FedEx Launches Ninth Annual Small Business Grant Contest
17 February 2021 - 1:00AM
Business Wire
More Than $250,000 in Total Cash and Prizes Up
for Grabs
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today announced the launch of its ninth
annual Small Business Grant Contest. The contest offers grants and
services to 12 U.S.- based small businesses, distributing a
collective prize pool of more than $250,000. Winners also receive
FedEx Office® print and business services credit to help support
their small business. In addition, they join a community of small
business owners who share peer insights. The 2021 FedEx Small
Business Grant Contest prize packages include:
- Grand prize: One (1) winner of $50,000, plus $7,500 in FedEx
Office print and business services
- 2nd Place: One (1) winner of $30,000, plus $5,000 in FedEx
Office print and business services
- 3rd Place: Ten (10) winners of $15,000, plus $1,000 in FedEx
Office print and business services
New this year, all 100 finalists will receive access to
one-on-one financial coaching provided by Accion Opportunity Fund,
a nonprofit small business lender, to help them overcome business
challenges they are facing and access additional resources to
support their success. They will also receive attendance to the
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City’s National Conference, as
well as access to up to three webinars on the ICIC platform, and
mentor matching with SCORE, a non-profit providing education and
mentorship to entrepreneurs.
For the second year in a row, one of the winners will be
recognized with the “Veteran-Owned Business Award Winner” as part
of the company’s commitment to support U.S. military veterans. As
in past years, one of the 3rd Place prize winners will receive the
“Entrepreneur Choice Award Winner,” a distinction bestowed by the
FedEx Entrepreneur Advisory Board, which is comprised of former
grant winners and small business owners from around the
country.
“Running a small business isn’t easy, and this year, it’s been
tougher than ever, which is why FedEx continues to champion and
support these entrepreneurs,” said Jenny Robertson, senior vice
president Integrated Marketing and Communications at FedEx.
“Whether they use the money to build a better website or to buy new
equipment, we want to help them write the next chapter of their
story. When it comes to helping small businesses succeed, we always
want to be part of that story.”
The 2020 contest garnered more than 720,000 votes and attracted
more than 4,100 candidates from across the United States. Access
Trax, a California based company that manufactures a foldable
pathway that allows people with physical disabilities to access
outdoor terrain, took home last year’s grand prize. In the year
since winning the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, the owners of
Access Trax used their winnings to kickstart their online marketing
strategy to better reach consumers. “The grant funds were
instrumental in breathing life into Access Trax, not only as a
startup but as a small business at the start of the economic crisis
due to the pandemic,” said Kelly Twichel, Access Trax owner.
Over the past eight years, 42,000 businesses have entered the
contest in the United States alone. The contest has now grown from
one country to 7 countries and the grant pool for the U.S. contest
has grown from $50,000 to more than $250,000 in total prizes.
The 2021 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is open to
U.S.-based for-profit small businesses that have 1-99 employees,
have been operating for six months or more as of February 16, 2021,
and have a shipping need. To enter, participants must visit
www.fedex.com/grantcontest and enter their business information
(including their FedEx shipping account number), write a short
profile about their business and upload up to four photos of their
business or product, including their logo. While not required,
participants also have the option of submitting a short “elevator
pitch” video to supplement their entry.
The contest entry period is open from February 16 to March 9,
2021, with public voting to take place from March 10 – March 24,
2021, to help narrow down the applicant pool from which the Top 100
will be chosen. Following a judging period, winners will be
announced May 10, 2021, at www.fedex.com/grantcontest.
FedEx. Solutions that Matter.® Helping Small
Businesses.
The FedEx portfolio of services enables small businesses to gain
access to the global marketplace and to shipping, logistics and
printing solutions, offering up multiple possibilities for growth.
For more information on how FedEx helps small businesses, please
visit the FedEx Small Business Center at
fedex.com/smallbusiness.
Corporate Overview
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses
worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and
business services. With annual revenue of $75 billion, the company
offers integrated business solutions through operating companies
competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating
digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked
among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx
inspires its nearly 600,000 team members to remain focused on
safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the
needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how
FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please
visit about.fedex.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210216005265/en/
Rae Lyn Rushing FedEx Media Relations 901-495-5311
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