Program funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants until the application deadline at 4:30 pm on Friday November 15, 2024, or when the funding has been fully allocated.
Approved applicants will receive a letter confirming the approval of their application (“ABPP Approval Letter”) by end of October to mid-November 2024. Claim forms for fall 2024 intake will be available by end of October 2024.
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The B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP) provides funding support for primary agricultural producers and agriculture, food and beverage processors to support informed decision making and ensure business development.
Funding is available under two streams:
Funding is provided through a reimbursement process to approved applicants.
Program stream | Program funding amounts* |
---|---|
Stream 1: Agri-business skills and leadership development | Up to 70 percent to a maximum contribution of $2,000 |
Stream 2: Business planning, preparedness, and disaster recovery |
Up to $7,500 for individual business |
Up to $22,500 for groups |
*Of Note:
To be eligible for the Program, applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements1:
OR
1 Additional documentation may be required to demonstrate eligibility.
2 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.
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.
Program funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants until the application deadline at 4:30 pm on November 15, 2024, OR when the funding has been fully allocated.
Approved applicants will receive a letter confirming the approval of their application (“ABPP Approval Letter”) by end of October to mid-November 2024.
If you are interested in applying to the program but have questions about the application process or eligibility criteria, please contact program staff at Agribusiness@gov.bc.ca or call AgriSerivce at 1-888-221-7141.
Goal: To support access to specialized training for business owners and key managers resulting in improved business management knowledge, adoption of practices and benefit(s) to the business.
Funding Amount: reimbursement of up to 70% of eligible costs as outlined in your Learning Action Plan (Fillable Form) (DOCX, 968KB).
Eligible Activities: Learning and specialized training, courses, registration, fees, and tuition for:
Ineligible Activities
Goals:
Funding amount:
Any costs that exceed the eligible funding amounts are the responsibility of the applicant.
Eligible activities
 Ineligible activities
To apply for the B.C. Agri-business planning program, complete and submit the program application
Applicants can apply for one or both streams.
Late applications will not be accepted.
For steps to apply, please refer to the application checklist (PDF, 239KB) and/or the program guide (PDF, 1.1MB).
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Farm Credit Canada
Farm Management Canada’s
BDC – Business Planning Template
Futurepreneur Canada – Business Plan Writer
Small Business B.C. – Business Planning Resources
University of Guelph Foundations in Agricultural Management free business planning course - Home | University of Guelph - Foundations in Agricultural Management (guelphagriculturalmanagement.com)
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Please contact us if you have questions about programs to support agriculture and seafood businesses.