Nova Scotia Local Supplier Food Safety Support Pilot Program

Insider Tip

The 100% training reimbursement is unusually generous — prioritize enrolling staff in accredited food safety training (HACCP, PCQI, SQF practitioner, BRCGS) before facility upgrade spending, since training claims face no matching requirement. The $20,000 cap is per company across the life of the pilot, so sequence your spending to complete the highest-value training and audit activities first. Perennia's food safety team ([email protected]) will often review a draft project scope before formal submission — take advantage of this pre-submission consultation to align your plan with reimbursable categories.

Success Profile

A Nova Scotia food, beverage, or seafood producer with $250,000–$10M annual revenue, targeting a retailer placement (Sobeys, Loblaws, Costco), food service distributor (Gordon Food Service, Sysco), or institutional buyer (NSHA, school boards) that requires a formal food safety certification (SQF, BRCGS, HACCP, or equivalent). Applicant already has basic food safety practices and is scaling up to a third-party audited standard.

Evaluation Criteria

Perennia reviews applications on: (1) clear food safety goal tied to a market access or buyer requirement; (2) eligible expense categories and reasonable cost estimates; (3) producer's capacity to implement and maintain the target standard; (4) fit with the pilot's focus on retailer/food-service/institutional market readiness; (5) remaining budget under the $20,000 per-company cap and total $1.5M envelope. No competitive scoring — first-come, first-served among eligible projects.

Application Steps

Required Documents 8

Eligible Expenses 7

• Food safety training for staff (HACCP, PCQI, SQF, BRCGS, etc.) — 100% reimbursed
• Third-party food safety certifications and audit fees
• Gap assessments by accredited food safety consultants
• Food safety program development (HACCP plans, SOPs, traceability)
• Facility upgrades required to meet food safety standards (barriers, flooring, temperature monitoring)
• Equipment essential to compliance (metal detectors, sanitation equipment)
• Documentation and recordkeeping systems for food safety

Ineligible Expenses 6

• General facility renovations unrelated to food safety
• Marketing or sales activities
• Salaries of existing staff (apart from training participation)
• Capital expansion beyond food safety requirements
• Activities completed before application approval
• GST/HST

Intake Periods

Rolling intake through July 15, 2026 for the current window. Pilot runs through approximately April 2027 subject to envelope availability. Contact Perennia to confirm subsequent intake windows.

Deadline Notes

Current intake deadline is July 15, 2026. Program is a 2-year pilot that launched April 25, 2025 with a total $1.5M envelope — expected to run through approximately April 2027 subject to available funds. Intake is rolling within the window; applications reviewed as received. Contact Perennia early to confirm envelope availability given the pilot's finite budget.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Producers based outside Nova Scotia
• Producers whose facility is not located in Nova Scotia
• Food service operators (restaurants, caterers) — program targets producers/processors
• Retailers and distributors
• Producers with activities already completed before approval

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

If the producer fails to complete the approved food safety project or misrepresents eligibility, Perennia may recover funds. Certifications must be genuinely pursued — withdrawal or abandonment could trigger review.