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discontinued Private Award

FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

This program has been retired. FedEx ran the Small Business Grant Contest from 2012 through 2024 and has confirmed the program is retired — no future cycles are planned. Still looking for a small-business grant? See our verified corporate small-business grant alternatives, or the active FedEx Entrepreneur Fund Boost Camp — a different, currently-running FedEx program.

FedEx

$20K–$50K (retired 2024)

See if you qualify — free Visit official program ↗

Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓

The short version

Annual $50K grand prize for US small businesses

FedEx ran this annual contest from 2012 through 2024, awarding cash grants to US-based small businesses — in its most recent cycles, one grand prize of $50,000 and nine runner-up prizes of $20,000 each, totaling $230,000. FedEx has confirmed the program is retired with no future cycles planned. It was open to for-profit US businesses with 99 or fewer employees; applications historically opened in late January with winners announced in May.

Funding type
Award
Level
Private
Amount range
$20,000 – $50,000
Realistic amount
$20,000 (most winners receive runner-up prize; one grand prize per year)
Deadline
The program ran 2012 through 2024 and is retired; there is no current application
Status
discontinued
States
Nationwide
Payment model
lump sum

Who qualifies

Is the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest legit?

It was real, but it has ended. FedEx's own page now says the program supported businesses for twelve years. The last round was announced in May 2024.

Sources: fedex.com · newsroom.fedex.com. Last checked at the funder on October 18, 2026.

Past FedEx Small Business Grant Contest winners

Winners of the last round (12th annual, May 2024):

Names as published by FedEx (source). GrantCompass is not affiliated with FedEx.

New grants like this every week: see this week's list or get it by email on Mondays.

What it covers

Eligible expenses

  • Any legitimate business expense — the grant is unrestricted
  • Equipment and inventory
  • Marketing and advertising
  • Hiring and payroll
  • Technology and software

Ineligible expenses

  • Personal expenses unrelated to the business
  • Debt repayment
  • Political contributions

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register on FedEx grant portal

    Create an account on the FedEx small business grant contest page during the open application window (typically late January–February).

    ~30 min

  2. 2

    Complete business profile

    Submit business name, industry, location, employee count, annual revenue, and founding date.

    ~30 min

  3. 3

    Write your business story

    Describe how FedEx services fit into your business and what you'd do with the grant funding. Judges look for compelling narrative and concrete plans.

    ~2 hrs

  4. 4

    Submit and promote (public voting phase)

    Past cycles included a public voting component where community votes influenced finalist selection. Share your submission broadly to maximize votes.

    ~3 hrs

  5. 5

    Finalist review

    Finalists undergo a panel review; winners announced in May.

Insider tip

Public vote component has historically been a major factor — mobilize your customer base early. FedEx brand affinity in your submission helps.

Deadline & timing

FedEx ran the contest annually from 2012 through 2024, historically opening applications in late January–early February. FedEx has confirmed the program is retired — there is no 2025, 2026, or future cycle planned.

Related programs

The database
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Filter by amount, effort, odds → GrantCompass verdict
FedEx Small Business Grant: the contest is over — what replaced it
Independent review → Halstead Bead, Inc.
Halstead Grant
$7,500 + $1K supply credit Accion Opportunity Fund
Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans
$5,000–$250,000 Accompany Capital (formerly Business Center for New Americans, BCNA)
Accompany Capital — Small Business Loans for Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs
$1,000–$350,000 Invest Atlanta (Atlanta Development Authority)
Invest Atlanta Small Business Improvement Grant (SBIG)
Up to $50,000

This program is not taking applications today — these are

IFW by Honeycomb Credit (formerly IFundWomen)
IFundWomen Universal Grant Application
$10,000–$25,000 (varies by sponsor) · Open now Freed Studio
Freed Fellowship Grant
$500/mo + $2,500 year-end · Open now National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)
NASE Growth Grant
Up to $4,000 · Open now Invest Atlanta (Atlanta Development Authority)
Invest Atlanta Small Business Improvement Grant (SBIG)
Up to $50,000 · Open now Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC)
Baltimore Facade Improvement Grant (FIG)
$10,000–$50,000 by FIG type (most 1:1 match) · Open now

Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.

Explore more funding

Last updated October 21, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.