FedEx launches 5th annual Small Business Grant Contest

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February 23, 2017, 2:26 pm

FedEx recently launched its 5th annual Small Business Grant Contest and has begun accepting applications for a total prize pool of $120,500 — the largest sum since the contest’s inception. FedEx is looking for Colorado businesses to apply.

Last year, Gina D’Orazio Stryker, founder of the Carbondale, Colorado-based, hand-picked, locally-sourced organic soups, Gina Cucina, was awarded a $7,500 Small Business Grant from FedEx.

The FedEx contest offers grants and services to 10 small businesses and for the first time this year, the winners will also receive an additional dollar amount in credit to use towards FedEx Office print and business services to help run their businesses. The awards will include:

  • Grand prize: One (1) winner of $25,000, plus $7,500 in FedEx Office® print and business services
  • Silver prize: One (1) winner of $15,000, plus $5,000 in FedEx Office print and business services
  • Bronze prize: Eight (8) winners of $7,500, plus $1,000 in FedEx Office print and business services

Last year’s FedEx grand prize winner was Ginjan Bros., a small business that develops and brings to market traditional African drinks, and is run by two entrepreneurial brothers originally from West Africa.

Through the $25,000 FedEx grant, Ginjan Bros. was able to ramp up production, both to fill their current orders and produce enough inventory to support expanded distribution. Here is more information about Ginjan Bros. and their journey to winning the 2016 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest.

The 2017 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is open to U.S.-based for-profit small businesses with fewer than 99 employees and operating for six months or more.

To enter, participants must visit www.fedex.com/grantcontest and enter their contact information, write a short profile about their business and upload four photos of their business or product, including their logo.

While not required, participants also have the option of submitting a 90-second “elevator speech” video to supplement their entry.

The contest entry period is open from February 21 to March 29, 2017, with voting to take place from March 1 to April 5, 2017.

Over the past four years, 13,000 businesses have entered the contest in the U.S. alone. The contest has now grown from one country to nine countries and the grant pool for the U.S. contest has grown from $50,000 to more than $120,000 in total prizes.

Click here for more information about this year’s FedEx Small Business Grant Contest.

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