Canada: Food and Beverage Business Accelerator Program

Deadline: 30-Nov-22

Applications are now for its Food and Beverage Business Accelerator Program to support for Nova Scotian food and beverage producers to access services provided by Perennia.

Perennia's services can help food and beverage producers to improve their skills, access new markets, launch new products and develop new ideas for by-products.

Program Objectives

The Food and Beverage Business Accelerator Program will provide support for specialized services provided by Perennia to Nova Scotia’s food and beverage producers with the following objectives:
- enhance the overall understanding and skills of applicants to grow their business.
- encourage access to new markets through food safety development and information sharing initiatives.
- help applicants increase profit through the launch of new products.
- promote new ideas around by-products in the marketplace.

Funding Information

Food Safety
- Food Safety Coaching: Applicants are eligible for 75% funding assistance on total eligible project costs to a maximum of $10,000 per program year.
- Food Safety Product Testing: Applicants are eligible for 50% funding assistance on total eligible project costs to a maximum of $10,000.00
Product Development
- Improving a Current Product: Address issues with current products to allow them to enter new markets and increase sales. Applicants are eligible for 75% funding assistance on total eligible project cost to a maximum of $5,000 per program year.
- Nutrition Facts Table Development: Applicants are eligible for 75% funding assistance for up to five Nutrition Facts Tables per applicant per year for eligible products (that contain 20% Nova Scotia ingredients except beverages, which are on a case-by-case basis).
- Creating a New Food or Beverage Product: Applicants who demonstrate a proven ability to successfully take a new product to market. Applicants are eligible for 75% funding assistance on total eligible project cost to a maximum of $10,000 per program year.
- Course Registration Cost – Provision Coalition R-Purpose MICRO Program | Transforming Your Business Through a Focus on Sustainability: Funding assistance is 50% of the course registration cost. Assistance will be limited to five Nova Scotia companies to participate in the 12-week online Provision Coalition R-Purpose MICRO Program.
- Processing Acceleration: Applicants are eligible for 75% funding assistance on total eligible project cost to a maximum of $5,000 per program year.

Eligibility Criteria

Agri-Business:
- applicant is at least 19 years of age;
- represents identifiable Nova Scotia agriculture and agri-food products;
- generates an annual eligible gross agri-business income of $30,000 or more based on most recent T2 Corporation Income Tax Return and/or internal Income Statement; and
- conducts value-added processing of a raw Nova Scotia agriculture product which demonstrates a direct partnership and significant economic impact to the Nova Scotia primary agricultural industry.
Farm:
- applicant is at least 19 years of age and actively farming in the program year;
- currently and properly registered in the correct income category under the Farm Registration Act; and
- generates an annual eligible gross commodity income of $30,000. The eligible commodity income will be based on the most recent Statement of Farming Activities (T2042, T1273 or Schedule 125 – Farm Revenue: detailing sales by commodity revenue code).