Producers & Processors – How to Register
How to register as a B.C. producer or processor
4 easy steps to register your business and products
Reasons to register
- Listing is a free, easy and effective way to promote your product and reach interested buyers
- Manage your product listings and business information to keep it current
- Find out what specific products buyers are looking for and connect with them directly
The BC Food Directory is aimed at B.C. food and beverage businesses that are ready to sell to institutional and commercial buyers. Each type of buyer is unique in their product needs, and different types of buyers have varying requirements—such as serving requirements for prepared food, volumes, and specific labelling and packaging needs.
1
Eligibility
Check and confirm your eligibility
To be included on the BC Food Directory your business needs to meet eligibility criteria.
To list your business and product information in the BC Food Directory, you must meet all the following criteria:
Product requirements:
- Products must either be a raw product that is grown, caught, harvested or raised in B.C.
- and/or
- A processed food or beverage product where the final product is processed within B.C.
- Be for human consumption
- Satisfy all Municipal, Provincial, and Federal food safety, labelling and packaging regulations for commercial and/or retail sale
Business requirements:
- Your business must have experience selling products to at least one commercial or institutional business. This can include retail, grocery store, institutional food service, restaurant, community food program, wholesalers, etc., outlets, but does not include direct-to-consumer sales (e.g., farm stand, farmers markets, etc.).
- Your business must hold a Business or Basic BCeID.
- Your business is entitled to do business in B.C. and holds:
- A legal B.C. registration number and/or GST number
- For businesses operating on First Nations Reserves, alternative documentation for First Nations businesses can include:
- Band council resolution (BCR)
- Letter from band authority (e.g. administrator or band manager)
- Band administered business registration number (applicable for some Nations)
2
BCeID
Sign up for a BCeID account
You will need a secured BCeID to register on the BC Food Directory.
- A BCeID is a free government account that provides secure access to different online government services.
- You can choose a Basic BCeID (personal use) or a Business BCeID (linked to your business, allows multiple users to access).
- For business BCeID, you’ll need your business details for account activation, including your Business Number (BN) if available. Some registrations may require additional verification and an activation code may be sent by mail..
- Visit the BCeID Service Directory to check which type you need and see the government services you can access with a BCeID.
3
Register
Use your BCeID to register on the BC Food Directory
When you have received your BCeID, you can register on the BC Food Directory to create a business profile and list your products.
A BCeID account provides secure access to online government services:
Convenient:
You can use your single BCeID account to log in to multiple participating government services online. Examples of services that require a BCeID include changing address, court services, ePayments, and the ServiceBC online booking system.
Secure:
BCeID uses secure technology and policies to enable authorized access to information.
It respects your privacy:
Visit the BCeID website to learn more about the B.C. government’s privacy policies and the BCeID privacy policy.
4
Approval
Registration approval
Once your profile is approved by a Ministry staff (which can take up to 3 business days), you can use your BCeID to log in to your profile on the BC Food Directory and submit your product listings.
Not quite ready to sign up for the BC Food Directory?
For information and services to help expand your business, check out the Tips page.
BuyBC
Are you a consumer looking for information on B.C. food and beverage products?
Check out our partner website BuyBC.