Métis Women Entrepreneurship (MWE) Grant & Loan Program provides commercial financing to help Métis Women start or expand businesses in Manitoba. This program offers up to $50,000.00 in financing composed of a grant and loan.

Program Eligibility

• Businesses must be minimum 51% Métis & Woman owned and controlled, with valid MMF Métis Citizenship Card(s).
• The principal female Métis-owner must be actively involved in the business on a day-to-day basis and have the specific skills, training, and knowledge to carry out the business.
• Businesses must be headquartered in Manitoba and at least one Métis owner must be a Manitoba resident.
• Applicant(s) must have a minimum of 5% of total project costs in non-borrowed cash equity.

LRCC's financial services are extended and delivered on the basis of prudent and sound business principles and practices so as to protect the integrity of its capital base and to ensure the continued delivery of its services. Business grants and loans are not designed to assist everyone. The applicant has to meet several basic requirements, in addition to specific conditions that will be identified as the application progresses.

Funding

The program provides up to $50,000.00 in funding, and a portion of this amount may be a non-repayable grant.

LRCC is not able to provide funding to cover any costs already incurred by the business owner(s), prior to approval. We strongly recommend reaching out to LRCC staff before incurring costs related to your project.

Eligible costs include, but are not limited to:

• Cost of external labor to complete projects;
• Capital costs: purchase of machinery, equipment, leasehold improvements and renovations;
• Operating costs: inventory, insurance, rent, utilities;
• Marketing and promotional material costs;
• Other costs necessary to support the purpose of the funding.

Equity

The owners must be able to make a cash investment of no less than 5% of the total project costs. For example, the financing breakdown for a $10,000.00 start-up may look like:

• Client Cash Equity Requirement (5%) = $500.00
• Business Grant = $3,000.00
• Business Loan = $6,500.00.

How is the grant portion of the financing calculated?

The grant portion of your financing is calculated based on a number of factors including:

• The types of costs related to your project.
• The % of Métis Women ownership (51% minimum).
• Previously received grant funding if applicable.
• The financial strength of the business and its owners.

Please note that in cases of high net worth, a grant may be deemed ineligible based on a lack of need.

Application process

We strongly recommend applying 2-3 months before you expect to carry out your project if possible. This will generally allow for sufficient time for an application to be approved, fulfill any conditions, and disburse the grant & loan funds accordingly.

Please allow up to 4-6 weeks for processing an application once we receive all the necessary documentation. Failure to provide the necessary documentation and answers to questions in a timely manner will result in application processing delays.

MWE Grant & Loan Info Sheet

MWE Grant & Loan Application Form

Personal Statement of Affairs (required with each application; each owner must fill out a separate form)

Other required application documents will be provided upon request. Please contact our office directly and speak to our team for more details about MWE.