Executive Summary

• Hippie Snacks wanted to grow internationally but faced challenges stemming from the global pandemic.
• Granted identified that CanExport aligned with their business objectives to expand internationally.
• Hippie Snacks secured $118,000+ in CanExport funding over 3 years.

About Hippie Snacks

Established in 1996, Left Coast Naturals began by selling nut butters in Burnaby BC. It has since grown into a certified organic manufacturer and distributor with hundreds of natural products across almost 30 brands, including one of its house brands: Hippie Snacks. Hippie Snacks is committed to high-quality, non-GMO ingredients, all sourced from sustainable farmers and processors. 

Since inception, Left Coast Naturals and Hippie Snacks have been on a high-growth trajectory. They’ve done this while maintaining their operational values and practices, evidenced by their reception of multiple awards, including being recognized as one of Canada’s 200 Fastest Growing Companies in Profit Magazine, and as a Top SME Employer in Canada. 

The company was ready to push Hippie Snacks into the international market to bolster their international sales. To help them achieve their goals, Granted identified a business expansion grant that aligned with their objectives: CanExport SMEs. 

CanExport SME’s

The CanExport SMEs program provides support for Canadian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) for market expansion efforts. The goal of the program is to help companies with their business expansion activities, particularly in high-growth markets. This program is very competitive because it’s industry-agnostic and federally offered, meaning SMEs from anywhere in Canada can apply.

Granted’s CanExport Services

At Granted, we work with our clients to identify grant opportunities that align with their business objectives. Our goal is to build applications that showcase our client’s business and expansion efforts while helping the CanExport program meet its goal: building the presence of Canadian companies in foreign markets.

Our clients benefit from a step-by-step process that walks through each phase of the application preparation process. This includes strategic planning, budgeting, writing, and reporting. We aim to make the process as easy as possible for our clients so they can concentrate on expanding their business. 

For non-clients, we offer a one-time CanExport service where any qualified business can work with us to get support with their application. 

Whether it’s for our clients or not, we are proud to uphold our 98%+ success rate with CanExport SME applications.

Hippie Snacks’ Projects

With Granted’s support, Hippie Snacks began to develop their international expansion plan given their goal was national expansion in the US. This journey started in 2019 when their first CanExport project was approved. 

In 2021, the company was faced with unprecedented challenges stemming from the global pandemic. Trade shows were cancelled and travel was restricted until further notice. This is particularly challenging for food manufacturers and processors, as business growth and networking are highly dependent on getting the product into the hands of the buyer. Hippie Snacks pivoted their strategy to focus on online sales and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales, rather than retail sales. This pivot ensured that their business remained stable and sustainable through the pandemic. 

This year, travel restrictions have subsided, and Hippie Snacks is able to travel and attend trade shows as part of their most recent project. They’ve come full circle having run a CanExport project before, during, and after the COVID-19 restrictions came to be. Throughout their journey they had Granted guiding them through expansion strategies so they could navigate the uncertain with government support, making mid-pandemic growth possible. 

Results

Since 2019, Granted has helped Hippie Snacks secure over $118,000 in CanExport SME funding. 

As a result, they were able to secure new listings in the US, increase brand awareness and substantially boost their international sales. Notably, they were able to grow their team and create more job opportunities for Canadians. As of the publication of this article, they are actively working on their CanExport project which targets the Northeast US. 

Today, Hippie Snacks can be purchased in stores throughout the United States including Brookshire Brothers, Southeastern Grocers, Wegmans, and Sprouts Farmers Market. 

Working with Marley and the Granted team was a pleasure. They helped us navigate the complex process of identifying, applying for, and utilizing substantial grants that had meaningful impacts on our bottom line. Our US business wouldn’t be where it is today without the support of these grants.”

Alexandra Lam

Marketing Manager