Executive Summary

• Buy BC Grant helps to support small business in the agri-food and seafood sector for logo licensing and cost-share funding.
• For businesses eligible, this grant covers marketing and promotion-related expenses.

We. Love. Food. What we love even more though, is food-related grants!

British Columbia has a myriad of agriculture support systems to help small business owners in the food and beverage industry flourish. Among these is the Buy BC Partnership Program, run by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAFBC). 

The Buy BC program serves to support small businesses in the agri-food and seafood sector with their business growth efforts in new and existing markets within BC. The program is designed around two components – the Buy BC logo licensing and the cost-shared funding component. 

Buy BC Cost-Sharing Funding

Eligible applicants can register on IAF’s portal and apply for cost-shared funding support. This translates to 50% coverage for marketing and promotional activities conducted in BC. Projects can serve to help companies enter a new market, or further penetrate existing markets.

Buy BC Logo Licensing

This component provides eligible companies with the opportunity to use the Buy BC logo on BC-wide promotional and marketing initiatives. This makes it easier for consumers and buyers to identify and support local companies!

It’s important to note that obtaining a logo license is a prerequisite to apply for the cost-shared funding. 

Through our connections at IAFBC and close monitoring of the food and beverage grant landscape, we know the ins and outs of the Buy BC program. Let’s dive into the nitty gritty details of the program!

Who is eligible for the Buy BC program?

The Buy BC program is available to agri-food and seafood processors located in BC. The Buy BC Logo and cost-shared funding segments have different eligibility requirements, as follows:

Eligible for Buy BC logo license

• Primary agriculture and/or seafood producers
• Agriculture, food and beverage, and seafood processors or cooperatives
• Industry associations, boards, or councils
• Agriculture fairs and/or farmers’ markets
• Non-profit social enterprises
• Agriculture, food and beverage, and seafood retailers, wholesalers, or distributors
• Agriculture, food and beverage, and seafood hubs and processing facilities
• Other non-profit Agriculture, food and beverage, and seafood organizations

Eligible for cost-shared funding

• Primary agriculture and/or seafood producers
• Agriculture, food and beverage, and seafood processors or cooperatives
• Industry associations, boards, or councils
• Agriculture fairs and/or farmers’ markets
• Non-profit social enterprises

If you fall into one of the above categories, you’ve passed the first requirement. Additionally, you must: 

• Be approved for a Buy BC logo license, 
• Be able to provide a minimum percentage of the total budget in cash
  • 50% for producers, processors, cooperatives, agriculture fairs and farmers’ markets
  • 30% for industry association, boards, or councils
• Have annual revenue greater than $30,000 for the past two years, and 
• Have registered with the IAF’s portal

What Expenses does Buy BC cover?

To be approved for the cost-shared funding, you’ll need to apply for one or more of the eligible activities. All activities must take place within the dates listed on the program’s website. The expenses are paid for up front by applicants and reimbursed at a later date, so it’s important to be able to absorb the initial project costs. 

Let’s take a look at the marketing and promotion-related expenses covered under the Buy BC cost-shared program.

Labeling or Packaging

• Designing labels and packaging to include a Buy BC logo
• Printing labels and packaging to include the Buy BC logo

Marketing Collateral

• Designing Buy BC-branded marketing collateral ad promotional material
• Printing Buy BC-branded marketing collateral ad promotional material

BC-Focused trade Shows

• Attending both virtual and in-person trade shows, food fairs, and sales expositions in BC
• his includes registration costs, designing and printing booth graphics, and shipping materials to the event

BC-Focused in-store demos

• Running in-store demos in BC
• Conducting in-store promotions in BC
• Delivering consumer-focused, Buy BC branded contests

Print and Broadcast advertising

• Developing and running Buy BC-branded online ad campaigns
• Hiring graphic designers, photographers, ad agencies, and more
• Developing media plans 
• Buying ad space

You’re probably sensing a theme.. Buy BC! Everything related to the project must feature the Buy BC logo to be eligible for reimbursement. 

This program is unique in that it also allows you to claim for staff expenses related to the project. This could be staff time to run ads, package products, apply new labels, run demos, and more. 

What expense does Buy BC NOT cover?

Every grant program has its limitations. Here’s a list of expenses that Buy BC does not cover: 

• Market research 
• Experimental work related to product R&D
• Marketing plans
• Costs related to samples or sales
• Costs associated with giveaways
• New brand development
• Website system upgrades
• Building and implementing an e-commerce website
• Membership fees
• Cannabis-related activities
• Buying or starting a farm or new business
• Third-party sponsorships

When can I apply for Buy BC?

The Buy BC program has specific intakes throughout the year. This will be announced on the program’s website 

At Granted, we have a dedicated Food & Beverage specialist who is always on the lookout for opportunities in the industry. Through our connections with Buy BC, we have the inside scoop on when the program will open again. If you’re interested in applying for the cost-shared program, head to our Grant Calculator to get connected with our Food & Beverage specialist!