Dove Chocolates is awarding three grants to women-led businesses this holiday season. The Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program runs now through December 19th. Applicants can win $10,000 simply by submitting a video about their business idea.
Dove Chocolate’s InstaGrants program
The Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program originally grew out of the company’s partnership with CARE. The international humanitarian organization and Dove work together to support women in West African cocoa farming communities.
Since then, however, the company’s work has expanded to support women-owned businesses around the world, including those in the United States. This is the second official year of the Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program.
Last year’s winners included:
- Lehia Apana of Polipoli Farms, a locally owned farm that uses regenerative forestry techniques
- Brittany Rhodes from Black Girl Mathgic, a math subscription box that helps girls boost their confidence
- Shreya Nuli from Mobile Memory, an inexpensive Alzheimer’s screening tool
Michelle Deignan, Senior Director at Mars Wrigley, said in a statement: “Based on the huge success of last year’s program, by relaunching DOVE InstaGrants we wanted to inspire moments of everyday happiness again and offer even more women the opportunity to pursue their business and entrepreneurship Dreams.”
This year’s competition runs online from December 5th to 19th. Three companies will receive $10,000 in grants and business development opportunities.
The competition is open to women-owned companies in the United States that meet the eligibility criteria. And Dove Chocolates places an emphasis on those with feminine missions or sustainable practices.
How to enter
To enter the Dove InstaGrants contests, female entrepreneurs only need to submit a video of 30 seconds or less. The video should include your business idea, explain why it’s innovative and find out what you would do with the grant money.
There are two specific ways to enter: First, you can simply upload your short video to your Instagram feed and include #DOVEInstaGrantsEntry and @dovechocolate in the caption. Your Instagram account must be public. And videos included in stories or reels don’t count as a post.
Alternatively, you can submit your short video online using the entry form on the Dove Chocolate website. Included in the video uploader is a short form to share some simple details about your business and/or idea.
Dove Chocolates offered the following tips for those interested in participating:
- Be honest when explaining your business and idea
- In a well-lit, quiet place, speak directly into the camera
- Explain how the grant would benefit your business
- Think about what makes your product or service stand out
- Keep an eye on your target audience
- If applying on Instagram, include your business social media handles and LinkedIn page if you have one
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on multiple factors including company originality, quality of sales pitch, business success, values consistent with Dove purpose and company size. Dove will then review and contact the three winners with the highest point totals to distribute the funds.
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Image: Pigeon chocolate instagrants