Market-Test Samples Program - Test Demand Before You Commit

Entering a new market on paper is cheap; entering it on faith is expensive. The smart test is to send samples to real, vetted buyers and measure who actually wants your product before you invest in a presence. Most exporters skip this and either over-commit to a market that does not want them, or under-commit to one that does. A structured sampling program tells you which is which with hard evidence.

A market-test program that gets your samples into the hands of vetted non-US buyers, tracks their responses, and tells you which buyers are worth pursuing before you commit real money to the market.

This service is structured as a grant-eligible activity under CanExport SMEs 2026-27. Specifically, it qualifies as Samples, shipping. That means two things for your budget: the activity is grant-eligible (CanExport can reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs to your company), and we document it with evidence so your claim is approved. Under the program rules, CanExport reimburses up to 50% of eligible costs for a for-profit, incorporated Canadian company with 3 to 500 employees and at least $300,000 in revenue, entering a market that is new to you. We confirm your specific eligibility in the readiness call before you commit anything.

The pattern is proven by the programs that fund it, not by our claims. According to the Trade Commissioner Service, TCS clients export 20.5% more and reach 20.9% more markets on average than exporters who go it alone. CanExport funds thousands of diversification projects every year, with roughly $31 million available in 2026-27, and EDC's Trade Impact Program has already financed more than 6,000 transactions for Canadian exporters pivoting away from the US. Canadian companies are doing exactly this every day: building a grant-supported non-US market presence. The question is whether yours is one of them.

The proof is also in the process. We meet you in person to understand your product and capacity, we map your grant before you spend a dollar, and we document every activity with evidence, so your claim is clean and your market entry is real. That visible process, combined with government co-funding, is how a newer player earns the trust that established firms get from decades of references. We do not ask you to trust our word; we show you exactly what will happen, step by step, and grant programs reimburse up to half of the eligible costs.

What we bring on top of the process is delivery discipline. We are 100% Canadian owned with 30 years of on-the-ground experience in target markets and a network of vetted local partners in 20 countries. We work exclusively for Canadian exporters, never for foreign buyers, so there is no conflict of interest in where we point you. And once your engagement begins, the proof compounds fast: every meeting booked, every buyer vetted, and every application filed is a real, documented result you can see and use.

Getting started takes three steps and begins with a call, not a contract:

The US import ban on Canadian alcohol took effect September 29, 2026. Canada exported $1.36B in alcohol in 2023 - 90% to the US, about two-thirds of it spirits. Rye, whisky, wine, beer, vermouth, vodka, tequila and rum now need non-US buyers fast.

This service works the same way for every sector: alcohol and beverage, dairy and agri-food, seafood, manufacturing, and technology. Pick a market in the Global Markets hub, check the trade agreement, and let us do the work - grant-eligible clients can claim up to 50% of their eligible costs back via CanExport and EDC.

A market you have never entered is a market full of buyers you have not met. The difference between waiting and winning is whether someone has already started the work. We build the plan, you take the meetings and close the deals, and grant programs reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs. This is not a subscription you sign in the dark: you see the scope, the price, and the grant structure before you commit a dollar, and the evidence of what was done comes back to you with every milestone. Every engagement starts in person, in Canada, so you know exactly who is doing the work and how it will be delivered before you sign anything.

What you keep at the end is yours: the buyer relationships, the market knowledge, the documented evidence, and the standing presence you can build on. Grant programs can reimburse up to half of the eligible costs, because diversifying Canadian exports is a national priority and the programs exist to fund exactly this. The only question is whether your market entry is one of the ones they fund.

Talk to a person today - we are in Canada, and we will come to you.

Subscribe or book your free readiness call now. Grant programs can reimburse up to 50% of eligible costs.