Building the strongest economy in the G7 requires the full and equal participation of women. Through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), the Government of Canada is helping more women entrepreneurs access the financing, training and networks they need to succeed and help strengthen Canada's economy.
Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), announced that Agricultrices du Québec received an additional $628,501 for 2026-2027 through the WES Ecosystem Fund for its Dimension E program, which aims to strengthen women's entrepreneurship in the agricultural and forestry sectors across Canada. This additional investment brings the funding for Dimension E to a total of $3,397,617 since the program launched in 2023-2024.
Dimension E provides tailored bilingual services to women entrepreneurs across Canada, helping them start, grow and sustain agricultural businesses through mentorship, expert advisory services, training, networking opportunities and personalized business support.
The program was developed in response to barriers that disproportionately affect women agricultural entrepreneurs, including challenges in accessing capital, acquiring agricultural assets, balancing family and business responsibilities, and accessing entrepreneurial networks and business advisory services.
Key services include:
- one-on-one business support and coaching for women entrepreneurs
- entrepreneurial mentorship through experienced agricultural business owners
- free consultations with subject matter experts, including agricultural lawyers, tax and accounting specialists, financial planners, marketing advisors, agricultural management consultants, and notaries
- training workshops, conferences and peer-learning opportunities
- resources and tools related to agricultural entrepreneurship and business development
- specialized supports related to agricultural business succession and farm transfer planning
The project also promotes the visibility and recognition of women in agriculture through awareness initiatives such as the Femmes de terre, Femmes de tête campaign, entrepreneur profiles, digital content and other outreach activities designed to showcase role models and encourage greater participation by women in the agricultural economy.
Current projects under the WES Ecosystem Fund are scheduled to end on March 31, 2027. To continue its work to remove barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and to support women entrepreneurs, including in under-represented sectors, the Government of Canada announced in June 2026 that it was renewing funding for WES with a further $173.7 million over five years. A competitive call for proposals is currently under way-closing on November 9, 2026-to identify WES Ecosystem Fund projects for fiscal years 2027-2028 to 2030-2031.
Since its launch in 2018, WES has supported nearly 600,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada. Women entrepreneurs are also benefiting 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.
