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Source verified September 17, 2026
B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program
Business planning and training support
Latest source updateLast Update: September 17, 2026Latest change: The 2026-2027 Agri-Business Planning Program guide adds detailed eligibility, consultant, claim, and reimbursement rules, including Stream 2 travel limits and a $9,500 annual cap across both streams.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 17, 2026
Latest change: The 2026-2027 Agri-Business Planning Program guide adds detailed eligibility, consultant, claim, and reimbursement rules, including Stream 2 travel limits and a $9,500 annual cap across both streams.
ABPP Guide Updated for 2026-2027
The 2026-2027 program guide now sets out more detailed application and reimbursement requirements for both streams, including required documents, proof-of-payment formats, final reports, meeting logs, invoices, and claim submission instructions. It also adds or clarifies substantive program rules such as Stream 2 consultant travel eligibility, a 20% travel cap, B.C.-only travel over 50 km, an annual $9,500 cap when both streams are used, and a rule that the same activity may be funded only once during the 2023-2028 Sustainable CAP period.
Funding available
$ 500 - $ 9,500
Deadline
October 20, 2026
Opened September 15, 2026
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Overview
B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program gives primary agricultural producers and agriculture, food and beverage processors in British Columbia reimbursement funding up to 70 percent for training and up to $7,500 for business planning to support business development. It supports specialized training, business planning services and coaching, and activities such as business strategy.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop team skills
- Improve governance or administrative structure
- Attract or retain talent
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 9,500 $
- Minimum amount : 500 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- British Columbia
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 50,000 minimum revenue
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Canadians
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 3
Activities funded
- Specialized training, courses, registration, fees, and tuition for business management, business leadership, and business management conferences
- Business planning services and coaching from a qualified business consultant to create, update or renew a business plan
- Business planning specialization areas: business disaster recovery, business emergency preparedness, business structures, business strategy, cash flow and financial analysis, human resources management, product development, production economics, risk assessment and mitigation, succession/transition planning, and value added ventures
Documents Needed
- Completed Learning Action Plan
- Completed and signed Letter of Engagement for Services
- Direct Deposit Application Form and a copy of a void cheque
- Most recent Statement of Farming Activities or Statement of Business Activities filed with Canada Revenue Agency
- Consultant’s resume and supporting Consultant(s) resume(s), if applicable
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Primary agricultural producers
- Agriculture, food and beverage processors
- For Stream 2, sole proprietors, partnerships or corporations that meet the eligibility criteria
Who is not eligible
- Aquaculture, seaweed, fish and/or seafood producers or processors
- Aquaponic food producers
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Soil amending businesses
- Unlicensed cannabis operations
Eligible expenses
- Registration fees and tuition for learning and specialized training and courses related to business management, including financial analysis, cash flow management, human resource management, cost of production, benchmarking, business leadership, and business management conferences
- Business planning services and coaching from a qualified business consultant to create, update or renew a business plan
- Consultant travel costs for on-site meetings with the business owner/operator, limited to travel within B.C., over 50 km, deemed reasonable by ABPP staff, not exceed 20% of the funding applied for, and supported by receipts for proof of payment
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Registration and tuition fees for learning and specialized training not listed above; travel costs; acquiring programs, software, devices, stationery, required textbooks or other assets; costs incurred before the receipt of the ABPP Approval Letter; activities and costs for which the applicant received funding through another Sustainable CAP-funded program since April 1, 2023; GST
- Accounting, bookkeeping, income tax preparation, search of titles, off-farm investment planning and other costs associated with implementing the action plan
- Acquiring capital assets
- Activities/costs associated with the preparation/compilation of applications and/or forms for other provincial or federal programs; costs associated with the gathering of data such as soil analysis, tissue analysis/germination and seed viability testing, crop scouting activities
- Preparation of legal documents, contracts and/or formal agreements; costs incurred before receipt of the ABPP approval letter; activities and costs for which the applicant received funding through another Sustainable CAP-funded program since April 1, 2023; GST; barter/exchange transactions are not eligible
Eligible geographic areas
- British Columbia
Selection criteria
- Eligible applications are funded on a first-come, first-served basis, and the timestamp of the latest submission determines queue position.
How to apply
- Obtain a valid Basic BCeID or Business BCeID account.
- Submit the online Application Form through the program website.
- Submit separate applications if applying for one or both streams.
- For Stream 1, upload the completed Learning Action Plan, the most recent Statement of Farming Activities or Statement of Business Activities filed with CRA, the Direct Deposit Application Form, and a copy of a void cheque.
- For Stream 2, select and confirm a qualified business consultant, provide the consultant’s name, contact information, business registration number, and project summary, and upload the Letter of Engagement for Services, consultant resume(s), the most recent Statement of Farming Activities or Statement of Business Activities filed with CRA, the Direct Deposit Application Form, and a copy of a void cheque.
Processing and Agreement
- B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food staff will review the application, and only completed applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
- If applications are incomplete, program staff may request the missing details or ask for resubmission.
- Only approved applicants will receive a letter confirming the approval of their application (“ABPP Approval Letter”).
- Funding is provided through reimbursement after project completion, and a completed program evaluation survey must be completed before payment is issued.
- The Province may review and evaluate Projects in any stage of the Program and applicants must provide full access, at a reasonable time, to any documents or other information related to the Program.
Additional information
- The program is funded jointly by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program Program
What is the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program?
B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program gives primary agricultural producers and agriculture, food and beverage processors in British Columbia reimbursement funding up to 70 percent for training and up to $7,500 for business planning to support business development. It supports specialized training, business planning services and coaching, and activities such as business strategy.
How much funding can be received?
B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program Funds up to 70% of admissible expenses, capped at $9,500 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The program is accepting continuous intake
Who is eligible for the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program program?
To be eligible for the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program program, you must:
Primary agricultural producers or agriculture, food and beverage processors
B.C. registered business taxable entities with a GST and business number, filing income tax in British Columbia
Annual gross revenues greater than $50,000 in the previous year and British Columbia resident proprietors, partners, members, or shareholders
What expenses are eligible under B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program?
Specialized training, courses, registration, fees, and tuition for business management, business leadership, and business management conferences
Business planning services and coaching from a qualified business consultant to create, update or renew a business plan
Business planning specialization areas: business disaster recovery, business emergency preparedness, business structures, business strategy, cash flow and financial analysis, human resources management, product development, production economics, risk assessment and mitigation, succession/transition planning, and value added ventures
Who can I contact for more information about the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program?
You can contact Government of British Columbia (BC) by email at Agribusiness@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 1-888-221-7141.
Where is the B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program available?
The B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program program is available the province of British Columbia.