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.
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.
Don’t miss an announcement or update, subscribe to the Growing Today newsletter >>
Jump To:
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:
- Hiring a pre-qualified consultant to conduct market research studies, including primary and secondary data collection
- Purchase existing market research studies or data from qualified research firms
- Quotes and a completed Project Overview Form must be provided by your pre-qualified consultant to include with your application for funding
- Hiring a pre-qualified consultant to develop a marketing plan, an export plan and/or a branding strategy
- Quotes and a completed Project Overview Form must be provided by your pre-qualified consultant to include with your application for funding
- Supporting permanent marketing staff to complete eligible marketing skills training courses at educational institutions
- Supporting the ability of industry associations to deliver Marketing Skills Development workshops and seminars to their members
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:
- Delivery of promotional marketing in print, radio, television, paper direct mail and digital advertising to promote specific products in export markets
- Hiring a third-party social media contractor for community management, social outreach, content curation, and analytics to promote specific products in export markets
- Hiring a third-party contractor to design, develop, translate, print and/or produce brochures, rack cards, flat sheets, shelf-talkers, wobblers etc. to promote specific products in export markets
- Incremental costs for adding specific export-focused elements to website content; can include addition of a landing page, designing, developing, translating content for international markets to a maximum of $5,000
- Basic travel and accommodation expenses to attend an event for a maximum of two staff members (note: the event must be a business-to-business event)
- Virtual tradeshow registration fees
- Booth registration fees; basic booth accessories (power, table, chair, carpet);pop-up booth rental cost
- Cost to ship samples to the show
- Hiring a certified interpreter or third-party contractor for the duration of the show
- A detailed trip itinerary is required if your travel extends beyond two days.
- Hiring an interpreter for the meetings, cost of shipping samples, basic travel and accommodation expenses for up to two staff representatives
- All buyers’ meetings must be directly tied to attendance at a trade show. Buyers’ meetings cannot be a stand-alone activity in a project.
- Cost of shipping product samples, travel and accommodation expenses for up to two company representatives
- Travel and accommodation for representatives of foreign governments in association with federal Market Access Secretariat activities
- Hiring a contractor to provide promotion or demonstration services that includes cost of renting space (if applicable)
- Rental of pop-up booth
- Equipment rentals
- Purchase of plastic or compostable serving utensils and cups
- Shipping costs to and from site
Ineligible Activities
The following activities and costs are not eligible for cost-sharing:
- Tradeshow fees exceeding $20,000 (funding contribution)
- Tradeshow attendance for more than two shows
- Meals and per diems
- Buyers’ meetings as a standalone activity (i.e. not directly related to tradeshow attendance)
- Accommodation and travel expenses exceeding basic room rates and taxes. Room service, mini-bar, movies, spa treatments, business & first-class flights, hotels exceeding 3-star rates are not eligible expenses.
- Activities that take place before the approved project start date or after the project completion date. The one exception applies to deposits paid prior to the project start date for booth space at tradeshows.
- Any costs associated with obtaining product certifications, licenses or related fees required to be deemed as ‘market ready’
- Market Information and Research and/or Market Development Planning activities that are carried out by a consultant that has not been pre-qualified under this program.
- Cost of producing/packaging product samples
- General administrative and operational costs such as:
- Salaries (including project management, coordination, or project delivery, including social media, by salaried staff),
- Packaging materials, equipment, office expenses, business cards, rent and other on-going costs related to day-to-day business incurred by the applicant, or firms represented by the applicant (hiring staff, holding a conference or annual meeting, etc.);
- Costs associated with giveaways or promotional products, including those planned for re-sale such as branded glasses, coasters, buttons, bags, clothing, aprons, etc.
- Expenses for attending consumer-focused tradeshows or events
- General industry events that are not focused on market development such as annual general meetings
- Costs associated with developing and submitting applications
- Any activities that may be considered to denigrate other products, commodities or regions (e.g. farmed vs. wild salmon; organic vs. conventional agriculture)
- Costs where the payee is a government (i.e. government of BC, Canada, etc.)
- All product-related expenses and brand development such as labels and coupons
- Capital costs including:
- Land, buildings, fences, equipment, tools, packaging plate costs, seed, livestock
- Computers and software
- Costs associated with marketing tactics (such as billboard or signage installation, vehicle leasing, brochure display racks)
- Entertainment and hospitality costs (purchasing meals, beverages, liquor or tips for clients, buyers staff, hiring entertainment or purchasing gifts for clients)
- Stakeholder engagement or membership drives
- Professional or membership dues or fees
- Requesting funds to support or sponsor a third-party activity
- Costs related to material purchases that can be repurposed (tradeshow booth, cameras, phones, LCD TV displays, furniture etc.)
- Website and IT system upgrades, building a website, hosting fees, buying or implementing an e-commerce tool/site
- Cannabis-related activities
- Direct income support
- Lobbying or influencing any level of government
Ineligible Seafood Industry Activities
- Processors or associations focusing activities on Canadian markets
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
-
Nov 24 to Dec 8 2021
Consultant Calls
Book a consultant call prior to finalizing your application
-
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
-
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:
Considerations for Evaluation
- If the applicant has had a project funded by IAF previously, did they complete all of the project reports on time?
- Were they responsive and professional in their communications with IAF Staff?
Considerations for Evaluation
- If the applicant has had a project funded by IAF previously, did the project meet its stated objectives?
- Were the activities completed on time and within budget?
- Did the applicant request multiple revisions to the project for items that were within their control?
Considerations for Evaluation
- Has the applicant completed a marketing and/or export plan?
- To what extent is the marketing plan fully developed to support either product marketing in Canada or export marketing internationally?
- If they have not completed any marketing research or export plans, are they applying for funding to develop one?
Considerations for Evaluation
- Are the project activities well defined with clear timelines, clear deliverables, etc.?
- Does it seem that the activities can be completed within the allotted budget and timeframe?
- Do the activities align with program objective(s)?
Considerations for Evaluation
- Does the budget contain any ineligible costs under the program?
- Are budget line items reasonable and within industry standards?
- Are large budget items (i.e. $5,000 and more) supported by quotes?
Considerations for Evaluation
- Will the project activities help the applicant expand their market reach outside BC in the following two ways:
- Extent to which sales are increased through project activities;
- Alignment with program objectives
Considerations for Evaluation
- The timeframe given for activities is reasonable
Notifications & Obligations
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
All applicants, regardless of whether or not they have applied for and received funding from IAF in the past, need to confirm their eligibility for the program through IAF’s online portal.
Consultant calls are available between November 24 and December 8. Priority is being given to first time applicants or those that have not received funding in previous years. If you are interested in booking a call, please follow the link above and complete the form to express your interest.
Not all applicants will be successful due to the oversubscribed nature of this program and limited funds.
*Exceptions will be made for tradeshow registrations.
For example: the activity details for paid advertising should include name of service provider or contractor, # adverts/months/hours, cost per ad, name of magazine or social media platforms etc.
In “Step 4 – Attachments” of the Application section of Portal, you will be able to upload your application form and supporting documents. Note, each attachment that you would like to submit with your application must be loaded as a separate note/attachment under the section “Supporting Documents”.
When applying for cost-shared funding to support export development activities, it is expected that the eligible applicant’s product is ‘market-ready’. Market-ready refers to an organization that has its licenses, permits and insurance documents in place so it can market/sell its product(s) legally. The product also meets the required quality standards for export and have SKUs and labelling in place.
No. The $20,000 cap per applicant for tradeshow attendance includes registration fees, booth costs, set-up fees etc. for a maximum of two (2) tradeshows. The $5,000 cap per applicant is for all travel-related costs (airfare, transportation, accommodation etc.).
All cost-shared expenditures must satisfy the eligibility criteria outlined in the Program Guide. Eligible project activities and expenditures are grouped by cost category: 1) Market Information & Research; 2) Market Development Planning; 3) Export Development; 4) Marketing Skill Training.
Please review the list of eligible/ineligible expenses, including those expenses deemed as “in-excess”.
No. Only those consultants that have been pre-qualified by the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to conduct Market Research/Information and/or Market Development Planning activities will be eligible for cost-sharing.
Please refer to the Program Guide for complete details.
All Export Development activities must target markets outside of British Columbia (interprovincial/international).
Market Research and Planning activities, however, may focus on the B.C. (domestic), interprovincial and/or international markets.
Only eligible, approved expenses will be considered for cost-sharing; a percentage of the claimed expense will be reimbursed according to your project’s funding ratio.
Once an applicant has successfully completed program eligibility screening, the Application Form is available for download in “Step 3 – Program” of a new application. Simply click the link in the text to download.
Yes. Whether you will be attending a tradeshow in person or virtually, the $20,000 cap applies to attendance at a maximum of two (2) tradeshows during the 2021-22 program cycle.
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.