New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator Program

 The NEFBA Program is a competitive, application-based funding program for new farm businesses. It has two phases:

Eligibility requirements are: 

• You must be a primary agriculture producer in British Columbia who grows or raises products for sale.
• You must be a for-profit farm business that is a sole proprietorship, a registered B.C. business (partnerships, corporations, cooperatives, Indigenous economic development corporations, and band-owned businesses), or an unregistered business that commits to registering by February 2026.
• You must have not yet reported farm income to the CRA or have done so for 5 years or less.
• You and all other owners/members/shareholders must be B.C. residents who file income tax in British Columbia.
• You must not have already received funding for the same activities from specific programs (Beneficial Management Practices Program, Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program, Food Systems and Agriculture Partnership Program, or the Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty Fund) after April 1, 2025.
• Costs are only eligible for reimbursement if they are incurred after your project has been officially approved.

Farm businesses that are not eligible for the program but require additional support for the growth of their business are encouraged to review the Ministry of Agriculture and Food website or contact AgriService@gov.bc.ca.  

To apply for Phase 1, you must submit the New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator Program application.

This phase focuses on developing or updating a business plan and growth strategy using templates provided by the program. These documents should show how your farm business would grow with cost-share funding for infrastructure.

Successful applicants for Phase 1 will be notified in November 2025. You will then have until February 1, 2026 to submit your business plan and growth strategy to be reimbursed.

Participation in Phase 2 is by invitation only. If your business plan and growth strategy from Phase 1 are approved, you may be invited to apply.

The Phase 2 application package must include:

• A partial budget showing how the new investment will support your financial growth.
• Supplier quotes and any related documents (like designs or diagrams) for the requested infrastructure and/or equipment.

Applications for Phase 2 will be evaluated based on merit. You will be notified of the results in April 2026. For more details on the evaluation process, please see the Program guide (PDF, 1.9MB)

Only applicants who are admitted to the program during the initial Phase 1 application period will be invited to apply for Phase 2 funding.

For approved Phase 2 projects, the program will reimburse 75 percent of the total project costs. The remaining 25 percent must be covered by your farm business through cash or in-kind contributions. For example, on a project worth $20,000, the program could provide $15,000, and your business would contribute the remaining $5,000.

Your business must contribute 25 percent of the total project costs, which can be a mix of cash and "in-kind" contributions.

In-kind contributions are non-cash items your business provides to help complete the project, such as staff time for installing equipment.

You must provide evidence of both your cash and in-kind contributions when the project is finished.

Depending on the type of expense you apply for, you may be asked for additional documents like budgets, designs, or diagrams.

For livestock handling systems and permanent fencing, you must submit designs that include the layout and measurements, as well as any existing structures.

This section outlines costs that will not be covered by the NEFBA Program.

For both Phase 1 and 2

The following expenses are not eligible across both phases of the program:

• GST and interest payments on loans
• Operating expenses like salaries for existing staff, insurance, taxes, phone bills, or legal fees
• Costs incurred outside the project timeline (before approval or after completion)
• Used equipment unless it is from a reputable dealership
• Purchase of land
• Productive farm units (e.g., breeding stock, beehives, perennial plants)
• Basic supplies like fertilizer, chemicals, feed, fuel, or livestock
• Education and training courses
• Perimeter fencing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Sale of equipment

For Phase 2 only

Phase 2 funding cannot be used for the following:

• Agri-tourism initiatives
• Secondary food processing e.g., canning, baking, juicing
• Non-commodity income e.g., government program payments
• Recreational activities such as riding lessons or horse boarding
• Raising animals as pets
• Forestry products
• Aquaculture
• Community gardens for individual consumption
• Renting land or facilities
• Equipment for providing custom work

Note: The Province of B.C. has the final say on what is considered an eligible or ineligible expense.

Note:  These resources are not a complete list and may not include everything required for your application's evaluation.

Stream 1: Business Planning Resources

Templates:

• New Entrant Farm Business Accelerator 
  • Business Plan template (DOCX, 107KB)
  • Growth Strategy template (PDF, 153KB)
  • Project Budget (XLSX, 110KB)
• Ministry of Agriculture and Food
  • Business Plan Template and Self-Assessment
  • Writing a business plan checklist
  • Planning for Profits Sample Templates

Courses and tools:

• Free business planning course Foundations in Agricultural Management (University of Guelph)
• Online Farm Business Self-Assessment Tool - Growing Your Farm Profits (Farm Management Canada)
• Business Planning Template (Business Development Bank of Canada)
• Business Plan Writer (Futurepreneur Canada)

Stream 2: Business Plan Coaching 

Resources in B.C:

• BC Institute of Agrologists
  • Consider agrologists with ‘Agricultural and Resources Economics', and 'Rural Development’ in their areas of specialization.
• Member & Firm Directories (Chartered Professional Accountants of BC)

Other resources:

• How to build a strong farm advisory team (Farm Credit Canada)
• Choosing a consultant: An Investment in Your Business  (Government of Alberta)
• Canadian Association of Farm Advisors