FedEx Small Business Grant Contest - Ends May 10, 2021

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Small business rely on grants for company expansion. This year, many small-businesses throughout the country are affected due to COVID-19. So if you are a small-business owner or an entrepreneur, then it’s the best time to take your business to the next level with free grant money from FedEx. Just, share your small-business story in the 2021 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest to win a $50,000, $30,000, or $15,000 grant for your business. You have put endless hard work and passion into your business, so don’t miss this golden opportunity to elevate your business.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/small-bu...t-contest.html

Limit: Per business only one entry is limited. This contest is open only for those who are independent owners/operators of a for-profit small business and has a valid 9-digit FedEx shipping account number.

How to Apply for FedEx Small Business Grant?
Submission Period (February 16 to March 9, 2021)

During the contest period, visit www.FedEx.com/grantcontest and hit the “Enter Now” button. After that, provide your business information and answer the following questions: (1) Tell us about your business, what you provide, why you started, how you stand out among the competition, and any associated passion causes, in less than 1,000 characters including spaces; and (2) Tell us how you would use the FedEx Small Business Grant money to enhance your business and recover from any impacts of COVID-19 (maximum 1,000 characters including spaces.).

Each Entrant will also be required to submit the following information:

Name of Business
Business Address
City
State
Zip
Contact Name of Business Owner / Authorized Agent
Position/Title at Business
Contact email address
Contact phone number
Business Tax ID number (for processing winner checks only)
Business Website or primary website where goods or services are offered to the public (i.e. Etsy store, eBay store, Instagram, Facebook page, etc.)
Social media sites
High-resolution Digital Image
REQUIRED: Company Logo or optimal photo best representing the business
OPTIONAL: Up to 3 additional Photos for General Representation of the business
Average sales revenue
Number of employees
Answers to general shipping and printing services used
Entrant may also submit 90 seconds “elevator speech” video (optional).

Voting Period (March 10 to March 24, 2021)

During the voting period encourage your friends, family, and fans to vote for you. They can vote once per 24-hour period.

Judging Period (March 25 to May 9, 2021)

A panel of judges will judge the top 700 entrants with the highest number of votes on the basis of the following criteria:

Clear, compelling, and engaging essay answers and video
Use of social media to develop Entrant’s brand voice, including use of visuals, cohesiveness, humor, engagement and uniqueness
Website ease of navigation, ease of ordering services or products (if applicable), product availability (in stock or not, if applicable)
How well the Entrant’s brand aligns with the FedEx brand
Whether the small business owner is prepared to be a Small Business Ambassador or mentor to other small businesses
Review of social media sites, including all posts and/or images
Extra credit will be given for those Entrants exhibiting any of the following elements:

Unique or innovative product or service offering
Sustainability/environmentally friendly business
Positive impact on the community
The 100 entries with the highest score will be the Finalists. The Top 100 Finalists will be announced on March 31, 2021, and will be notified via email with instructions for completing and submitting a second submission

Second Submission

The 100 Finalists are required to submit a second submission which consists of creating up to 5 minutes video, answering the question: What is your passion as an individual and business owner, and how is that passion reflected in your business?”. The video must be submitted as a YouTube link. Details regarding how to submit will be given via email.

The sponsor or its designated agents will evaluate all the entries and the second submission videos to determine the winners. The FedEx small business grant winners will be notified on May 10, 2021.

Prizes
(1) Grand Prize: $50,000 grant in the form of check and $7,500 in print and business services from FedEx Office

(1) Silver Prize: $30,000 grant in the form of check and $5,000 in print and business services from FedEx Office

(10) Bronze Prizes: $15,000 grant in the form of check and $1,000 in print and business services from FedEx Office

Five Additional Prize Packages:

Website Optimization or Website Audit Prize Package:

Grand Prize: Custom in-depth Technical SEO Website Audit detailing all SEO (search engine optimization) deficiencies and including detailed recommendations for improvements, valued between $2,500 - $5,000 depending on the number of website pages.

2nd Place Winner: One Website Conversion Optimization Audit detailing potential conversion issues and recommended enhancements to improve conversion, valued between $500 - $2,000 depending on the number of website pages.

3rd Place Winners: One Website Audit with high-level review and recommendations for enhancements to SEO, valued at $50

Invitation to Virtual Small Business Grant Winner Forum:

All-Winners: Invitation to join a virtual forum to celebrate grant winners and includes meeting high-level FedEx executives across Marketing, Sales, Ecommerce, Innovation, and many more to share small business insights and needs across the FedEx organization

Print Expert Consultation Prize Package:

All winners: One 30-minute consultation with a dedicated FedEx Office representative to discuss opportunities for usage of FedEx Office prize towards print and business services including custom branded packaging at FedEx Office. Consultation and prize available until May 31, 2022

My FedEx Rewards $300 voucher:

All winners: Each winning business will receive one $300 voucher redeemable through the My FedEx Rewards limited catalog. Does not require enrollment into My FedEx Rewards to select an item. Not redeemable for cash. The voucher expires on August 10, 2021.

Dictionary of International Trade and Webinar:

All winners: Each winning business will receive a complimentary international shipping dictionary, valued at $45 and access to attend one international shipping webinar, valued at $55.