Nova Scotia Loyal Producer Labelling Program

Insider Tip

The $3,000 is a lifetime cap per producer, not per project or per year — front-load your design and die investment into a single application to maximize the rebate. Work with Invest NS's Program Guidelines and Logo Usage Guidelines before engaging a designer; using the logo incorrectly (wrong colour space, distorted aspect ratio, or outside approved placements) will result in rejection of the final packaging from reimbursement. Because the program is entitlement-style with no competitive ranking, the approval signal is simply eligibility and clean documentation.

Success Profile

A small Nova Scotia food, beverage, or agri-food producer (e.g., a craft distillery, honey producer, seafood processor, or specialty preserves maker) already registered with Nova Scotia Loyal, redesigning packaging for a new retail SKU or refreshing existing labels to add the NS Loyal mark. Typical applicant has $50,000–$2M annual revenue and sells into NS grocery, farmers markets, or direct-to-consumer channels.

Evaluation Criteria

Eligibility-based review: (1) confirmed NS Loyal producer registration; (2) project costs fall into eligible categories (design, dies, printing); (3) correct use of the NS Loyal logo per guidelines; (4) no outstanding provincial program defaults; (5) remaining capacity under the $3,000 lifetime cap; (6) work completed within the April 1, 2026–March 15, 2027 window. No competitive scoring.

Application Steps

Required Documents 7

Eligible Expenses 5

• Graphic design services incorporating the Nova Scotia Loyal logo
• New labelling dies for packaging featuring the logo
• Printing and production of packaging featuring the NS Loyal logo
• Proofing and mockup costs tied to logo application
• Die tooling modifications to existing packaging

Ineligible Expenses 6

• General packaging redesign without the NS Loyal logo
• Marketing, advertising, or promotional activities beyond packaging itself
• Salaries and in-house labour
• GST/HST (excluded from rebate calculation)
• Expenses incurred before the program application window
• Capital equipment (printers, label applicators)

Intake Periods

Rolling intake April 1, 2026 through March 15, 2027 (2:00 PM AST). Projects must be started and completed within this window. Prior window ran February 27, 2025 through March 31, 2026.

Deadline Notes

Application window: April 1, 2026 through March 15, 2027 (2:00 PM AST). Projects must be both started and completed within this window. The original program ran February 27, 2025 to March 31, 2026 and was extended for fiscal year 2026-27. Rolling intake — apply anytime during the window; reviewed in the order received.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Producers not registered with Nova Scotia Loyal
• Producers with outstanding claims or defaults on provincial financial assistance programs
• Producers who have already reached the $3,000 lifetime cap
• Out-of-province producers
• Producers whose packaging does not or will not display the NS Loyal logo

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

If the NS Loyal-branded packaging is never produced or deployed to market after the rebate is paid, Invest NS may recover funds. Loss of NS Loyal registration after claim could also trigger review.