Rapid Stimulus Grants:
Flexible, low-barrier, and accessible funding to strengthen
the distribution, implementation, and evaluation of community-driven food system initiatives.
Rapid Stimulus
Grants for Advancing Transformation.
The Rapid Stimulus Grant was a one-time funding project for non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities located in Northern British Columbia, aimed at advancing transformation in local food systems. The program was designed to provide flexible, low-barrier, and accessible funding to support communities and organizations working to strengthen local food systems.
The purpose of this project was to support food systems transformation in Northern British Columbia by strengthening the distribution, implementation, and evaluation of community-driven food system initiatives.
The Rapid Stimulus Grant program provided funding to address the immediate needs of communities while also serving as leverage points for long-term, regional food systems change.
Featured Partners
The following partners are featured on the webpage video banner.
Please click on the logos to visit their websites.
Rapid Stimulus Grants Statistics
$800,000 distributed
36 grantees funded
50% Indigenous-led grantees
1 Northern Food Summit
41,621 People Directly Impacted
Interactive Map
Use the interactive map below to see who we funded across the north.
You can filter according to project type: Large-Scale, Ideas Lab, and Rapid Stimulus.
Posters
A project poster presentation was featured as part of the Northern Harvest Summit, providing an opportunity to showcase 48 initiatives from the Rapid Stimulus, Ideas Lab, and Large-Scale grant streams.
All posters are downloadable in print format. Original posters were designed at 3ft by 4ft; as such, we advise you to print at a similar ratio to ensure text and images are as accessible as possible.
Takla Nation Food Security: This project strengthened food security and cultural resilience in Takla Nation through hunting…
Equalizing Access to Food at School: The Link delivers items provided by the Fresh for Kids program to Grassy Plains and Francois Lake…
Peace Region Farmers Institute Food Hub Coordinator: The Peace Region Farmers Institute established a year-round Food Hub Coordinator…
Rapid Stimulus Grants Chapter
Project Background:
The Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformation was a dynamic project designed to foster collaboration among multi-sectoral food champions and advocates across Northern BC.
The project was developed in response to findings from the Strengthening Food Systems and Dignified Food Access in Northern BC project, which highlighted northern communities’ desire for improved coordination, networking, and collaboration among food systems actors to better leverage resources and avoid duplication of efforts.
The goal of the Ideas Lab was to strengthen regional food security through innovative, community-driven solutions that make local food systems more equitable, resilient, and adaptive.
The project spanned 17 months, from September 2024 to January 2026, and involved a combination of facilitated virtual meetings and in-person gatherings. These sessions guided participants through an equity-centred design process for collaborative project development, delivered training to support capacity building, and created opportunities for networking, peer learning, and knowledge exchange.
A total of 39 food systems actors participated in the Ideas Lab, and $300,000 in seed funding was administered to support 13 collaborative, equity-driven initiatives that emerged through the design process, which is described in detail within this report.
Community Food Systems Development in BC:
Accelerating Food Systems Change across Northern BC
Supported by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and delivered in partnership with Food Banks BC, this report brings together three years of work across the Rapid Stimulus Grant, the Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformations, and Large-Scale Innovations, sharing the stories, data, and lessons behind Northern BC’s food systems transformation.
From community gardens and meat processing facilities to regional food distribution networks and Indigenous-led food sovereignty initiatives, it traces how 56 community-led initiatives took shape across the region, what they achieved, and the barriers they navigated along the way.
Drawing on survey data, conversational interviews, and firsthand stories from grantees, the report offers a look at what worked, what shifted along the way, and what still needs to happen to help this transformation take root for the long term. It closes with reflections and priorities to guide the next chapter of this work