DoorDash #BlackFoodEnergy Restaurant Grant
Black Opportunity Fund has launched a grant for Black Restaurant Entrepreneurs.
With their ongoing commitment to helping level the playing field for Black entrepreneurs, DoorDash is partnering with Black Opportunity Fund to provide #BlackFoodEnergy grants of $10,400 to Canadian Black-Owned Restaurants who are focused on innovation within the food industry.
Black Opportunity Fund partners strategically with community organizations, businesses, philanthropic organizations, and government to provide Black-led community organizations and Black-led businesses with the capital and other resources they need to build capacity and to fulfill their mandates. #BlackFoodEnergy is an extension of the DoorDash Entrepreneurship & Access Program, which offers additional support for restaurants on the DoorDash platform owned by women and people of colour.
#BlackFoodEnergy specifically celebrates, amplifies and supports Black Chefs and Black-Owned restaurants and the amazing things they are serving up in neighbourhoods across Canada.
See below for testimonials from the recipients of our funding:
“With a heart filled with gratitude, I would like to say this grant will be pivotal in helping us bring our next food product and sauce to life, one that captures the essence of Jamaican flavors and proudly shares our heritage with the world. With deep gratitude, we look forward to the opportunity to create something timeless, so that the richness of Jamaican cuisine can be enjoyed for generations to come. It fuels our passion to build a legacy that will preserve and celebrate Jamaican food culture for the next 50-100 years.”
“We were thrilled to discover the Black Opportunity Fund grant in partnership with DoorDash and the valuable opportunity it provides for small businesses like ours. The application process was straightforward yet thorough, ensuring applicants were well-prepared for a grant of this significance. Receiving the email confirming our selection as recipients was an incredible surprise. We are deeply grateful and humbled by this recognition and look forward to reinvesting these funds into both our business and our community.
With this grant, we plan to continue scaling up by opening our second location and investing in the mentorship work we do with students. The work we do with the community is pivoting for our success. Thank you to the Black Opportunity Fund and DoorDash for this invaluable support.”
“As the first Black-owned business on Main Street in Yarmouth, NS, and the only Caribbean Vegan food establishment on the South Shore, receiving this grant is a significant boost for me as a Black female business owner. It means so much more than just financial support; it’s a validation of my hard work and dedication. Thank you for making this possible!”
Restaurant Grant
The grant winners have been announced here.
Award amounts: 17 Restaurants each received a $10,400 grant
The focus area for this Grants Program will be Black-Owned Restaurants across Canada.
Connection to grant objectives/criteria
Below are some examples of proposed project activities for the Restaurant businesses:
- Technology Improvement
- Upgrading Restaurant Interior
- Upgrading Equipment
- Market Expansion & Branding
Eligibility criteria
- Be majority (>75%) Black-Owned restaurant;
- Must have a valid CRA business number and be incorporated and in good standing under a relevant federal or provincial corporate statute;
- Must not have been declared bankrupt or subject to a consumer proposal plan;
- Must have 1-3 physical locations, open for at least 6 months of the year
- Must have 50 or fewer employees per location;
- Must have a web presence (social media acceptable)
- Must be able to demonstrate how they help to support their local neighborhood/community
- Must articulate what #Black Food Energy means to them;
- Must articulate the Restaurant innovation
- Must be able to provide a project budget for the initiative for which funding is being sought;
- Must have a dedicated business account;
*Black Ownership:
At least three quarters of executives (>%75) (e.g., board, management, management team) must identify as Black.
Please direct program related questions to: BOFGrants@blackopportunityfund.org
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