Apply for Pitch & Plate

If you’re a food or beverage brand with a product you believe in and you’re looking to get in front of the right buyers, Pitch & Plate is for you.

We’re back!

Since 2021, Pitch & Plate has helped brands build market readiness for the institutional food service channel followed by the opportunity to pitch directly to post-secondary institutions, K–12 school districts, health authorities, food service providers, and broadline distributors.

Selected brands receive training and one-on-one coaching to learn about the market channel requirements, refine their pitch, strengthen their sell sheets, and build confidence before the big day.

Don’t miss out on this fully funded opportunity to grow your food and beverage business.

See application details below!

Pitch and Plate is a Feed BC initiative, delivered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in collaboration with food industry educators, Good to Grow and B.C. public sector institutions.

Funding is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia though the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, and in-kind support is provided by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Feed BC program.

NEW PITCH & PLATE EVENTS

Please read the details below and apply at the bottom of the page:

1) OCTOBER 6, 2026 -> POST-SECONDARY AND HEALTH FOCUSED PITCH EVENT

An in-person pitch event, held in University of British Columbia’s Sage Restaurant in Vancouver, for selected brands to learn about the institutional food services market, receive training and 1:1 coaching, and pitch products to BC post-secondary institutions, healthcare authorities, broadline distributors, and food service providers.

Brands will have 5 minutes to present their business and products followed by 5 minutes to answer questions from attendees in the audience. While the brands are pitching the audience is tasting their prepared sample. Attendees outside of the Lower Mainland that cannot attend the event in person will receive a pre-recorded pitch and sample box.

*Applications Close: August 23, 2026*

2) JANUARY 2027 -> TO BE ANNOUNCED

3) MARCH 2027 -> TO BE ANNOUNCED

Please read the information below before you apply. The application form is linked at the bottom of this page.

PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT FEATURES OF INTEREST

Good to Grow works closely with an Advisory Group for each of the three events to inform the types of products and product features they are looking for as well as their procurement requirements.

We welcome all interested businesses to apply. Please note preference will be given to those that meet the identified products and/or product features below in addition to each event’s unique selection criteria.

Product Features of Interest:

Ready-to-Eat
- Prepared meals / entrees
- Restaurant quality meals
- Hot center of plate
- Flexibility with individual packs and bulk
Ready-to-Bake
Grab-n-Go / Snack items / Single Serve
- Retail, food service, vending
- Perishable, non-perishable, or frozen
Dietary Needs:
- Healthy alternatives to baked goods / snacks
- Plant-Based / Vegan
- Sugar-Free / Low-Sugar / Diabetic Friendly
- Gluten-Free
- Allergen Free
- Nut-Free
- Halal
- High protein
- High fibre
- Beverages that contain at least 25% Daily Value of calcium and fortified with at least 10% Daily Value for Vitamin D
Indigenous-Owned / Operated Businesses
Traditional Indigenous Foods / Ingredients
Culturally Diverse Foods
Use BC products / ingredients
Sustainable Packaging (e.g. 100% recyclable, compostable)

Product Categories & Interest

Plant-Based Proteins
Prepared Foods
Snacks
Meat & Poultry
Seafood
Dairy, Dairy Alternatives, & Eggs
Beverages
Breads & Bakery Products
Dessert Products & Sweet Treats
Fruits & Vegetables
Cereal & Grains
Sauces & Soups & Broths
Dressings & Seasonings

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

Review the list of “Product and Product Features of Interest” above
Complete the Application Form by the application deadline.
Each application will go through a grading matrix to determine a short list of companies best suited for each event and their market channel requirements.
The short list of companies will be evaluated by Good to Grow, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and each event’s Advisory Group to determine the final companies for each event.
Good to Grow will reach out to the final list for confirmation of their participation.

SELECTION CRITERIA

- Products are produced and/or final products are processed within BC.
- Products are identified as a “product or product feature of interest” specific market channel.
- Business and product readiness for that specific event’s market channel requirements.
- Preference may be given to businesses that have not participated in a previous Pitch & Plate. Brands that have participated previously are encouraged to still apply if you have a new product /product line, there have been any changes to your products since last participating, or if you are applying to a different style of event than you participated in previously.

MANDATORY PARTICIPANT TRAINING

To help prepare the participants for the Pitch events, Good to Grow delivers several mandatory educational training sessions for each event:

Prep Workshop: An online workshop to review the institutional food service or retail market channel and its requirements, sales materials, preparing your pitch, and event day logistics
One-on-One Coaching Sessions: Each participant will have two to three online one-on-one sessions with Good to Grow to review their sales materials and practice their pitch (number is dependent on event).

COST OF PARTICIPATION

Pitch & Plate is free to participate in. However, the following costs are the responsibility of the pitching companies:

Samples for online attendees (approximately 30 retail size samples)
Samples for in-person attendees (approximately 60 “bite-size” samples)
Sell sheets (approximately 60 of each retail and food service printed)
Any needed travel and accommodation required to attend the event