BC Agriculture and Food Export Program

Insider Tip

The funding cap for producers and processors is the LOWER of $50,000 OR 30% of the previous year's annual revenues — if your revenues are under $167,000, your effective cap is below $50,000. Industry associations have the most generous terms: 70% program funding (30% applicant cash) with up to $75,000/year. The annual intake window is narrow (about 3-4 weeks in January/February) — prepare your application during December-January. Market research and product adaptation planning are each individually capped at $25,000/year.

Rejection Pitfalls 6

• Products are not grown or processed in BC
• Annual gross revenues below $100,000 for 2 consecutive years (producers/processors)
• Proposed activities are ineligible (e.g., consumer-focused tradeshow participation, Google Search Ads, excessive per diems)

Success Profile

BC agriculture or food/beverage company ($100K+ annual revenue for 2 consecutive years) with BC-grown or BC-processed products ready for international markets. Planning to attend an export trade show, develop targeted marketing collateral, or conduct market research in a new export geography. Industry associations coordinating sector-wide inbound buyer missions or market intelligence programs are the highest-value applicants per dollar of program funding.

Evaluation Criteria

Competitive merit review assessing: (1) export market readiness of BC products — is the company ready to sell internationally with BC-grown/processed products?; (2) quality and specificity of the export marketing plan — which markets, what activities, what expected outcomes?; (3) project budget realism and completeness, including supporting quotes for items over $5,000; and (4) alignment with program priorities for BC agriculture and food export development.

Application Steps

Required Documents 6

Eligible Expenses 7

• Export market trade show and food fair participation
• Consumer-focused promotional activities in export markets
• Export marketing collateral (brochures, packaging, product samples)
• Advertising and social media campaigns targeting export markets
• Market research and market intelligence (capped at $25,000/year)
• Product adaptation planning (capped at $25,000/year)
• Inbound buyer missions (industry associations only)

Ineligible Expenses 6

• Consumer-focused domestic or Canadian trade show participation
• Google Search Ads
• Per diems for meals only (without structured activity context)
• Accommodation exceeding basic room rates and taxes
• Activities targeting domestic BC or Canadian markets
• Capital equipment purchases

Intake Periods

Annual — intake opens January each year, closes mid-February. Project period: April 1 to March 1 of the following year. Program runs through 2028.

Deadline Notes

Annual intake cycle. 2026 intake: opened January 19, 2026, closed February 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST; project start April 1, 2026; project deadline March 1, 2027. Next intake expected January 2027. Program runs through 2028 under Sustainable CAP.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Companies whose products are not grown or processed in BC
• Producers/processors with less than $100,000 in annual revenues for 2 consecutive years
• Organizations targeting domestic BC or Canadian markets only
• Retailers and distributors without BC production or processing operations

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

Low clawback risk for properly documented expenses. Repayment required if claimed costs are determined ineligible on audit, if the funding agreement obligations are not met, or if the project is not completed by the March 1 deadline.