The Government of British Columbia is throwing its support behind small- and medium-sized manufacturers in the province and building up supply chains to help B.C.-based companies expand, diversify and better compete in the global market.

The B.C. Supply Chain Resiliency and Value-Added Manufacturing Grant project commits up to $14.25 million in provincial funding to generate new economic opportunities.

This announcement is part of B.C.’s $10-billion COVID-19 response, which includes StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan — a strategy that protects people’s health and livelihoods while supporting businesses and communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities and demonstrated the importance of B.C.’s manufacturing sector, including its economic impacts, the critical goods it delivers and the jobs it provides in all regions of the province. It also put a sharp focus on B.C.’s reliance on imports of manufactured goods, packaging supplies and finished products.

Recognizing this, the B.C. government is making this investment to strengthen the province’s supply chains in all sectors to support B.C.’s economic recovery.

The project consists of three parts:

• Building Strong Supply Chain Grants: The Province is investing up to $4 million to support eligible industry and trade associations and groups in collaboration with grants of up to $400,000 to support industry in strengthening supply chain resilience.
• Accelerating Manufacturing Scale-Up Grants: The Province is investing up to $10 million to support eligible small- and medium-sized manufacturing businesses with funding up to $250,000 to prototype, pilot or demonstrate new technologies, commercialize new technologies and/or products, improve market access, and identify and implement operational improvements.
• B.C. Supply and Value Chain Analysis: The Province is investing $250,000 to analyze opportunities to strengthen strategic B.C. supply chains as part of a provincial recovery that aims to increase supply chain competitiveness and resilience, and identify related advanced-manufacturing opportunities.   

Learn More:

Expressions of Interest for the Building Strong Supply Chain Grants will be accepted until Feb. 18, 2021. For details, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/economic-recovery/supply-chain-resiliency-grant

The Province is currently seeking a proponent through a request for proposal to support delivery of the Accelerating Manufacturing Scale-Up Grants.
For application details, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/economic-recovery/manufacturing-grant

StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/

A backgrounder follows.