BC Agriculture and Food Export Program
The BC Agriculture and Food Export Program is funded under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership – a five-year (2023 to 2028) investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen and grow the agriculture and food sector. The program aims to increase sales, reduce market risk, and enhance long-term sustainability for B.C.’s agriculture, food and beverage exporters by providing cost-shared funding to undertake market development activities outside of B.C. that enable sector businesses and associations to maintain, expand and/or diversify export markets.
Eligible Applicants
To be considered eligible for cost-shared funding through the Program, organizations must meet the following criteria:
Be a primary agriculture producer; an agriculture, food and beverage and/or seafood processor; an agriculture, food and beverage cooperative; or, a recognized agriculture, food and/or beverage and/or seafood industry association, board or council;
Note: Please refer to the Program Guide for additional eligibility criteria by organization type
Have a head office in B.C. or be entitled (including being appropriately registered, licensed or certified, as appropriate) to do business in B.C.;
Have the ability to provide, and commit to providing, a minimum percentage of the total Project budget in cash, towards eligible Project costs as follows:
- 50% for producers, processors and cooperatives;
- 30% for industry associations, boards, or councils;
Be selling or marketing a product that is grown or processed in B.C.;
Have total annual gross revenues greater than $100,000 for the two most recent consecutive years (only applies to producers, processors and cooperatives)
Cannabis applicants must hold a Health Canada license for cultivation and/or nursery production, ensuring compliance and good standing with all relevant regulatory bodies in Canada
Note: Cannabis producers, processors, and associations are now eligible for funding. Please see Section 2.3.1 of the Program Guide for more information on eligible products, markets, activities and expenses
Please note that fishers and seafood harvesters are not eligible to receive funding under the BC Agriculture and Food Export Program.
Eligible Activities
Export Market Tradeshows, Food Fairs and Sales Exhibitions
Participating in interprovincial/international tradeshows, food fairs, and sales exhibitions to connect with commercial buyers, including associated costs related to booth rentals, booth accessories and services, translators (if event primarily includes non-English speakers), meeting buyers on the margins of the event, or shipping product samples to and from the event.
Note: expenses related to consumer-focused tradeshows or events are not eligible to receive project funding.
Consumer-Focused Promotional Activities in Export Markets
Conducting consumer-focused retail or food service promotions in export markets, including associated costs such as hiring brand ambassadors, renting pop-up booths, purchasing serving utensils, or shipping samples to and from the retail or food service establishment.
Export Focused Marketing Collateral and Advertising or Social Media Campaigns
Developing export-focused marketing materials, including videos, brochures, rack cards, posters, banners, recipe cards or point-of-sale signage for retail or food service promotions (e.g., shelf talkers, menu inserts, etc.).
Delivering paid advertising campaigns (print, radio, TV, digital) to promote specific products. Hiring a third-party social media contractor in a specific export market for community management, social outreach, content curation and analytics to promote specific products in export markets.
Translating online or print communications to a foreign language to promote a specific product(s) in export markets.
Note: Google Search Ads are not an eligible activity output under the Program
Market Information and Intelligence
Identifying, analyzing, and understanding current and emerging market opportunities, interprovincially and internationally, by acquiring specific and tailored market data (e.g., retail data required to demonstrate product opportunities to new buyers) from qualified market research firms (e.g., Neilsen, Mintel, Euromonitor).
Industry Associations, Boards and Councils may also work to identify, analyze and understand current and emerging market opportunities that support strategic decision-making and export planning related to market opportunities (e.g., industry led research and analysis to assess the viability of new markets) and/or purchase existing market research studies from qualified market research firms (e.g., Neilsen, Mintel, Euromonitor) that supports the industry as a whole.
Note: Funding for this activity will be capped at $25,000 per Applicant, per year.
Inbound Missions
This activity is only applicable to Industry Associations, Boards and Councils
Developing opportunities for companies to participate in industry/sector coordinated activities (such as meetings, site visits, or networking events) to engage with international buyers, explore business opportunities, and learn about the domestic market.
- All activities must occur within British Columbia (i.e., prospective international buyers visiting B.C.)
- Eligible expenses may include:
- Accommodation/travel expenses, which must not exceed basic room rates and taxes)
- Transportation (e.g., to and from site)
- Meals as part of mission activities (per diems are not eligible)
Product Adaptation Planning
Undertaking targeted activities to support product adaptation within existing markets and/or planning for entry into new markets, such as concept design and development of new packaging, including the creation of samples or prototypes, to ensure compliance with market-specific requirements.
Note: Funding for this activity will be capped at $25,000 per Applicant, per year.
Please see Section 2.3.1 of the Program Guide for more information on eligible cannabis-specific activities.
Funding Limits
Applicants may apply under one of two funding streams:
Producers and Processors
For producers, processors and cooperatives, funding is available from a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $50,000 per year or 30% of the previous year’s annual revenues (whichever is lower).
Industry Associations
For industry associations, boards and councils, funding is available from a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $75,000 per year.
Please see Program Guide for funding maximums for specific activities.
Anticipated Program Timelines
| Application Intake Opens | January 19, 2026 |
| Program Information Session (online webinar) | January 21, 2026 |
| Application Intake Closes | February 13, 2026 at 16:00 PST |
| Application Review | February 14 to March 31, 2026 |
| Anticipated Project Start Date | April 1, 2026 |
| Project Completion Deadline | March 1, 2027 |
Application Assessment
All complete Program applications received will be evaluated only on the information submitted and will not be considered if they do not meet eligibility criteria. Eligible applications will be reviewed using a merit-based review process to allocate available cost-share funding to projects that best align with the assessment criteria.
For details, refer to the Program Guide