Dear valued Trade Partners,

We are pleased to share an update to the Ready-to-Drink Ontario Small Producer Program.  This program remains a great opportunity for smaller local Ontario producers to showcase their products in the LCBO.

Following its inaugural year, we have identified several changes to enhance the program and supplier opportunities:

  1. Effective immediately, the program will be renamed to “Ontario Ready-to-Drink Incubator Program” to address confusion with other LCBO programs;
  2. The annual launch of participating products will be aligned with other Ready-to-Drink innovation at the start of Period 13;
  3. Introduction of a sales target allowing products achieving the threshold to remain in the assortment beyond the end of the summer season (i.e., continuous listing).  This sales target will be based on performance of participating products in the Ontario Ready-to-Drink Incubator program and will be reviewed annually;
  4. Participating products will have access to all Ready-to-Drink promotional programs;
  5. Increasing the overall number of available listings from 12-15 products to 20-25 products;
  6. Accepting submissions for multi-pack products; 
  7. Considering up to two products per supplier (previously limited to one).
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Eligibility:

Please note, eligibility criteria for the program remains unchanged which is listed below: 

  1. Product must be spirit-based.  100% malt-based or Wine based products will not be considered; however, products that combine a malt + spirit base are acceptable and will be considered under the spirit-based markup structure.
  2. Products must be made from start to finish in Ontario, preferable at the supplier’s own manufacturing site, by an Ontario-based company using a spirit which as also been distilled in Ontario.
  3. Suppliers with products accepted for the program cannot be listed in or considered for the LCBO’s regular Ready-to-Drink assortment in the same year.  Products from the Ontario Ready-to-Drink Incubator Program may be submitted for the regular program the following year at the choice of the supplier.  
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Any additional questions may be directed to Lesley Morgan, Senior Category Manager for Ready-To-Drink.