Deadline Date: November 27, 2025
The Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) Ecosystem Fund aims to break down barriers and create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs by strengthening the Black entrepreneurship ecosystem across Canada’s Prairie provinces.
The program’s objective is to enable Black-led not-for-profit organizations to provide incubator/accelerator programming, mentorship, financial planning, and business development and advisory services and training to Black Canadian entrepreneurs and business owners to help them grow their businesses and succeed.
The Government of Canada has renewed and expanded the Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) Ecosystem Fund through 2030, with PrairiesCan delivering $15.2 million to support organizations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. This initiative provides non-repayable contributions ranging from $250,000 to $3,000,000 per project, allowing Black-led not-for-profit organizations to deliver high-impact business services including mentorship, networking, training, outreach, and capacity building. Projects can last up to five years and must be completed by March 31, 2030.
Applicants must be Black-led, not-for-profit organizations located in Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba, incorporated either federally or provincially, and operating with a mandate focused on supporting members of Black communities in Canada. Eligible organizations must have the capacity to deliver business support or advisory services and engage effectively with the Black entrepreneurship community. Black-led organizations are defined as those where at least two-thirds of leadership positions and governance structures are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black.
Eligible organizations include incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs, business and entrepreneur support organizations, and entities that support social enterprises or cooperatives. Applications may be submitted individually or in partnership, and consortium applications must include signed letters of support outlining each partner’s role, contributions, and relevant experience.
Funded projects must address a need in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for Black Canadians in the Prairie provinces and align with one or more key activities such as business accelerators and incubators, networking, matchmaking and mentorship, and capacity building. Eligible costs include labour, materials, consultancy fees, advisory expenses, operating costs, subcontracting, promotional materials, and specialized services directly related to project activities. Costs may also be eligible retroactively for up to 12 months before the receipt of a funding request, but not earlier than April 1, 2025.
Ineligible costs include refinancing of existing debts, infrastructure improvements such as building construction or expansion, purchase of assets above fair market value, land acquisition, goodwill, entertainment or hospitality expenses, and donations or membership fees.
The intake is open until November 27, 2025, or until all funding is fully committed. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply early to secure support for their projects aimed at empowering Black entrepreneurs and strengthening economic growth in the Prairie provinces.
For more information, visit PrairiesCan.
