SEAFOOD BUSINESS ACCELERATOR
The Seafood Business Accelerator (SBA) is a BC-based program to help local small-scale fishers, farmers, and processors develop more sustainable, profitable seafood businesses
The Seafood Business Accelerator Program
The goal of the Seafood Business Accelerator (SBA) is to support innovation, profitability, and sustainability for small scale seafood entrepreneurs - to help seafood enterprises go farther and grow faster than they would have gone alone. The SBA provides food industry training, coaching, business advice, and one-on-one mentoring from food industry experts to help participants focus in on a specific project and start working on it. The SBA offers both in-person and online activities to facilitate learning, project implementation, and network development.
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The Program at a Glance
Program Value
In 2023, SBA participants received approximately $6,500 in services (i.e., 12 hours of business coaching, with $3,000 in expert services from a food development chef, food scientist, seafood marketer, social expert, and others, etc.) Each participant received approximately 54 hours of support over 8-10 weeks.
Future SBA programs will vary depending on participant needs and funding availability.
The Seafood Business Accelerator is a proven success
The BC Commercial Fishing Caucus, T. Buck Suzuki Foundation, and Coastal Nations Fisheries are working to secure the future of the SBA.
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The SBA program was developed by the VIU Centre for Seafood Innovation in partnership with the BC Commercial Fishing Caucus. The 2023 pilot was funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Island Coastal Economic Trust, the Food Processing Skills Canada's Student Work Placement Program, and T. Buck Suzuki Foundation. Generous in-kind contributions came from Vancouver Island University and the BC Commercial Fishing Caucus. The Native Fishing Association, BC Young Fishermen's Network, BC Shellfish Growers Association, and the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association provided letters of support.
Interested in the SBA?
Hear what SBA Graduates have to say about their journey
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
