CCI Response to the 2026 B.C. Budget

Today, B.C.’s Minister of Finance, Brenda Bailey, delivered Budget 2026 against a difficult economic backdrop marked by ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and rising costs.

The fiscal picture is tight, with a historic projected $13.3B deficit in 2026/27 and GDP growth of 1.3% in 2026, down from last year’s forecast. The government remains focused on maintaining services and investing through B.C.’s Look West economic plan.

In response to today’s Budget, CCI Director of B.C. Affairs Kiersten Enemark issued the following statement:

“We recognize that Budget 2026 continues the province’s economic strategy in a year where governments are being asked to do more with less, while also responding to heightened global trade and security pressures. In that context, targeted investments can help. The test will be whether B.C. matches those dollars with strategic industrial policy tools needed to turn investment into durable supply chains, stronger value capture, and scaling companies headquartered here in British Columbia.

“We are encouraged to see modernization of the SR&ED tax credit and a $400M B.C. Strategic Investments Special Account designed to invest in defending Canada’s sovereignty by strengthening priority sectors like AI, quantum and life sciences - though ensuring that this capital helps Canadian innovators scale instead of flowing abroad will be critical. A Manufacturing and Processing Investment Tax Credit could benefit innovators in biomanufacturing and robotics, and we welcome a commitment to consult on implementing a new patent box tax measure.

“New sales tax measures targeting professional services will make doing business in B.C. more expensive for innovators and discourage investment at time when the provincial government is trying to maintain headquarters here. At the same time, innovation procurement is a proven method to scale companies and meet public needs more affordably, and B.C. innovators are disappointed to see this key priority unaddressed.

“B.C. needs stronger innovation supports: clearer pathways to commercialization in procurement, and strategic use of tools and assets such as standards, intellectual property, and data. Without a strong foundation, even well-intentioned funding risks producing familiar outcomes: research created here but value captured elsewhere. This is a tough budget year, but B.C. can still turn around its growth trajectory by pairing targeted investments with practical, coordinated steps that help B.C. companies scale, land customers, and keep the value they create here at home.”

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Media Contact‍

Michel LeClair
Communications Coordinator
mleclair@canadianinnovators.org