New grant available for women in Alberta ag

Credit Unions of Alberta will award two grants worth $10,000 each

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

An Alberta organization is supporting women in agriculture through a grant contest.

Credit Unions of Alberta, through its new Women in Ag Grant program, is awarding two grants of $10,000 each to individuals or businesses.

“Ag businesses can be found in all the communities we operate in, both rural and urban. And we know how hard it is for anyone to build or grow an ag business – but it can be especially challenging for women due to insufficient access to capital and financing,” the program’s webpage says.

Women who are at least 18 years old, are working or planning to work in agriculture are eligible to apply for the grant.

The applications must include a two-page business plan detailing the target market, market strategy and projected revenue and expenses over the next two years.

A judging panel will review the submissions and choose the winners.

The application window closes on July 5. Winners will be notified by July 21 and funds will be distributed no later than Aug. 4.

Other resources are available for female entrepreneurs in Alberta.

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, for examples, can offer loans for small businesses.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce lists multiple support opportunities, and the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy helps support female-owned businesses.

About 17 per cent of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are owned by women, the federal government says.