The Business Assessment Designated Program

Deadline: the Program will end on March 31, 2028.

The purpose of the Business Assessment Designated Program is to facilitate proactive risk management for better agri-food business decision-making which could lead to reduced reliance on other risk management techniques/programs and increases the overall business competitiveness and resilience.

Eligible Activities

The following activities are eligible to be undertaken under the Business Assessment Designated Program, including any Initiative established thereunder:

1. Developing written business plans and strategies or assessments;
2. Third-party advisory costs to develop:
   1. Expansion plans and/or evaluate business opportunities,
   2. Human resources plans,
   3. Risk management plans,
   4. Business plans,
   5. Feasibility plans,
   6. Diversification plans,
   7. Financial analysis, including for financial difficulties due to internal and external factors,
   8. Assessments, including needs or risk assessments,
   9. Advisory services to acquire certifications and assurance systems,
   10. Needs assessments for process and product diversification, and
   11. Assessments and plans to improve diversity, equity and inclusion;
3. Leadership development, including for youth;
4. Education and training to improve agri-food business awareness and understanding of business and business-related planning best practices, leadership development and productivity considerations;
5. Applied research to garner intelligence on business development and management issues;
6. Market analysis for product and market diversification, including for new supply chain opportunities;
7. Planning and implementation of enterprise resource planning for data technology to support business decision making;
8. Communicating success stories that build public trust and improve understanding of the Sector’s successes related to business assessment; and
9. Any activity set out in:
   1. A Recipient’s Transfer Payment Agreement or a Vendor’s Service Level Agreement, or
   2. Any Designated Program Guidelines for the Business Assessment Designated Program or any Initiative Guidelines for any Initiative established under the Businesses Assessment Designated Program,

provided that activity falls within the purpose of the Business Assessment Designated Program.

Eligible Persons

The following are eligible to participate in the Business Assessment Designated Program, including any Initiative established thereunder:

1. 1. Primary Producers;
   2. Processors;
   3. Industry Organizations;
   4. Research Bodies;
   5. Retailer/Wholesalers;
   6. Service Providers;
   7. P/T/M Governments; and
   8. Indigenous Peoples.