Supporting industry adopt, implement, and scale preparedness-related projects that tangibly improve collaboration between local government emergency response programs and producers for high-risk hazards as defined by Emergency Management Protocols.

The Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness (FSPP) Fund is an up to $20M program funded by the Government of BC through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).

The Fund allows agricultural producers, industry associations and local authorities to develop emergency plans and preparedness strategies with a unique focus on food security and agricultural resiliency, including investment in training and proactive procurement of equipment or infrastructure in anticipation of emergency events.

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Overview

Approach

Eligibility

Application

Prioritization

Resources

Overview

Through the program, eligible applicants can receive up to $150,000 for emergency planning projects and up to $2M for emergency preparedness, infrastructure, and equipment projects. Beginning September 21, 2023, applications will be accepted on a continual basis throughout a 90-day application window closing December 19, 2023. Retroactive costs will be considered for eligible costs incurred on or after September 21, 2023. All projects can continue for up to 24 months in duration and must be completed by or before January 15, 2026.

Program Goal

BC’s food supply is secure, and there is a reduced impact on the agriculture sector from climate-related and other emergencies.

Program Objectives

To fund preparedness-related projects that tangibly improve collaboration between local government emergency response programs and producers for high-risk hazards as defined by Emergency Management Protocols.

Approach

Applications will be accepted through the IAF Client Portal starting on September 21, 2023, on an ongoing basis. The application intake window will be open for 90 days, with all applications reviewed and processed together following the intake closing date on December 19, 2023. Funding will be awarded based on the priorities provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (see prioritization criteria) and available funds.

IAF will complete an initial review of completed applications on an ongoing basis to verify applicant and project eligibility. All applications will be processed together following the close of the application to allow technical review where appropriate and evaluate them against the IAF will notify all applicants of the adjudication decision via email by or before February 29, 2024. Adjudication decisions are final.

All projects can continue for up to 24 months in duration and must be completed by or before January 15, 2026.

Eligibility Criteria

Who’s Eligible?

To be considered eligible for this program, an applicant must be located in the Province of British Columbia and must meet the stream-specific eligibility requirements below:

Stream 1: Planning

  • BC Local Governments
  • BC First Nations (BC First Nations communities, Tribal Councils, and indigenous communities that have emergency management responsibilities for managing response actions.)
  • BC-based Agriculture and Agri-food Industry Associations
  • BC-based Seafood Associations

Stream 2: Preparedness, Infrastructure and Equipment

  • BC-based Industry Associations
    • Individual producers/processors are not eligible to apply for funding under FSPP. Industry Associations are encouraged to apply on behalf of producers/processors to put projects forward that have a broader sector benefit/impact.
  • BC-based Seafood Associations
  • Primary Processors
  • Ancillary service providers that have a direct role in supporting agricultural emergency preparedness and response.

What’s considered a Primary Processor and Ancillary Service Provider?

  • Ancillary service providers are those who provide service directly to agriculture producers, which could include veterinarians, mass carcass disposal, providers of livestock and poultry feed, and agricultural transportation services.
  • Eligible primary processors are those involved in the initial processing of agricultural products, such as abattoirs for livestock and poultry.

Note: Seafood Primary Processors/Ancillary Service Providers are eligible to apply, however, may not be successful based on the program’s prioritization criteria.

Eligible Activities and Expenditures

Eligible projects must include activities and costs that support planning, preparedness, infrastructure, and procurement of equipment in anticipation of emergency events.
The following project activities and/or expenses are eligible for funding through the Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness Program:

Stream 1: Planning

  • Development of an agriculture industry association Emergency Plan for emergency events that may impact their sector.
  • Development of a local authority or First Nation agriculture emergency plan (or an agriculture component of a broader emergency plan) to support agricultural producers within their geographic area of jurisdiction.
  • Development and Training of staff, volunteers, or Contractors who will activate or support the agriculture-related emergency plan.
  • Training Programs related to emergency response and activation of emergency plans in support of agriculture.
  • Development of tools, policies, protocols, and procedures for response to or management of emergency incidents related to agriculture.
  • Hiring of staff or contractors to conduct agriculture emergency planning activities.
  • Exercising of agriculture emergency plans.

Stream 2: Preparedness, Infrastructure and Equipment

  • Procurement and installation of Equipment or Infrastructure required to support emergency response actions in support of agriculture (but does not include prevention and mitigation)
  • Upgrade existing equipment or infrastructure used to support emergency response actions in support of agriculture.
  • Short-term operational costs associated with equipment or infrastructure (such as training or insurance) required to support emergency actions in support of agriculture.
  • Procurement (purchase, rent, lease) of equipment required for response to emergencies affecting agriculture.
  • Developing/establishing contracted response activities versus using the funding for actual operational response activities (i.e., the funding is not for operational response but for preparedness).
  • Training and exercising to utilize existing or acquired response equipment.
  • Research of response options/methods, including procuring scientific, academic, or other research specialists to conduct research or advance new methods for improved disease outbreak response, such as depopulation methods.

All FSPP applications must meet all technical, environmental, permitting, and regulatory standards and/or requirements, as applicable. Only Industry Associations can apply for funding under Stream 2 to complete water infrastructure/equipment projects.

Project Examples

The following project activities and/or expenses are examples of what is eligible for funding through the Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness Program:

  • Development of plans for livestock relocation 
    • Identification of animal relocation sites. 
    • Transportation logistics planning for relocation of animals. 
  • Local authority (which includes regional districts) and First Nation development or updating of their agriculture emergency plans. 
  • Development of agriculture industry associations’ emergency response plans (all hazard or specific) 
  • Conduct an assessment of the current and future role of industry associations across all four pillars of emergency management. 
  • Planning to assess and or develop/secure the capacity and expertise required to implement an agriculture emergency plan during an emergency. 
  • Training and or exercising of agriculture emergency plans. 
  • Development of agriculture-related emergency agreements, policies, job aids, etc. (examples: policy and job aids to standardize or improve processes for temporary re-entry into emergency evacuation order areas). 
  • Development and or updating of emergency planning templates and guidance documents for producers. 
  • Assess issues and considerations for sheltering-in-place decisions by agriculture producers. 

  • Dam or water storage infrastructure such as dugouts. 
  • Increased capacity for animal depopulation at primary processing facilities 
    • Additional processing lines to allow separate processing of diseased and clean animals. 
    • Changes to processing lines or new lines that would enable processors to handle non-market-sized animals to assist with depopulation (welfare culls due to disease-related event market closures). 
  • Increased ingredients storage capacity at feed mills to mitigate against supply chain or transportation interruptions. 
  • Purchase of portable electric fencing units to provide temporary fencing when existing fences are lost due to an emergency event (e.g., wildfire) or for use at a site being used to house relocated animals. 
  • Expanded capacity to handle and dispose of agriculture emergency-generated wastes, including mass carcass disposal. 
    • Expansion of agriculture waste capacity in conjunction with waste management companies (e.g., West Coast Reduction). 
    • Expansion of composting facility capacity for disposal during mass carcass events. 
  • Development or purchase of animal depopulation equipment (mobile depopulation carts) for animal disease or welfare culls. 
  • Purchase and outfitting of additional emergency livestock response trailers. 
  • Purchase of equipment to mitigate hazards. 
  • Planning, coordinating, and delivering training and exercises related to agriculture emergency response. 
  • Assessment of hazard mitigation options for producers for various hazards. 

Maximum Funding for Eligible Activities and Expenditures

Funding for the program will be available through two funding streams with set cost-share ratios and funding limits.

Funding limits are set per stream per project. Applicants can apply to multiple streams; however, they will need to apply for each stream separately and can only have a single project per stream underway at once.

The funding limits are as follows:

  • Stream 1: Minimum: $25,000, Maximum: $150,000
    • Regional Districts can apply for a maximum of $250,000
  • Stream 2: Minimum: $50,000 to Maximum: $2M

Cost-sharing ratios are as follows:

  • Stream 1: 100% for all eligible applicants
  • Stream 2: 75% for individual businesses, 100% for industry associations

Stacking: Stacking of funds from other government programs is allowed up to 100% of project costs, provided the programs are not delivered by IAF.

Ineligible Participants, Activities and Expenses

  • Individual producers and/or processors. Exceptions are provided to Primary Processors involved in the initial processing of agricultural products, such as abattoirs for livestock and poultry.
  • Non-agricultural individuals or groups.
  • Provincial and federal governments.
  • Crown Corporations Activities or costs incurred prior to approval (no retroactive approval permitted).
  • Prevention and Mitigation projects.
  • Projects eligible for funding or compensation under public or private insurance programs or qualify for an AgriRecovery framework.
  • In-kind activities.

Applications

Important Dates

Applications will be accepted through the IAF Client Portal starting on September 21, 2023, on an ongoing basis. The application intake window will be open for 90 days, with all applications reviewed and processed together following the intake closing date on December 19, 2023. Funding will be awarded based on the priorities provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (see prioritization criteria) and available funds.

If all available funds are not allocated through this intake, a second application intake may be considered.

Project Start Date (on or before): September 21, 2023. All projects must be completed by or before January 15, 2026.

NOTE: If an Applicant is advised that their project has been approved and the Applicant starts incurring costs, no costs are eligible for reimbursement unless a Contribution Agreement is ultimately signed between the Applicant and the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Any costs incurred prior to the signing of a Contribution Agreement, dating back to September 21, 2023, would be incurred solely at the Applicant’s risk without obligation of payment with program funds.

Application Process

Applicants will apply through the IAF Client Portal. Please create an account and register your organization (i.e. farm/ranch). Once the IAF Team have validated your information you will be able to apply to the fund. Do not wait to start this process – it can take up to two business days to validate your organization.

The application process and required documents may vary within each funding stream. The application process will generally consist of:

REMINDER: Do not wait to start this process – it can take up to two business days to validate your organization!

  1. Go to the IAF Client Portal
  2. Create a personal profile (name and email)
  3. Provide organization information, including:
    • Name
    • contact details
    • type of organization
    • BC ID / CRA numbers
    • primary contact
    • and more

Select Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness Fund Program from Funding Opportunities, and provide:

  • Applicant type/sector representation
  • Project start & end dates
  • Funding Stream
  • Select project activities from the eligible activities list.
  • Provide a description of key activities, who will oversee/undertake work, and a timeline.
  • Alignment with program priorities
  • Demonstrate how all technical, environmental, and regulatory standards and/or permit requirements (as applicable) are met.
  • Copies of relevant documents (e.g., permits, licensing etc.)
  • Performance measurement information
  • Funding request/project budget

Applicants may provide supplementary materials in support of their application (e.g., letters of support, CVs, quotes). These appendices can be uploaded through the IAF Client Portal as attachments to the application.

If permits are pending/under review, but the application is otherwise complete, IAF will proceed to consider and adjudicate the application. However, any approval will be conditional until all required documentation is received. Conditional offers/approvals will not receive contracts, be included in funding commitments, or be eligible to be reimbursed for project expenses until their project has been approved.

All FSPP applications must meet all technical, environmental, permitting, and regulatory standards and/or requirements, as applicable.

IAF staff are available to answer questions regarding eligible activities, costs and/or the application process. IAF may also contact applicants for additional information or clarification to assess or strengthen their application. Applicants can contact fspp(at)iafbc.ca with any questions about the program or to receive support in developing their application.

Applicants are encouraged to include only activities they are confident will be completed on time and within budget limits.

Need help with IAF’s Client Portal?

We’ve created a number of tutorials and FAQs about the IAF Client Portal to help you navigate this resource successfully.

Review and Adjudication

Applications will be accepted on a continual basis throughout a 90-day application window.

All applications received by the review date will be reviewed by IAF for eligibility and completeness. Applications that meet program eligibility requirements will be reviewed against the program’s prioritization criteria as provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (see prioritization criteria). Applications may be reviewed by a technical review / advisory committee and/or the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (AF) as required. All FSPP applications must meet all technical, environmental, permitting, and regulatory standards and/or requirements, as applicable, to be eligible for funding.

When eligible applicants rank equally with one another within a priority category / sub-category, IAF may use additional considerations to award funding, such as prioritizing projects that address multiple high risk hazards, multiple sector groups/commodity types.

IAF will complete an initial review of completed applications on an ongoing basis to verify applicant and project eligibility. All applications will be processed together following the close of the application to allow technical review where appropriate and evaluate them against the IAF will notify all applicants of the adjudication decision via email by or before February 29, 2024. Adjudication decisions are final.

Notifications & Obligations

Funding Notifications & Contracts

If the project is approved, IAF will inform the applicant of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions by or before February 29, 2024. The applicant then enters into an agreement with IAF which outlines each party’s obligations.

Funding is application and project-specific and must be used for the approved project and related expenses. Funds are non-transferable.

Projects may begin as soon as September 21, 2023, and be completed by or before January 15, 2026. If an Applicant is advised their project has been approved, and the Applicant starts incurring costs, no costs are eligible for reimbursement unless a Contribution Agreement is ultimately signed between the Applicant and the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Any costs incurred prior to the signing of a Contribution Agreement dating back to September 21, 2023, would be incurred solely at the applicant’s risk without obligation of payment with program funds.

All project activities and expenditures must be approved to be eligible for funding reimbursement.

If a project is not approved, the applicant will receive a written response from IAF.

Changes to Contracted Projects

If you cannot complete your project or require a change, please inform the IAF Team using the IAF Client Portal as soon as possible.

Funding Acknowledgement

This program is funded by the Government of BC, and as such, acknowledgement of funding is required when publicly communicating about a project and/or funding. To ensure appropriate acknowledgement, all communications and marketing materials, including public announcements or social media posts, must be pre-approved by the IAF Communications Team. Materials can be submitted via the IAF Client Portal.

Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants must complete one or more activity and financial reports to receive payment from the program. This report must be filled out and submitted to IAF to be considered for funding reimbursement. It is important that reporting is submitted on time and with all required information. Please retain all invoices and receipts; you may be asked to submit some or all receipts/invoices following a review of your report by the IAF Team. Expenses will be reimbursed based on audited receipts and the approved project budget. All reporting will be completed via the IAF Client Portal.

Prioritization Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on a set of pre-determined criteria. Applications will be prioritized for funding based on their alignment with the following table. Seafood Primary Processors/Ancillary Service Providers are also eligible to apply, however, may not be successful based on the program’s prioritization criteria.

The following are assigned a higher priority when considering a project under the fund.

Note: Priority 1-3, & A/B/C rankings refer to the priority of applications, with 1A being the highest priority and 3C being the lowest.  When eligible applicants rank equally with one another within a priority category/sub-category, IAF may use additional considerations to award funding, such as prioritizing projects that address multiple high-risk hazards and/or multiple sector groups/commodity types. 

Prioritization Framework for All Applications

1. Applications will initially be assigned a Priority Category based on the High-Risk Hazard(s) or Consequence(s) identified in their application.

Priority Category Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3
High-Risk Hazard or Consequence
  • Flooding
  • Wildfire
  • Drought
  • Livestock Animal Disease (Diseases that are Provincially or Federally Regulated)
  • Supply Chain Interruptions
  • Mass Carcass Removal
  • Livestock and Poutry Depopulation
  • Livestock Animal Disease (Non-regulated diseases or hazards that have the potential for high impact on livestock or public health.)
  • Agricultural Plant Disease
  • Agricultural Pest Outbreaks
  • Cyber Threats
  • All other Hazard Types

2. Based on the High-Risk Hazard or Consequence identified in the application, the application will then be further priority ranked based on the Livestock / Poultry Species as follows:

Priority Sub-Category Priority A Priority B Priority C
Livestock/Poultry Species
  • Beef cattle
  • Dairy cattle
  • Poultry
  • Pigs
  • Applications that apply to all or multiple species
  • Sheep
  • Goat
  • Bison
  • Horse
  • Other farmed species

For BC Local Governments and First Nation applicants applying for Stream 1: Planning Activities, the application will then be further priority ranked based on the following:

BC Local Governments and First Nations:
  • Regional Districts
  • Local Authority/First Nation with:
    • Significant number of livestock or poultry operations within their area of jurisdiction.
    • First Nations managing a significant number of livestock or poultry for the benefit of the community.
  • Local Authority/First Nation with:
    • Moderate number of livestock or poultry operations within their area of jurisdiction
    • Significant number of non-livestock/non-poultry operations within their area of jurisdiction
  • Local Authority/First Nation with:
    • Minimal number of livestock or poultry operations within their area of jurisdiction
    • Moderate or minimal number of non-livestock/non-poultry operations within their area of jurisdiction

For Primary Processors and Ancillary Service Providers applying for Stream 2: Preparedness, Infrastructure, and Equipment Activities, the application will then be further priority ranked based on the level and type of support they would provide in response to emergency events and the consequences thereof.

Note: When eligible applicants rank equally with one another within a priority category/sub-category, IAF may use additional considerations to award funding, such as prioritizing projects that address multiple high-risk hazards and/or multiple sector groups/commodity types. 

Ready to Apply?

Applications are open now for a 90-day application intake window, with all applications reviewed and processed together following the intake closing date on December 19, 2023, at 4:30 PM.

Please note: It can take up to two business days to validate your organization.

Resources

FAQ

If funding is approved for your project, it will be provided in two or more payments depending on the scope and value. Generally, an advance payment of up to 50% of approved funding will be released upon signing of a Contribution Agreement (contract).

The remaining portion of IAF’s contribution will be dispersed over the course of your project depending on scope, with a minimum final payment holdback of 20%. Which can be released after a Final Report has been submitted, including descriptions of all activities and achievements, as well as a detailed expense report.

Projects may begin as soon as September 21, 2023, and be completed by or before January 15, 2026. If an Applicant is advised their project has been approved, and the Applicant starts incurring costs, no costs are eligible for reimbursement unless a Contribution Agreement is ultimately signed between the Applicant and the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Any costs incurred prior to the signing of a Contribution Agreement dating back to September 21, 2023, would be incurred solely at the applicant’s risk without obligation of payment with program funds.

All project activities and expenditures must be approved to be eligible for funding reimbursement.

All projects must be completed by January 15, 2026.

All FSPP applications must meet all technical, environmental, permitting, and regulatory standards and/or requirements, as applicable.

IAF provides payments by EFT (direct deposit). To get your EFT information set up to ensure timely delivery of your payment(s), please follow the directions provided here to update your client portal.

Successful applicants must complete one or more activity and financial reports to receive payment from the program. Payment schedules will be provided in the Contribution Agreement executed with the project proponent.

No, GST is not eligible for reimbursement.

When eligible applicants rank equally with one another within a priority category/sub-category, IAF may use additional considerations to award funding, such as prioritizing projects that address multiple high-risk hazards and/or multiple sector groups/commodity types. If eligible applicants continue to rank equally with each other in the Prioritization Framework then funding will be decided according to the date and time on which the full application was submitted through the IAF Client Portal.

Seafood Primary Processors/Ancillary Service Providers are also eligible to apply; however, may not be successful based on the program’s prioritization criteria.

Have a Question?

Contact the IAF Team

Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness Fund Information Session Recording and Q&As

Farmer’s Institutes and regional BC-based Industry Associations are encouraged to apply based on their role and support from memberships.

There are other priorities taken into consideration; producers can work with their industry associations for a joint application.

Food-based non-profits working in conjunction with local regional districts are encouraged to submit a proposal, granted all eligibility requirements are met. There may be other funding programs in the implementation phase that could be of value that can be found on IAF’s programs page.

There is strength in putting together a partner or joint application. The lead applicant would have to be eligible under the discreet list that is relevant to either Stream 1 or 2, but that wouldn’t preclude an ancillary service provider from being a project partner in an application that is brought forward by an industry association.

The intent is around commercial producers but hobby farms/smallholders are not ineligible so if there is an industry association for those groups then they would be eligible to apply.

No, there are no restrictions on being located in a particular hazard area or not.

If all other eligibility requirements are met, the local government does not have to do the project themselves with their own staff; the use of contractors is permissible.

There are funding limits per project, but that does not mean that multiple applications can’t be submitted with a joint intent or execution. The prioritization criteria does give added weight to applications where there are multiple parties applying together, serving the broader good.

This would be dependent on the Stream you are looking to apply for, as there are minimum eligibility requirements that have to be met to be eligible for program funding.

Stream 2 will have a list of eligible costs that can be included in your project, which could be infrastructure or equipment purchases that are provided to members across multiple organizations or operations within your membership body, so that would be up to the applicant to include and detail that distribution of what will be purchased and procured for the eligible activity and cost parameters. This funding is not meant to pay out or supplement operations of members, but there is a defined list of eligible costs and activities that can be considered with your membership group.

The submission of your application can take place between now and December 19th; however, only after December 19th will the applications be reviewed in a group against the prioritization criteria, which will determine the allocation of funding across projects to those priority groups as applicable.

This would constitute a submission of two applications. Ultimately, the plan will need to be developed, which is the intent of Stream 1 first before it is implemented and equipment is procured under Stream 2 to access funding provided all eligibility requirements across Stream 1 & 2 must be met.

Food Security Emergency Planning & Preparedness (FSPP) Fund Guide

Download the FSPP Program Guide.

FSPP Funding Acknowledgement Requirements

Download the Funding Acknowledgement Requirements for FSPP.

Have a Current Project?

Please visit the program’s Project Resource Hub for more information.

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This program is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.