Business opportunities

Key markets

Ontario is the largest grocery market in Canada and the province with the largest population. Ontario also provides a strong base to serve the rest of North America and food and beverage businesses can find sales opportunities in a range of retail, food service, e-commerce and industrial channels across the province. To learn more about these opportunities, please contact the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) to connect with an advisor.

Co-manufacturing and co-packing

A co-packer or co-manufacturer is an established food manufacturer that processes and/or packages your product according to your specifications within their facility for a fee. There is a distinct difference between co-manufacturers and co-packers, though the terms are often used interchangeably, or simply called “co-packers”.

Co-packing consists of packaging and labelling.

Co-manufacturing includes product development, manufacturing and sometimes ingredient sourcing in addition to packaging and labelling.

Please contact OMAFA to learn more about co-packing and/or co-manufacturing opportunities in Ontario.

Visit the Guide to Food and Beverage Manufacturing in Ontario for more information.

Export

Exporting in the global marketplace increases your exposure to international best practices, varying customer preferences, ideas and alternative ways of doing business and a way to increase sales and profits, which improves your chances of competing domestically and internationally.

Learn more about exporting your food and beverage products from Ontario.

Support and services

If you are looking to expand your food and beverage manufacturing business, you can contact OMAFA advisors who can provide expert advice, support, connections and resources to help you grow and invest in your business.

OMAFA advisors work with businesses of different sizes, from the small bakery who sells donuts in local grocery stores, to large multinationals with several factories located in Ontario.

Invest in your business

OMAFA advisors provide support and resources to help businesses planning on expanding their capacity, adding employees and assessing funding opportunities for their growing businesses. We can help you with insights and best practices, help you navigate potential supports, and help you connect with industry services and specialists to meet your goals.

Market intelligence

OMAFA advisors provide clients with sector specific resources, information, profiles and statistics to best support business growth and development. We can provide advice on business operations, training opportunities and market information statistics.

Events and growth

Working with OMAFA advisors provides access to participate in trade shows, buyer programs and more.

Use the OMAFA calendar to find a list of dates and times of trade shows, webinars and business-to-business meeting programs.

Industry webinar series

The ministry regularly hosts webinars focused on business supports, regulations and different markets and sectors to help Ontario’s food and beverage manufacturers manage their businesses and better promote their products.

National and local trade shows

Ontario pavilion programs are available for Ontario food and beverage businesses to exhibit at select domestic trade shows for retail and food service in Toronto and Canada, which are key events for the national food and beverage industry.

By participating at these events, Ontario businesses have enhanced opportunities to promote their products to a network of potential buyers that attend the shows.

Learn more about attending trade shows outside of Canada.

Business-to-business programs

OMAFA arranges business-to-business programs with key buyers to bring Ontario businesses face-to-face with domestic retail and food service buyers in a one-on-one meeting to pitch their food and beverage products.

Through these meeting programs, Ontario businesses have direct access to key decision-makers, which can help establish close relationships that may also generate retail and food service sales.