The B.C. Agrifood & Seafood Market Development Program is no longer accepting applications.
As part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, this program officially closes on March 31, 2023. All program dollars have been fully allocated to projects.
IAF does not have information about the program or intakes for 2023/24 forward.
The B.C. Agrifood and Seafood Market Development Program helps BC agri-food producers, agri-food and seafood processors, co-operatives, and associations to identify, access, target and develop market opportunities to increase their sales outside of BC.
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Program Overview
This five-year cost-shared program, funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, supports the development of marketing skills and plans, the creation of market research and export-focused promotional materials, and participation in export-focused market development activities, including reaching new customers through interprovincial / international trade shows.
The 2022/23 program cycle is the final year of this federal-provincial initiative.

Program Goal
The goal of the Program is to support BC organizations at each stage of export development by providing cost-shared funding for:
Eligible Applicants
To be considered eligible for this Program, applicants must:
- have a head office located in BC or be entitled to do business in BC;
- sell or market a product that is:
- grown in BC (i.e. producing fresh food, beverage, or agricultural and seafood products which are 100% grown, caught, or raised in BC); or
- processed in BC (i.e. Processing food, beverage, or agricultural and seafood products which are processed and packaged in BC with more than 51% of the product’s main ingredients produced in BC (Note: in cases where the main ingredients are not available in BC in sufficient quantities, the food must be processed and packaged entirely in BC)
- contribute a minimum percentage of the total project budget in cash towards eligible project costs as follows:
- 50% for BC-based primary agriculture and/or cooperatives; agriculture, food and beverage, and/or seafood processors
- 30% for industry associations, boards, or councils
- have total annual gross revenues (i.e., sales) greater than $30,000 per year for the most recent two consecutive years. This criterion is not applicable to Industry Associations, Marketing Boards or Councils;
- register their organization through IAF’s online portal and confirm their eligibility to apply for BC Agri-food and Seafood Market Development Program funding.
Aquaculture, Seafood and Fish Processors
Fishers and seafood harvesters are not eligible for program funding.
Seafood processors and associations representing them are eligible to apply for all program activities, however these activities must focus on / target international markets. Activities that focus on / target the Canadian market are ineligible.
Eligible Activities
The eligibility of project activities is dependent on geographical scope: market research and planning activities can focus on the BC market, the interprovincial and international markets, whereas export market development activities must focus on interprovincial and international markets only.
Market Research & Planning Activities:
Reminder:
- When applying for any export development activity to market or promote a product, the product must be market ready.
- Seafood processors and associations are eligible to apply for activities that focus on / target international markets. Activities that focus on / target the Canadian market are ineligible.
Export Development Activities:
Ineligible Activities
Project Funding Amounts
To be eligible, applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia.
Program funding is limited, all applications will be assessed on a competitive basis and only those that score highly against the evaluation criteria will go forward for funding.
Industry associations, boards and councils
Industry associations, boards and councils are eligible for up to $75,000 in program funding per year. The program can cover up to 70% of total cash costs of the project; the remaining 30% must come from the applicant. Funding caps (maximum funding contribution) for each activity type are as follows:
Activity | Maximum Funding / Year |
---|---|
Marketing Information and Research | $50,000 |
Market Development Planning | $50,000 |
Marketing Skills Training | $10,000 |
Interprovincial/International Export Market Development Activities
|
$50,000 |
Producers, processors and cooperatives
BC food producers, agri-food and seafood processors and cooperatives are eligible for up to $50,000 in program funding per year. The program can cover up to 50% of total cash costs of the project; the remaining 50% must come from the applicant. Funding caps (maximum funding contribution) for each activity type are as follows:
Activity | Maximum Funding / Year |
---|---|
Marketing Information and Research | $20,000 |
Market Development Planning | $15,000 |
Marketing Skills Training | $1,000 |
Interprovincial/International Export Market Development Activities
|
$50,000 |
Note: Seafood processors and associations are not eligible to apply for projects with activities that focus on / target interprovincial (Canadian) markets.
Videos
To help you with your application, we’ve created a few videos.
Producers, Processors and Cooperatives:
Industry Association, Boards and Councils:
Program Timeline
-
Nov 16, 2021
Applications Open
Applications open for the Program
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Nov 24 to Dec 8 2021
Consultant Calls
Book a consultant call prior to finalizing your application
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Dec 9, 2021
Applications Close
Application window closed for the Program.
-
Feb 2022
Technical Review
The Technical Review Committee meets in February 2021
-
March 2022
Notification
Decision notifications and contracting occur through March 2022
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April 1, 2022
Project Start
Successful projects start on or after April 1, 2022
Application
Before submitting an application, please review all the information listed below paying special attention to the Notifications & Obligations. Requirements of a funding recipient and the criteria for how your application will be evaluated are outlined. Applications to the BC Agri-food & Seafood Market Development Program are competitive. Each complete application received by the application deadline will be scored and ranked according to the evaluation criteria and funded on that basis.
Before you apply
All applicants to the 2022-23 funding cycle must confirm they are eligible to apply for funding. Please create an account and register your organization well in advance of the closing date. You will be able to complete an eligibility check once you have done so.
Completed application forms must be submitted through IAF’s online portal by 4:30pm PST on December 9, 2021. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. Once submitted, your application cannot be changed.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Notifications & Obligations
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Funding provided by:

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.