What is Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — Loans and Advisory?
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — Loans and Advisory is delivered by Alberta Women Entrepreneurs as a loan. Funding is typically loans up to $150,000 (larger amounts via lending partners). This page covers eligibility, intake status, and what an application actually requires.
At a glance
| Funding amount | Loans up to $150,000 (larger amounts via lending partners) |
|---|---|
| Cost share | N/A (loan) |
| Level | Provincial |
| Program type | Loan |
| Delivered by | Alberta Women Entrepreneurs |
| Available in | AB |
| Intake status | Open - continuous, no deadline |
| Last verified | 2026-08-24 |
Who qualifies
- Eligible industries: All sectors
- Eligible activities: Business startup; expansion; working capital; equipment
Watch out for
Less than 51% women-owned; outside Alberta
Deadlines & how to apply
Open continuously with no deadline. Loans up to $150,000 directly, larger amounts through lending partners. Rates Prime +2% to Prime +4%, terms up to five years, flexible repayment. Eligibility: at least 50.1% women-owned, registered and operating in Alberta, all shareholders Alberta residents. IMPORTANT: AWE is a non-profit lender, not a government grant program. This is repayable debt, not free money, and should be positioned that way alongside advisory and mentorship services which are the stronger draw for early-stage applicants.
How NorthGrants helps with Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — Loans and Advisory
Most business owners read about Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — Loans and Advisory, see the funding amount, and stop. The hard part isn't finding the grant. It's building an application that actually wins.
NorthGrants builds the full application framework for you: a tailored project narrative aligned to this program's evaluation criteria, a budget structure that maps to eligible costs, and the supporting documentation checklist. You review it, refine the parts only you can write, and submit.