U.S. Embassy in Ottawa: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Program (Canada)

AWE is a U.S. Department of State-led initiative established in 2019 to provide women with the professional skills, knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses. Cohorts of approximately 30 women meet online and in-person to learn core business skills such as strategic planning, marketing, and finance, then discuss the material with local facilitators, business leaders, and U.S. exchange alumni mentors.

Objectives

• Train 30 women entrepreneurs from under-represented backgrounds in foundational business skills, including strategic planning, marketing, and finance, through globally recognized curricula like DreamBuilder and/or the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative .
• Empower program participants to create scalable business models.
• Expand participants’ understanding of social enterprise models.
• Foster participants’ ability to promote economic opportunities for women and increase the number of women-led businesses in Canada.
• Facilitate the development of a network of female entrepreneurs and investors in Canada to grow women businesses and drive local partnerships
• Foster alumni engagement through follow-on activities.

Funding Information

• Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $ 25,000 to a maximum of $35,000
• Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
• Length of performance period: 12 months.

Eligible Activities

• Phase 1: Develop and Recruit
  • Develop a curriculum and training materials.
  • Identify, recruit, and train facilitators and mentors from alumni of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs in Canada, the American Chamber of Commerce, and other networks of Canadian women entrepreneurs.
  • Develop a transparent and widely-publicized recruitment process and recruit participants.
• Phase 2: Train the Cohort
  • Organize an in-person launch event/training in Montreal. Organize all event logistics, including participant travel and accommodations, if needed.
  • Facilitate training with the online DreamBuilder and/or Thunderbird’s 100 Million Learners courses through regular virtual or in-person sessions to discuss challenges, share best practices, and receive guidance from facilitators.
  • Organize activities that integrate localized content to supplement the online DreamBuilder or Thunderbird’s 100 Million Learners courses.
  • Establish a support network among participants to foster peer-to-peer learning and collaboration.
• Phase 3: Milestone Finale
  • Organize a closing event in Montreal to showcase AWE participants’ businesses, connect participants with potential investors, and increase participants’ access to funding opportunities. Organize all event logistics, including participant, speaker, or facilitator travel and accommodations, if needed.
    • Closing event session topics must include, but are not limited to:
      • Addressing the unique challenges, needs, and opportunities of women entrepreneurs in accessing capital.
      • Inviting potential investors to participate in the forum and provide funding opportunities for promising women-led businesses.
  • Conduct a pitch competition where selected AWE participants present their business plans to a panel of investors and the winners received seed fundings.
  • Create social media content that showcases AWE success stories.

Participants and Audiences

• The 2025 AWE participants will consist of 30 Canadian women entrepreneurs who:
  • Reside in province of Quebec, Canada.
  • Own social enterprises or businesses.
  • Have 1-5 years of business experience and demonstrate computer proficiency and internet access.
  • Belong to under-represented backgrounds.
  • Are recruited from the province of Quebec via a competitive application process.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following are eligible to apply:
  • U.S. and Canadian registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks, community associations, and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
  • Alumni of U.S. government funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs in Canada
  • Non-profit media organizations
  • Professional trade organizations
  • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
  • Private educational institutions

Ineligibility Criteria

• For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy Ottawa.