HONG KONG, September 30, 2015 — FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, is helping small businesses go global by launching the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest in Asia Pacific. In Hong Kong and Singapore, FedEx will award a total of US$60,000[1] in grants.
Small businesses will have a chance to win grants to expand their business into the global arena. First rolled out in the U.S. three years ago, the contest is now being held in three global markets for the first time, namely Hong Kong, Singapore and Brazil, with plans to roll out in further markets in the future.
“At FedEx, we believe even ideas that start small can have huge potential, and the smart small businesses that we serve every day are a powerful illustration of that,” said Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president, Global Marketing and Communications, FedEx Services. “The contest, which provides tangible financial grants, demonstrates our commitment to helping small businesses unleash their potential and realize their dreams. We are excited to bring this successful initiative to the international regions and look forward to seeing more small businesses enter the global market.”
The contest is open to for-profit small businesses with fewer than 100 employees that have been operating for six months or more. Between October 1 and October 31, participants may register online, where they will be asked to elaborate on their business dreams and plans to go global. In November, the small businesses selected as finalists will be invited to provide further details of their business plans. Contest winners will be announced in early December. For Official Rules, please visit hk.smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/home/rules or sg.smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/home/rules for the Hong Kong and Singapore contests respectively. Three tiers of grants will be awarded in each of the markets: a Grand Prize of HK$150,000 / S$25,000; a First Runner-Up Prize of HK$50,000 / S$10,000; and a Second Runner-Up Prize of HK$30,000 / S$5,000.
[1] The grant money for each market is approximately US$30,000.