Today FedEx Corp. (FDX) opened registration for its third annual Small Business Grant Contest. This year, the contest offers grants to ten small businesses, distributing a collective prize pool of $75,000 among them: one Grand Prize winner of $25,000, one $10,000 winner and eight $5,000 winners.
“The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest continues to grow and gain momentum each year,” said Becky Huling, vice president, Customer Engagement Marketing, FedEx Services. “Small businesses play a vital role in our economy, contributing jobs, innovation and creativity, and FedEx is excited to recognize top small businesses through this contest.”
The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is open to for-profit small businesses with less than 100 employees that have been operating for six months or more. To register, participants must visit www.fedex.com/grantcontest and enter their contact information, upload their company logo and three photos, and answer a few brief questions to help FedEx and voters understand their business and how they would use the grant to enhance their operations. While not required, participants also have the option of submitting a 60 second “elevator speech” video to supplement their entry.
The registration period is open from January 12, 2015 to February 12, 2015, with voting to take place from February 13, 2015 to March 17, 2015, followed by a judging period. Winners will be announced April 21, 2015.
The 2014 contest attracted more than 5,000 entries and garnered more than 1.4 million votes. The winning small business was Fat Toad Farm in Brookfield, Vermont, which specializes in hand-crafted goats’ milk caramel sauces. Through the $25,000 grant and support of FedEx shipping services, Fat Toad Farm has grown its national footprint—now reaching more than 300 retail stores—and developed its online direct-to-customer business.
“We never would have expected as a small, family run farm in the middle of rural Vermont to be a winner of such an amazing award,” said Christine Porcaro of Fat Toad Farm. “It truly has been a year of growth and learning, and the FedEx Small Business Grant has allowed us to move forward and achieve goals much faster than we ever thought possible.”
FedEx. Solutions that Matter.® Helping Small Businesses.
The FedEx portfolio of services allows small business to gain access to the global marketplace and to shipping, logistics and printing solutions. FedEx has recently introduced two new options that make shipping even easier for small business customers, including:
FedEx One RateSM, a U.S.-based flat-rate pricing option that combines simplified, predictable pricing with the same reliable delivery and excellent service customers expect from FedEx.
FedEx Delivery ManagerSM, a feature which allows U.S. package recipients to request changes to delivery schedules for their home deliveries.
For more information on how FedEx helps small businesses, please visit the FedEx Small Business Center at fedex.com/us/small-business.