UBC Sprouts

Name

UBC Sprouts

Legal name

UBC Sprouts

Website

https://ubcsprouts.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Services

NAICS

Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Meal Distribution, Serving Lines & Point-of-Sale (Cafeteria Service) (EDAEAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB)

Keywords

• Student-run food cooperative
• Food security programs
• Volunteer-run campus cafe
• Community fridge access
• By-donation produce market

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Cafe Sales: Sprouts Cafe sells hot meals, coffee, tea, baked goods, and snacks at-cost, with all revenue reinvested into the organization's programs and operations. The cafe is fully self-sustained through sales and does not require external funding for its day-to-day operations.
2. Donations (By-Donation Programs): Produce Market and Community Eats operate on a by-donation model. Visitors are encouraged to give what they can, with no one turned away for lack of funds. Donations support future markets and causes aligned with the organization's vision for liberation.
3. Grant Funding: The By-Donation Produce Market and Free Meals Program were introduced in 2021 with one-time funding granted through UBC's Affordability Task Force / Food Security Initiative. Grant applications are submitted by board members for specific initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UBC Sprouts runs a volunteer-staffed cafe and multiple complementary food-access programs in UBC's Life Building, including a free daily meal program (30 meals/day), a by-donation produce market, a community fridge stocked with free food, by-donation Community Eats lunches, mutual aid food distribution on Saturdays in the Downtown Eastside, and educational workshops. All cafe and program food is plant-based, and all labor is provided by student volunteers; the cafe sells at-cost prices and the broader programs are free or by-donation.

Product overview

UBC Sprouts operates as a volunteer-run food cooperative offering multiple food security programs. The core offerings include Sprouts Cafe (a plant-based café serving affordable meals), Community Eats (a weekly by-donation lunch), the Free Meal Program (30 free meals daily), the Produce Market (by-donation produce), Community Fridge (free food access), Workshops (educational programs), and Saturday Distro (mutual aid distribution). The organization is not a technology platform but a physical food service operation serving the UBC campus community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sprouts Cafe A 100% volunteer-run cafe in UBC's Life Building that serves plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, and low-FODMAP food options at cost to the UBC community. It functions as the operational hub of UBC Sprouts and supports the organization's other food-access programs.
• Free Meal Program A program distributing 30 free meals per day to UBC students experiencing food insecurity, run as part of UBC Sprouts' food security mission.
• Produce Market A by-donation produce market operated on UBC campus that provides affordable fresh produce to the UBC community.
• Community Fridge A free community fridge located in UBC's Life Building that provides no-questions-asked access to food for the UBC community.
• Community Eats A by-donation community lunch program run by UBC Sprouts that brings the UBC community together over a plant-based meal.
• Saturday Distro A mutual aid food distribution program that operates every Saturday in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, providing food access to community members outside the UBC campus context.
• Workshops Educational workshops delivered by UBC Sprouts that support its food security and community-building mission at UBC.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 40% of UBC students experiencing food insecurity through its Community Fridge
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Van-Whole ProducecoreOthersVan-Whole Produce is a food donor for the Community Eats program, providing surplus produce and food items that would otherwise be discarded but are perfectly safe and good to eat. These donations are cooked into community meals served every Friday.
• Karen's Dreamy BakeshopcoreOthersKaren's Dreamy Bakeshop is a donor for the Community Eats initiative, providing baked goods that would otherwise go to waste, which are then served to the community during Friday lunches.
• Greater Vancouver Food BankcoreOthersThe Greater Vancouver Food Bank is a donor partner for Community Eats, contributing food donations that help support the weekly by-donation community lunch program at Sprouts Cafe.
• UBC FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBC Farm is the top-priority supplier for fresh produce in Sprouts' purchasing policy. Produce from on-campus growing initiatives is prioritized even above certified organic products from external distributors.
• Roots on the RoofcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoots on the Roof is an on-campus growing initiative prioritized in Sprouts' purchasing policy for sourcing local, sustainable produce. Collaboration supports both food security and sustainable food systems education.
• Land and Food Systems (LFS) Orchard GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LFS Orchard Garden is an on-campus growing initiative prioritized as a produce supplier in Sprouts' purchasing policy, reflecting the organization's commitment to sourcing from UBC's own sustainable food production efforts.
• Organic MatterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganic Matters is one of three main organic food distributors used by Sprouts for sourcing certified organic produce when local on-campus options are unavailable. Sprouts works with three main distributors for organic food distribution.
• Horizon OrganicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHorizon Organics is one of three main organic food distributors supplying Sprouts with certified organic produce when local on-campus options are not available.
• Discovery OrganicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiscovery Organics is one of three main organic food distributors supplying Sprouts with certified organic produce when local on-campus options are not available.
• TeaLeavesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeaLeaves supplies organic loose-leaf tea to Sprouts Cafe, including varieties such as red phoenix, london fog, angelwater, and sencha. Tea is sourced as organic loose-leaf and served at the cafe.
• Cafe EticominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCafe Etico is the supplier of brewed medium roast coffee served at Sprouts Cafe. Coffee is served at $1.00 per cup with $0.50 refills, reflecting the at-cost model of the cafe.
• Local BC Businesses (Community Fridge Donors)minorOthersMultiple local businesses donate surplus or past-best-before-date products to the Community Fridge. Sprouts arranges all logistics including flexible pickup schedules ranging from once a month to five times a week. Donors receive social media promotion to Sprouts' 7K+ Instagram following.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Quest Food Exchange: A Greater Vancouver non-profit that recovers and redistributes surplus food through a no-cost grocery-market model for low-income residents. Closely comparable to Sprouts' Produce Market and Community Fridge by-donation/free distribution approach in the same region.
• Greater Vancouver Food Bank: A direct donor partner of Sprouts' Community Eats program, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank is the regional food-bank backbone serving Metro Vancouver. Comparable in mission (food access for insecure populations) and operates in the same geographic market.
• A Loving Spoonful: A Vancouver-based charity that provides free, healthy meals to people living with HIV and other illnesses, and rescues surplus food. Operates in the same city and shares Sprouts' dual focus on food access and surplus-food rescue.

Broad incumbents

• Food Banks Canada: The national umbrella organization for the Canadian food bank network. Operates broadly in the same food-security space as Sprouts but at a national policy and funding level rather than a single campus.

Direct peers

• Meal Exchange: A Canadian student-led charity focused on campus food security, coordinating student-run food programs and national campaigns. Operates a similar volunteer- and student-driven model addressing food insecurity on Canadian university campuses, including UBC.
• Food Recovery Network: The largest student-led food recovery organization in the US, redirecting surplus food from campus dining halls to communities in need. Closely comparable to Sprouts' Saturday Distro and Community Fridge programs in its student-volunteer-driven food-rescue model.
• Swipe Out Hunger: US-based nonprofit working to end student hunger through campus programs, policy, and direct meal provision. Directly comparable to UBC Sprouts in mission (student food insecurity), volunteer engagement, and campus-channel distribution.
• Campus Kitchens Project: US national network of student-run kitchens that recover surplus food and prepare meals for community members facing hunger. Closely matches Sprouts' Community Eats model of student-cooked, donated-food community meals.
• The Food Bank at the University of Toronto: A student-run food bank serving the University of Toronto community, providing free food, fresh produce, and meal programs to food-insecure students. Operates an almost identical campus food-security model to UBC Sprouts in a Canadian university setting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ubcsprouts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubcsprouts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UBC Sprouts