The program is designed to help entrepreneurs start a food business
A new program in York Region is designed to help entrepreneurs find their footing in the food space.
The 14-week hybrid Agri-Food Start-up Program partners entrepreneurs with local organizations like the Foodpreneur Lab, Syzl, York Region Food Network, and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, and Boreal Farms.
“The program is designed to help address barriers in the food sector,” Meena Hassanali, program manager of rural and agri-food initiatives with the Regional Municipality of York, told Farms.com. “These include access kitchen space or the right equipment, financing, and business planning.”
Meena Hassanali
The federal government also supported the program through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The two-year program will take a 10-person cohort in 2025, and another 10 people in 2026.
The Foodpreneur Lab is the delivery agent for the program’s learning modules.
“We provide the skills and the knowledge to help food entrepreneurs navigate a very complex food ecosystem,” said Janice Bartley, the founder and executive director of the Foodpreneur Lab.
These modules include rules for interprovincial sales, understanding what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is looking for, and keeping updated on pending changes to food labeling.
Beginning January 2026, for example, a front-of-package nutrition symbol is required on food that’s high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium.
“Canada has one of the greatest food ecosystems when it comes to regulations and is probably one of the safest ones I can point to,” Bartley said. “However, that comes with a required amount of knowledge. Food entrepreneurs don’t lack ideas, they lack information. And it’s amazing to see what they can do when they have all of the right information.”
Anyone interested in participating must apply by Sept. 17 and meet specific parameters.
This includes being at least 18 years old and identifying as a member “of an equity-deserving group,” like Indigenous people, visible minorities, women, and people with disabilities.
Applicants must have a food product concept or early-stage product and have less than $25,000 in annual sales.
Food entrepreneurs at the start of their journey shouldn’t be discouraged from applying, Bartley said.
“You don’t have to have all the answers right now,” she said. “Sometimes not knowing is your greatest gifts because you come in with an open mind and willingness to learn.”
This program aligns with York Region’s strategy to support the agriculture and agri-food sector, Hassanali said.
The 2024-2027 strategy guides the development of programs and initiatives to help the local ag community succeed.
York Region is home to more than 600 farms and around 300 food and beverage businesses.
In total, the agri-food sector in the region provides more than 67,000 jobs and $3.8 billion for the economy.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Agri-Food Startup Program can register for an online information session from 6:30 to 8pm on Sept. 11.