NWT businesses and entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur Support, Micro Business, Strategic Investments, Business Intelligence and Networking)
Services
NWT ITI Funding Programs (SEED, Sector Support, BDIC)
Portfolio of Northwest Territories funding administered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI): SEED (Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development) categories including Entrepreneur Support (up to $25,000/yr covering market and product development, trade shows and expansion), Sector Support (Capital Expansion Incentive up to $30,000 over 2-3 years; Sector Research Support up to $25,000), Business Intelligence and Networking, Micro Business and Strategic Investments; plus BDIC (Business Development and Investment Corporation) loans for businesses. Applications year-round beginning April 1.
Overview
Portfolio of Northwest Territories funding administered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI): SEED (Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development) categories including Entrepreneur Support (up to $25,000/yr covering market and product development, trade shows and expansion), Sector Support (Capital Expansion Incentive up to $30,000 over 2-3 years; Sector Research Support up to $25,000), Business Intelligence and Networking, Micro Business and Strategic Investments; plus BDIC (Business Development and Investment Corporation) loans for businesses. Applications year-round beginning April 1.
Key numbers
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instrument | grant/loan |
| Level | territorial |
| Region | Northwest Territories |
| Administrator | Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (GNWT); BDIC for loans |
| Max per project | $30,000 |
| Max per year | $25,000 |
| Intake status | Open - applications year-round beginning April 1 for most SEED categories (funding Apr 1 - Mar 31 annually) |
| Non-US bias | Supports market and product development, trade show participation and sector diversification; no explicit US bias |
Eligibility
Sector Support
NWT businesses for Capital Expansion Incentive; Indigenous organizations, business associations and municipalities for Sector Research Support
Applicants must be involved in a Minister-designated sector (Agriculture, Energy, Film, Fishing, Knowledge Economy, Tourism, Value-added Manufacturing)
Minimum equity requirements
30% of project costs in Group 1 communities (Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik); 20% in all other NWT communities
What it covers
SEED Entrepreneur Support (up to $25,000/yr)
startup funding, capital asset acquisition (Level 2 communities), market and product development (new market/product development, trade show participation excluding conferences), operational support
SEED Sector Support
Capital Expansion Incentive up to $30,000 over 2-3 years (no single year exceeding $15,000) to defray loan interest on new capital purchases; Sector Research Support up to $25,000 for sector research, planning, product development and marketing campaigns
SEED Business Intelligence and Networking
costs of attending seminars and trade shows
SEED Micro Business
small grants for artists, crafters, filmmakers and renewable resource harvesters
BDIC
term loans, working capital guarantees, standby letters of credit, contributions and venture investments via GNWT-ITI as agent
Market and diversification rules
Market and product development must increase sales of NWT products or promote the NWT
Trade show participation eligible (excluding attendance at conferences) under market and product development
How to apply
Contact the ITI regional Economic Development Officer to discuss the idea before developing a proposal
Download and complete the 2026 SEED Application for Funding form
Submit the application and required documents to your regional ITI office
Stacking notes
Funding is complementary to programs offered by other agencies rather than replacing them
Disclose other government funding; BDIC loans can be layered with SEED grants where rules allow
Notes
As of April 1, 2026, arts and film projects are no longer funded through SEED Programs (separate Arts Funding stream)
Arts Economic Development Program (SEED) can help fund exports of art products to new audiences
BDIC is an independent Crown Corporation of the GNWT; GNWT-ITI acts as its agent
Relevant services
The services below are grant-eligible: CanExport and EDC reimburse up to 50% for incorporated Canadian exporters.
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Grant programs can reimburse up to 50% of eligible market-entry costs. In one free call we tell you honestly whether your product fits a non-US market.
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