Food Prize Forms
Food Prize, hosted by the Sprout BC, Battle Creek Food Reimagined, Kellogg Arena, City of Battle Creek Small Business Development Office and other regional partner groups*, are seeking food and beverage businesses looking for support to start or scale operations.
Businesses interested in participating should complete this application between July 24 - September 1, 2023. Please note that applicants will be required to submit a video as a part of the application process. Applicants are encouraged to use the Vimeo platform (or another similar platform) to record videos, and then provide the video link in the application.
Successful applicants will be selected to complete in two tracks: Food & Beverage Business/Food Service, and Food Manufacturing/Production (Packaged Foods and Food Technology included). Six awards will be presented, three in each category.
Selected finalists will be invited to a pitch competition in Battle Creek on Saturday, October 7th, with awardees receiving 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place awards worth $10,000, $7,000 and $3,000, respectively. Prizes will be cash and may also include technical services. These services may include but are not limited to:
- Consulting Services and Strategic Planning
- Marketing & Branding
- Production/Processing Space
- Technical Assistance
- Buyer Connections
Selected participants will not receive all support services listed above; finalized packages will be customized to meet awardees' unique needs. Support Service Package costs will be covered; awardees will not be provided cash.
Eligibility
Participating businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Be located in Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Jackson, Hillsdale, Calhoun, Branch, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass or Berrien counties.
- Have under $750,000 in annual revenue
- Have 10 employees or less
- Operate a food business under the Michigan Cottage Food Law or Michigan Food Law (if business is already operating)
Timeline
- July 24 – September 1, 2023: Small Business Application open
- Week of September 15th, 2023: Finalists announced with invitation to participate in pitch competition
- October 7th, 2023, 3pm-7pm: IN-PERSON Pitch Competition; awardees announced at event culmination
Video Submission:
1) Name(s) of applicants
2) Name of business
3) Business Elevator Pitch (including showing products if available)
4) What prize money would be used for
We’re looking for a 3-5 minute video that captures the essence of your food/beverage venture. Introduce yourself and your team, highlight the name of your business, and deliver an elevator pitch that showcases the details of your concept. Don’t forget to share with us how you would utilize the prize money to elevate your culinary vision. Stuck trying to come up with a concept for your video? Google some pitch competition examples as inspiration. For further assistance, please contact the SBDO team at smallbusinessinfo@battlecreekmi.gov.
Rules
Please refer to the Process & Selection Terms & Conditions, or request a copy of this document by emailing smallbusinessinfo@battlecreekmi.gov.
*Regional partner group includes: Pure Michigan Business Connect at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Battle Creek Community Foundation, Battle Creek Unlimited, Binda Foundation
Contact smallbusinessinfo@battlecreekmi.gov with any questions.