Supports small-scale regional /community-based projects to research, explore, field-test, and share information about best management practices associated with bee health in British Columbia.

The Bee BC Program enhances bee health throughout the province of British Columbia. Bee health is important, not only to produce honey, but also for the contribution that bees make to the pollination of many crop species and to the wider environment.

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Overview

Approach

Eligibility

Application

Evaluation

Resources

Program Objective

The provincial program supports small-scale regional/community-based projects to research, explore, field-test, and share information about best management practices associated with bee health in British Columbia.

Program Goal

The program aims to enhance bee health related activities and enhance information sharing amongst beekeepers.

Note: Beekeeping (having an apiary, owning, transporting bees or beehives) is a regulated activity under the Animal Health Act, and there are registration requirements. See here for the Bee Regulations in the Animal Health Act.

Approach

For this intake, program funding is available to successful applicants from April 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025. Project activities outside this time frame will not be considered.

Project Funding Amount
Maximum of $7,000

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Participants

The program assists regional or community-based beekeeping associations, beekeepers with permitted hives and First Nations in undertaking small-scale or community-based projects that contribute to the overall health of bees in the province.

To be considered eligible for this Program, applicants must be:

  • Regional/community beekeeping associations or groups
  • Beekeepers with permitted hives
  • Groups of beekeepers with permitted hives
  • First Nations/Indigenous Peoples Organizations

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities include the research, exploration, field-testing, implementation and sharing of best practices and techniques to promote healthy bee colonies and the implementation of best management practices related to bee disease monitoring, response and treatment.

Conventional and new/innovative bee health best management practices are eligible. Bee health best management practices must be “new” to the beekeeper, group of beekeepers, or community/region.

Examples of eligible activities include:

  • The purchasing of a new piece of equipment and implementing it into your bee health strategy
  • Implementing a best management practice such as beehive equipment irradiation
  • Introducing pollen substitutes and/or supplements into your bee health strategy
  • Seeding and planting new bee forage that offers nectar and pollen

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are those that are incurred for researching, exploring and/or field testing a conventional or new management strategy for bee health. Examples of eligible costs include:

  • Costs for new equipment, technology that enhances bee health
  • Transportation costs of beehive equipment for irradiation
  • Costs for pollen substitutes and/or supplements
  • Costs for seeding and planting of new bee forage

Ineligible Activities and Costs

Activities:

Ineligible activities include projects that are not directly focused on bee health, or the regular or on-going maintenance of bee colonies. Examples of ineligible activities include:

  • Regular activities related to commercial honey production
  • Business development activities; defined as activities that are directed towards generating income during the life of the project / or after the project completion
  • Marketing, promotional or market development activities
  • the purchase of standard equipment to maintain a bee colony

Costs:

The following activities and costs are not eligible for reimbursement. For clarification on items not listed below, please contact program staff.

  • Any cost not specifically required for the execution of a project
  • Normal costs of establishing or maintaining a bee colony or commercial honey operation, including costs associated with the purchasing of bees and costs associated with maintaining compliance with requirements of law that pertain to current business operations
  • Queen bee rearing as an income-generating enterprise
  • Beekeeper and/or staff wages, salaries, benefits, stipends, etc.
  • Purchase of land, buildings and facilities
  • Lease of land, buildings and facilities
  • Financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees, and charges
  • Any cost, including a tax that is eligible for a rebate, credit or refund (including a refundable portion of the Government Sales Tax)
  • Gifts and incentives
  • Permits and approvals
  • Legal fees
  • Costs incurred before the approval of the project or after the project completion date
  • Costs related to activities that directly influence or lobby any level of government

Applications

Important Dates

Applicants must schedule project activities within the program funding cycle: April 2024 to February 2025.

There will be one annual application window; the 2024-25 fiscal year window is January 30, 2024 – February 27, 2024, at 16:30 PST. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. All applications received by the deadline will be collectively reviewed and evaluated based on merit.

  • Application Window: January 30, 2024 – February 27, 2024
  • Application Deadline: February 27, 2024, at 16:30 PST
  • Project Start Date: April 1, 2024
  • Project End Date (all project activities must be completed): February 28, 2025

Applications will be accepted through the IAF Client Portal and will be evaluated using a competitive process. Please review the material in this guide, especially the evaluation criteria.

After the application window has closed, the IAF team will meet to review applications and make funding decisions. Rest assured your application will be considered by knowledgeable industry peers.

Note: Only top-scoring applications will receive funding and project funding is capped at $7,000 per project. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Application Process

Applicants will apply through the IAF Client Portal. The application process will consist of:

  • Create a personal profile (name and email)

  • Organization information, including:
    • Name
    • Contact details
    • Type of organization
    • BC ID / CRA numbers
    • Primary contact
    • and more

NOTE: It can take up to two business days for IAF Staff to verify your Organization Registration.

Select Bee BC Program from Funding Opportunities, and provide:

  • Project start & end dates
  • Select project activities from the eligible activities list
  • Provide description of key activities, who will undertake work, and timeline
  • Alignment with program priorities
  • Performance measurement information
  • Funding request / project budget

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

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 bee(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

All submitted applications will be assessed by a technical expert and industry specialist based on the following criteria:

  • Eligibility and alignment to program purpose and objectives
  • Strength of the project framework, including scientific and technical merit, and resulting project impact
  • Resources to execute the project effectively

Funding will be awarded based on eligibility, alignment with program goal and objective, and scoring criteria, subject to available funds. This includes:

  • Projects that clearly demonstrate alignment with the Bee BC Program objective
  • Projects with clear and immediate benefits to bee health and/or the beekeeping industry
  • Projects with clear community-based beekeeper involvement, including partnerships with local, regional, or First Nations governments, or projects which engage youth
  • Projects that have a defined methodology and clear measurables outlined in their research approach
  • Projects with a clear communications plan, that enhance information sharing of bee health best management practices amongst beekeepers in British Columbia.

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. The applicant then enters into an agreement with IAF which outlines the obligations of each party.

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

Project activities requiring financial resources cannot commence until the contribution agreement has been signed by both the applicant and IAF.

Communication materials being funded by the program need to be pre-approved by the IAF communications team. All communications materials must be submitted to the IAF Client Portal for review and approval in advance of sharing with the public.

Applications will be reviewed and adjudicated upon successful submission and successful applicants will be notified by April 12, 2024. Projects funded in the 2024-25 intake may begin on or after April 1, 2024, and must be completed by February 28, 2025. No extension to project terms beyond February 28, 2025, will be considered. If the project is not approved, the applicant will be notified by IAF.

Program Execution Changes

Once the agreement with IAF is in force, requests for changes to program activities must be made in writing to IAF. IAF must approve the changes for expenses to be deemed eligible.

The funding recipient may have opportunities or situations arise which make it difficult to proceed with a pre-approved project/activity. Should this happen, immediately contact your IAF program manager, or inform the IAF Team as soon as possible using the IAF Client Portal.

Project Reporting

Program participants are required to submit a final report to IAF. All reporting will be completed via the IAF Client Portal. When your reports are ready you will receive an email with directions.

Application Scoring Criteria

The following scoring factors will be used to review eligible application submissions; all applications must meet a minimum scoring threshold of 65% to be considered for funding.

Scoring Factors
Alignment with program goal and objective
Community-based beekeeper involvement
Strength of project framework
Communications plan
Scale of project impact and benefits
Timeline of impact
Technical/scientific merit
Applicant experience/qualifications
Maximum Points Available = 30

Ready to Apply?

Thank you to all who applied for the Bee BC Program! To see the status of your application, please visit the IAF Client Portal.

Resources

Have a Question?

Our team is here to support you, contact us today!

BC Bee Website

Interested in previous projects? Visit the Bee BC website for featured projects and more information on bee health in BC.

Bee BC Program Guide

For a PDF version of the program details, please download the Program Guide.

Note: All details are presented on this webpage

Have a Current Project?

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

Project Profiles & Successes

Want to learn more about projects funded by Bee BC?

Funding provided by:

CAP Logo, Province of BC Logo, Government of Canada Logo

Please note: the Government of BC may, from time to time, give instructions to IAF in relation to the delivery and administration of this program. IAF must and will comply with those instructions.