Are you an Indigenous woman entrepreneur who is looking for financing for your existing or start-up business project? If so, then look no further and apply now for the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Support Program (IWESP)!

Thanks to Hydro-Québec‘s PHARE project, the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission (FNQLEDC) was able to launch the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Support Program in the fall of 2023.

The objective of the IWESP is to promote access for Indigenous women entrepreneurs to professional resources as part of an existing or start-up business project. It also aims to help them to select appropriate professionals to meet the needs of their project.

The program is divided into two components: the professional fees component and the website component. Here are more details on both of these.

Component 1 : Professional fees

The FNQLEDC is offering to cover up to 75% of professional fees relating to an existing or start-up business project, while complementing existing programs on the market. The maximum contribution per financial year is set at $5,000 per entrepreneur. The program targets non-recurring needs.

Example of fees that may be eligible

Without limitation, here are examples of eligible fees:

• Legal fees
  • Drafting a shareholders’ agreement
  • Incorporation of a company
  • Contract negotiation
• Accounting fees
  • Support for setting up an accounting system
  • Business recovery
  • Human resources expertise

Component 2: Website

The objective of the website component of the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Support Program (IWESP) is to support Indigenous women entrepreneurs in the creation of an Internet site, the development of an existing site or even the implementation of a transactional platform.

The FNQLEDC is offering to assume a maximum amount of $4,000 per project.

Eligibility conditions

To be eligible for the IWESP, regardless of the component, you must meet the following conditions:

• Be a female member of a First Nation in Quebec;
• Have an existing or start-up business project;
• Be registered with the support services of the FNQLEDC.

In addition, you can apply for both components of the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Support Program since they complement each other!

How to register?

To register for one of the two components, you must first complete the form associated with the desired component.

To register for the IWESP professional fees component, complete the following form: Professional fees

If you are more interested in the website component, fill out this form: Website

You will also need to provide a detailed quote for your project. Your application, accompanied by the form and submission, must be sent by email to atremblay@cdepnql.org.

Once everything has been submitted, a selection committee will analyze your application and notify you as soon as a decision is made.

For more information on the IWESP, please call Annick Tremblay at 418-843-1488, ext. 1230.

If you are ever in need of support for your economic development project, regardless of whether it is a business start-up or expansion or even a community-driven project, know that the FNQLEDC’s advisors can support you in your efforts! Do not hesitate to call on our advisors.