Jobs, Businesses, & Labour

Startups and small businesses platforms

Here's what the 2026 BC Provincial Election parties are promising.

BC NDP
  • Introduce a $5K refundable tax credit for small businesses that hire a young person for their first, full-time, 12-month job

    "Hiring incentive for young people: During the trade war, the Youth Hiring Tax Credit offers a $5,000 refundable tax credit for small businesses that hire a young person (aged 18–30) for their first full-time, 12-month job." — bcndp.ca, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Provide interest-free loans of up to $1M to small businesses impacted by the tariffs or wildfires

    "Direct financial relief: The Small Business Tariff & Wildfire Relief Fund provides interest-free loans of up to $1 million for up to 72 months to help small businesses recover from the recent wildfires or Donald Trump’s unfair tariffs." — bcndp.ca, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Provide $6M in enhanced market research grants, one-on-one advice, and new support to help businesses diversify their markets and supply chains

    "Help to find new markets: Delivers $6 million annually in enhanced market research grants, one-on-one advice and new support to help businesses diversify supply chains to buy Canadian and sell their products to non-U.S. markets." — bcndp.ca, retrieved 2026-10-13

We don't have any BC Conservative policies on Startups and small businesses.

BC Green
  • Introduce province-wide commercial rent protections

    "Introduce province-wide commercial rent protections and give municipalities new tools to address long-term commercial vacancies." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

    "Introduce province-wide commercial rent protections, beginning with a commercial rent registry and phasing in limits on rent increases during tenancies, at renewal and between tenants. The system will include protections against evictions or non-renewals intended to avoid the rules, alongside a fair process for exceptional cost increases, major improvements and redevelopment." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Allow municipalities to tax persistently vacant commercial properties

    "Give municipalities the power to tax persistently vacant commercial properties." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Make government easier for small businesses to navigate with a single front door for approvals, simpler forms, and clearer timelines, and incentives for local governments to join that system

    "Create a single front door for business approvals, where businesses submit information once, and provincial ministries and agencies coordinate permits and licences behind the scenes. Work with and incentivize local governments to join the system, with common application forms, clear timelines and shared digital processes." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Make government contracts easier for smaller firms to compete for, including by breaking them up into smaller opportunities and removing administrative and qualification barriers

    "Use public procurement to support BC businesses, workers and supply chains, including making contracts easier for smaller firms to compete for." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

    "Make provincial procurement more accessible by breaking large contracts into smaller opportunities and removing disproportionate administrative and qualification barriers, giving small and locally owned businesses a fair chance to compete for public work." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Publish longer-term government procurement plans so BC businesses can invest in supplying government

    "Publish longer-term procurement plans so BC businesses can see what government will need and invest to supply it." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

    "Publish longer-term procurement plans so BC businesses know what government will need before contracts go to market, giving smaller firms time to invest, hire and build the capacity to compete." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Show 4 more promises...
  • Give workers a first opportunity to buy businesses that are being sold or closed, with financing and support from the government

    "Support local business succession and employee ownership by giving workers a first opportunity to buy businesses that are being sold or closed, and providing financing and expert support for transitions to employee, cooperative and other local ownership models." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Allow existing tenants, First Nations, local governments, cooperatives, and eligible community organisations to register to get the first opportunity to purchase commercial properties that come up for sale

    "Create a Community Right to Buy for commercial properties, allowing existing tenants, First Nations, local governments, cooperatives and eligible community organizations to register an interest in commercial properties and receive the first opportunity to purchase when they are put up for sale." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Require new government regulations and administrative requirements to consider their impact on small businesses

    "Adopt a “Think Small First” approach across government, requiring new regulations and administrative requirements to consider their impact on small businesses and avoid unnecessary complexity without weakening protections for workers, consumers or the environment." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Expand BC's inter-municipal business license system

    "Expand BC’s existing inter-municipal business licence system so more mobile businesses can work across neighbouring communities with one licence, and support more regions and municipalities to participate." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

We don't have any OneBC policies on Startups and small businesses.
We don't have any CentreBC policies on Startups and small businesses.

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2026 BC Provincial Election platform comparison