Buy BC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Primary Producers & Farmers

Primary producers and farmers can apply to have products that are 100% grown, caught, or raised in BC to be approved with their licence agreement. 

Food & Beverage Processors

BC processors must provide the total cost of production for any processed products to be approved with their logo licence agreement. A product, in its final form, must have 51% or more of costs originating in BC to meet the minimum product standards required for the Buy BC program.

No. If you have received your Buy BC certification or marketing licence, you already have approval to use the logo for free in accordance with the terms of your agreement. You do not need to submit your packaging designs or marketing materials for approval unless those designs or materials are being developed as part of a Buy BC cost-shared funding project.

Certification Licence 

A certification licence validates that your food or beverage product meets the Buy BC definition of local. You will receive a certification licence if you are a BC producer or processor who sells one or more locally made product.A certification licence allows you to use the Buy BC logo on eligible product packaging – and for product-specific marketing!

Marketing Licence

A marketing licence is intended for retailers, wholesalers, distributors, industry groups, farmers’ markets/fairs, food hubs and other non-profit organizations. With a marketing licence, the Buy BC logo can only be used on marketing materials – not on product packaging or product labels.

There are many ways that you can use the Buy BC logo on your packaging and marketing materials. You can even select from different logo orientations and colour options to complement your branding! When you apply for a Buy BC marketing or certification licence, you will receive a logo guide that can help you select the version of the logo that works best for you. It also contains examples of how other Buy BC partners have made the most of the logo!

Click here to watch a short video showcasing how the logo is being displayed across BC’s food and beverage industry.

You can select from different logo orientations and colour options to complement your branding. When you apply for a Buy BC marketing or certification licence, you will receive a logo guide that can help you select the version of the logo that works best for you. 

If your brand requires logo colours other than the ones described in the logo guide, please contact the Buy BC Team before making any design changes to the logo.

The Buy BC team is always working to help ensure that the Buy BC brand is valuable to our members. Consumer brand recognition is a key component of ensuring this value. When you add the logo to your product packaging and marketing materials, British Columbians recognize that your foods are local, sustainable, safe, and high-quality. 

A few ways we support the Buy BC brand include:

• A province-wide ad campaign to increase awareness of the Buy BC brand and encourage consumers to chose Buy BC products in retail stores across B.C.
• Retail partnerships to highlight Buy BC products at the point of sale
• Social media promotions to highlight Buy BC products and local producers and processors and provide consumer education on buying local
• Consistent market research to track Buy BC brand recognition among B.C. consumers 

No. If you have received your Buy BC certification or marketing licence, you already have approval to use the logo for free in accordance with the terms of your agreement. New licensees can start using the logo right away.

Now that you are approved for a Buy BC logo certification or marketing licence, you have checked the box on one eligibility requirement for Buy BC cost-shared funding. 

Buy BC cost-shared funding has additional eligibility requirements related to project budget, years in business, annual revenue, and more.

Eligible applicants can receive funding to deliver paid advertising campaigns, conduct in-store demonstrations or promotions, participate in tradeshows or consumer sales events, develop and produce Buy BC marketing materials, and label products or packaged food and beverage products with the Buy BC logo.  

For more details, please consult the Program Guide available on https://buybcpartnershipprogram.ca

If you don’t see your question, you can reach out to us at BuyBC@gov.bc.ca