with more than 10% controlling equity in a tech-enabled startup, in a team of at least two.
Both: founders 18 or older; the Startup Stage track is for companies that have raised less than $1,000,000 in total dilutive funding.
Loans, funds and support
For Black entrepreneurs
The federal Black Entrepreneurship Program was renewed in 2025 with up to $189 million over five years, to 2030.
- $10,000 to $250,000
Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE), with BDC · Open
Who it's for: Black business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada.
Start-ups can receive up to $50,000 and existing businesses up to $250,000. FACE runs the application through its online portal and asks for a detailed business plan, two to three years of financial projections and tax returns. More than 800 loans worth over $70.6 million had been approved by October 2025.
Official page - Up to $75,000, plus mentoring
Black Entrepreneur Startup Program
Futurpreneur, with BDC · Open
Who it's for: Self-identified Black entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, Canadian citizens or permanent residents, in business full time for 24 months or less.
An equity-free loan of up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $50,000 from BDC to start or buy a business, plus free mentoring for up to two years.
Official page - $100 million equity fund
Black Entrepreneurs Fund
BDC Capital
Who it's for: Black-led businesses with strong growth potential.
An equity fund, so it invests in your company rather than lending to it.
Official page - Venture capital
BKR Capital
BKR Capital
Who it's for: Black-led tech start-ups.
Canada's first institutionally backed Black-led venture capital firm.
Official page - Research and data
Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
Carleton University (central hub at the University of Alberta)
Who it's for: Founders, researchers and the organizations that support them.
Research on Black entrepreneurship in Canada, with regional hubs including one at the University of Alberta.
Official page
Loans, funds and support
For women entrepreneurs
The federal Women Entrepreneurship Strategy was renewed in 2026 with $173.7 million over five years.
- Up to $150,000
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) loans
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs · Open
Who it's for: Women entrepreneurs with majority ownership (50.1% or more) of a business in Alberta.
Repayable loans, typically from prime plus 2% to prime plus 4%, with more available through AWE's lending partners. AWE also delivers the federal Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund in Alberta.
Official page - Up to $50,000
Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
Delivered in Alberta by AWE, Nventure and NACCA · Accepting applications
Who it's for: Women entrepreneurs.
A federal loan fund renewed with $30 million in October 2026. Nearly 1,600 loans totalling over $50 million have been made so far.
Official page - Up to $50,000
WEOC National Loan Program
Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada · Open
Who it's for: Canadian citizens or permanent residents, 19 or older, whose business is more than 50% women-owned and has gross revenue of $2 million or less.
No minimum credit score. Rates of prime plus 4% or less, with terms up to five years.
Official page - $500 million investment platform
Thrive Platform
BDC Capital
Who it's for: Women-led Canadian technology companies, pre-seed to Series B (Thrive Venture Fund).
Includes the $350 million Thrive Venture Fund for direct investments and the $50 million Thrive Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Fund. It builds on BDC's former Women in Technology Venture Fund.
Official page - Research and resources
Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH)
Toronto Metropolitan University
Who it's for: Women founders and the organizations that support them.
A national network with 10 regional hubs, sharing research and resources on women's entrepreneurship.
Official page
Loans, funds and support
For founders 18 to 39
Open to young entrepreneurs of any background.
- Financing up to $75,000, plus mentorship
Futurpreneur
Futurpreneur, with BDC · Open
Who it's for: Entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 with more than 50% controlling ownership.
Loans paired with mentorship to start or buy a business. Futurpreneur also runs the Black Entrepreneur Startup Program above.
Official page
For nonprofits
Funds for organizations
These fund the groups that support founders, not founders directly.
WES Ecosystem Fund
Up to $80 million for Canadian not-for-profits operating at least three years, for national projects of $250,000 to $6,000,000. Proposals were due November 9, 2026.
Source: Government of CanadaBlack Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund
For Black-led not-for-profits. In Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba it is delivered by PrairiesCan ($15.2 million), and that intake is closed.
Source: Government of Canada
Amounts and eligibility are as each program states them on November 8, 2026, in Canadian dollars. Programs change: confirm on the official page before you apply.
Watch
Hear it from the programs
From the programs' own channels. Videos load only when you press play.
Launch or grow your business with FuturpreneurFuturpreneur on YouTube Preparing to Apply for the FACE Loan: Your Essential GuideFACE Coalition on YouTube Shades of Success: a BESP docuseries, Episode 1Futurpreneur on YouTube Introducing the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge HubWEKH on YouTube Women Entrepreneurship StrategyISED Canada on YouTube How BDC supports entrepreneursBDC on YouTube
Before you apply
Good to know
Loan, equity or prize
Loans (FACE, Futurpreneur, AWE, WEOC) are paid back with interest. Equity funds (BDC's Black Entrepreneurs Fund and Thrive, BKR Capital) take a share of your company. Pitch prizes like C-Black and C-ElevateHer are neither.
Have your numbers ready
Lenders ask for a business plan, financial projections and recent tax returns. FACE lists all three.
Check the ownership rule
Programs set different bars: more than 50% for FACE-backed and Futurpreneur loans, 50.1% for AWE, more than 10% controlling equity for C-ElevateHer.
BDC news
The federal government has announced it intends to merge BDC and EDC. For now, BDC says it remains BDC.
FAQ
Funding for founders
Are there grants for Black entrepreneurs in Canada?
What funding is there for women entrepreneurs in Alberta?
Who can apply to Futurpreneur?
When are C-Black Pitch and C-ElevateHer?
Does C-Tribe give loans?
Pitch in August
Applications close March 7, 2027. Pitch day is at C-Tribe Festival in Edmonton.
Photo and video credits
C-Tribe photos are our own. Edmonton photos are from Wikimedia Commons: Walterdale Bridge by Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0; Edmonton skyline by Matthew Boonstra, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos are embedded from the programs' YouTube channels.