BC Food Companies Can Leverage Traceability Funding to Adopt New Technology
Last week, the Government of British Columbia began to release a new round of traceability funding to help improve traceability in agriculture, food, and seafood businesses in BC. The BC Traceability Adoption program was launched on February 1, 2020 and provides up to $75,000 in cost-shared funding. The best news is – the Icicle food ERP system is pre-approved by the BC government for these programs.
Update (April 2020): A new round of funding has also opened for the BC Post-Farm Food Safety program. Learn more about the program here.
The funding, like other programs that precede this one, comes from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and aims to “increase the adoption of traceability systems, practices, technologies, and infrastructure across the food and seafood sectors, enabling businesses to meet existing and emerging market and regulatory requirements.” And we can help you do all of that and more.
The funding comes through three programs: (1) traceability adoption, (2) livestock tag reader rebate, and (3) traceability value chain.
Traceability Funding for Adoption
What is available? Up to $16,000 (annual cap) at up to 70% cost-sharing is available for companies to buy traceability system hardware and software, employee training, consultant fees, and other eligible expenses like buying barcode readers, printers, or dedicated computers and mobile devices.
Am I eligible? If you are a food producer, processor, distributor, packager, transporter, warehouse, importer, or exporter based and operating in BC, you can likely apply! Check out full eligibility requirements here.
How does the application work? You can register online or via email/fax through the BC Traceability Funding Program website. Applications opened on February 1, 2020 and the money in these programs usually runs out pretty quickly, so it is always better to apply as soon as you can. If you need help putting together your application, and you are interested in using these funds to purchase traceability software, Icicle is recognized and pre-approved by the program. Get in touch with our team to learn more about Icicle and for assistance in putting together your application.
Traceability Funding for Information Sharing Systems
What is available? Up to $75 000 at up to 70% cost-sharing is available to eligible applicants to develop and install “information sharing systems that will enhance agriculture, food, and seafood traceability among supply chain partners.” Eligible expenses include the purchase and installation of hardware or software for traceability systems, staff training by software vendor or approved consultant, multi-use computer terminal for traceability systems, multi-use handheld electronic devices for traceability systems, and consultant fees for assessing or implementing projects.
Am I eligible? Funding through this program is aimed at “value chains,” which is a group of three or more agriculture, food, or seafood businesses along a supply chain that is producing and delivering agriculture or seafood products to consumers (e.g. a business partnership among a producer, processor, and distributor). In order to be considered a “value chain,” applicants must include two or more of the following: processors, packagers, retail, distributors or warehouses, transporters, and/or importers or exporters. Agriculture, food, and seafood sector organizations, which are usually non-profit associations, can also apply for this program. All applicants must be based and operating in BC.
How does the application work? Funding for this program has not yet been released and applications are expected to open in March or April. As with other government programs, funding is limited so it is best to be prepared and apply as soon as possible once applications are accepted. If you need help putting together your application, and you are interested in using these funds to purchase traceability software, Icicle is recognized and pre-approved by the program. Get in touch with our team to learn more about Icicle and for assistance in putting together your application.
Why Icicle is the Outstanding Traceability System for You and Your Team
Icicle is unique in the field for our innovative design – but the way we build a model of your business so it can change and grow without further investment from you in time or resources is stuff that’s all under the hood. What shows itself immediately is that Icicle gets results. You will be able to do things like:
- Seamlessly track and trace ingredients, materials, packaging, and products throughout the whole production process with pinpoint precision;
- Easily simulate recall drills and conduct mass balance calculations in just minutes;
- Generate HACCP and HARPC plans on demand with just one tap or click;
- Dramatically reduce the time you spend preparing for audits and inspections (including SQF audits) by up to 40%;
- Easily obtain and maintain third-party certifications like Kosher, vegan, and SQF;
- Make better decisions for your business with increased oversight and analytics, trending, and reporting;
- Reduce food waste and improve your relationships with your customers by improving inventory management;
- Benefit from even more Icicle features.
At Icicle, We are Invested in BC Businesses
Icicle is committed to the BC agri-food sector – this is our home base and the space in which the first Icicle users joined our revolution and give us the feedback we need to make Icicle better all the time. That’s why we offer a special service to BC companies who are driven to implement Icicle and utilize this funding opportunity: we help you do it.
In previous years, we assisted clients in the application process and every single one of those companies received the funding – that is, until the money for the program ran out. That’s why you could get in touch with us now, so you can secure your funds to get the best product on the market with help from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
