B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program Stream 1: Agri-business skills and leadership development
B.C.'s Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP) provides funding to help primary agricultural producers and food and beverage processors access business planning services and specialized business training.
: To support access to specialized training for business owners and managers resulting in improved business management knowledge, adoption of practices and benefit(s) to the business.
Offered by Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Amount
Up to 70 percent of eligible costs, maximum reimbursement of up to $2,000 per business (minimum reimbursement of $500); annual funding cap of $9,500 when applying to both Stream 1 and 2
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements. Additional documentation may be required to demonstrate eligibility.
- Must be a either
a. Primary agriculture producer growing or raising fresh food or agricultural products which are 100 percent grown or raised in British Columbia and are intended for sale1
b. Agriculture, food and beverage processor processing food, beverage, or agricultural products which are processed and packaged in B.C. with 51 percent or more of the direct cost of producing the product in its final form2
- Must:
a. Be a B.C. registered business taxable entity for example, sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, or other associations of persons or trust, with a GST and business number
b. File income tax under the Income Tax Act in British Columbia
c. Report total annual gross revenues greater than $50,000 in the previous year to Canada Revenue Agency
d. For Indigenous-owned businesses that do not meet the eligibility requirements outlined above, please contact Agribusiness@gov.bc.ca to discuss program eligibility
- All proprietors, partners, members, or shareholders must be residents of British Columbia
Indigenous applicants
The Province is committed to supporting the success of Indigenous businesses in the agriculture and food sector. We understand that Indigenous businesses may have distinct characteristics reflecting regulatory, operational, cultural, and other factors. We aim for flexibility in our program delivery to reduce barriers and ensure the accessibility of our programs.
Indigenous applicants are encouraged to reach out to program staff with any questions.
1 For primary producers engaged in commercial agriculture production annual gross farm income is defined as income from sales of farm commodities including production insurance, crop and livestock sales including licensed cannabis production, and value-added farm products; but does not include income from custom work, (providing services to a person engaged in farming activities, i.e., providing landscaping) riding lessons, boarding horses, land and facilities rent, aquaculture, raising of pets, agri-tourism income, sales of forestry products and some agro-forestry products, government program payments, or any other non-commodity income.
2 For example, the sum of raw materials, direct labour, variable processing, and packaging originating in B.C. When the main raw materials are available in sufficient quantities from B.C. producers, they must be used.
Not eligible:
Ineligible applicants
Applications are not accepted from
Aquaculture, seaweed, fish and/or seafood producers or processors
Aquaponic food producers
Not-for-profit organizations
Soil amending businesses
Unlicensed cannabis operations
About the funding
Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is fully allocated. Funding is provided to approved applicants through reimbursement after project completion.
Up to 70 percent of eligible costs
- Maximum reimbursement of up to $2,000
- Minimum reimbursement of $500
Show all funding details
- For example: Cost of eligible specialized training(s) of $715.00 at 70 percent = $500 funding provided
- Any costs that exceed the eligible funding amounts are the responsibility of the
applicant
- More than one individual from a farm or processing business (business owner(s) or
business manager(s)), may be eligible for Stream 1, in which case the Stream 1 maximum will be $2,000 per business
- Applicants may individually apply for both Stream 1 and 2 of the Program, up to an
annual funding cap of $9,500
- An applicant may apply again in future years of the Program for different activities,
but the same activity can only be funded once during the 2023–2028 Sustainable CAP period Photo credit: Richard Maxton
Specialized training, courses, registration, fees, and tuition for:
- Business management including topics such as:
- Financial analysis
- Cash flow management
- Human resource management
- Cost of production
- Benchmarking
- Business leadership
- Business management conferences
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program Stream 2: Business planning, preparedness, and disaster recovery | Grant | Reimbursement after project completion: maximum of up to $7,500 for an individual business (minimum $500) | Open |
| Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program: Access to Capital | Grant | Individual Indigenous entrepreneurs may receive up to $99,999 in funding assistance and eligible Indigenous community businesses may receive up to $250,000 (non-repayable equity contribution | Open |
| AgriScience Program – Projects | Grant, In-Kind Support | Up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028) | Open |
