Apply for Pitch & Plate

The Pitch & Plate event provides food and beverage processors with the opportunity to learn about and build their readiness for the institutional food service market channel. Businesses receive training and individual coaching sessions, and have the chance to then pitch their products to post-secondary institutions, hospitals, healthcare authorities, broadline distributors, and service providers interested in new and innovative products for their institutions.

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 29, 2024: A hybrid in-person / online event held at Langara College to learn about the institutional food services market, receive training and pitch products to sell to B.C. post-secondary and/or healthcare institutions.

• February (3-7), 2025 – exact date TBD: A hybrid in-person / online event held in the Lower Mainland to learn about the institutional food services market, receive training and pitch products to sell to B.C. post-secondary and/or healthcare institutions.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The application deadline for both events is Friday, September 20, 2024.

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

You will be able to apply to the November 2024 event, the February 2025 event, or both. But you will only be allowed to participate in one.

*Due to the BC Elections, applicants will not be notified of their acceptance until after Monday, October 21, 2024*

PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT FEATURES OF INTEREST

Good to Grow works closely with representatives from post-secondary institutions and healthcare authorities to inform us of 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 as well as the event selection criteria below.

The products and product features of interest are:

Product Features:

• Ready-to-Eat
  • Prepared meals / entrees
  • 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:
  • Plant-Based / Vegan
  • Sugar-Free / Low-Sugar / Diabetic Friendly
  • Gluten-Free
• Indigenous-Owned / Operated Businesses
• Traditional Indigenous Foods / Ingredients
• Use B.C. products / ingredients
• Sustainable Packaging (e.g. 100% recyclable, compostable)

Product Categories & Interest

• High Interest:
  • Plant-Based Proteins
  • Beverages
  • Breads & Bakery Products
  • Fruits & Vegetables
• Medium Interest:
  • Fish & Seafood
  • Meat & Poultry
  • Nuts & Seeds
  • Prepared Foods
  • Dairy Alternatives
  • Cereal & Grains
  • Confectionary Products
  • Sauces, Dressings, & Seasonings
• Low Interest:
  • Dairy Products & Eggs

SELECTION CRITERIA

• • Products are produced and/or final products are processed within B.C.
  • Products are identified as a “product or product feature of interest” by B.C. institutions.
  • Business and product readiness for institutional food service market
  • Preference may be given to businesses that have not participated in a previous Pitch & Plate.

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 market channel and its requirements, sales materials, preparing your pitch, and Pitch day logistics
• One-on-One Coaching Sessions: Each participant will have three online one-on-one sessions with Good to Grow to review their sales materials and practice their pitch

You will be pitching in-person to a panel of post-secondary institutions, healthcare authorities, service providers, and broadline distributors who are viewing both in the room and online. Attendees in the room will be tasting your prepared samples and attendees online will have your shipped samples to prepare before or during the event. You will have:

• 5 minutes to present your business and products
• 5 minutes to answer questions from attendees in-person and online

COST OF PARTICIPATION

Pitch & Plate is a free event. 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 50 “bite-size” samples)
• Sell sheets (approximately 50 of each retail and food service printed)
• Any needed travel and accommodation required to attend the event