Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition
Enthuse Foundation
$3,000 – $15,000 cash + in-kind prizes
$3K–$15K pitch competition for women-led food, beverage, and CPG brands; closes Sept 23, 2026.
The Enthuse Foundation's annual Pitch Competition celebrates women founders in food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods (CPG). The 8th annual event awards $15,000 cash to the grand prize winner, $10,000 to the runner-up, and $3,000 to the audience choice winner, plus in-kind business services. Applications are open in August 2026 and close September 23, 2026; finalists pitch live in New York City on November 5, 2026.
- Funding type
- Award
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $3,000 – $15,000
- Realistic amount
- $3,000–$15,000 cash plus in-kind services (total prize packages up to $90,000+)
- Deadline
- September 23, 2026
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- At least 51% women-owned
- Brand must be a physical product in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods (CPG), including wellness and beauty
- Business and primary market must be U.S.-based
- At least one founder must be a U.S. citizen
- Annual revenue between $100,000 and $999,000
- Company must have been in business for less than four years (founded on or after January 1, 2022)
- Available to attend live in-person pitch night in NYC on November 5, 2026 if selected as a finalist
- Previous grant winners and pitch competition finalists may apply if they meet criteria
Who is not eligible
- Businesses less than 51% women-owned
- Service-only or digital-only businesses without a physical product
- Businesses founded before January 1, 2022
- Businesses with revenue under $100,000 or over $999,000
- Businesses unable to attend the live NYC pitch event
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Growth-critical resources and operations
- Marketing and sales
- Professional services
- Technology and inventory
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
- Activities unrelated to the business
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility
Verify women-ownership, U.S. citizenship, physical product, revenue, and founding-date requirements.
~0.5 hrs
-
2
Prepare pitch deck and application
Draft pitch deck and written answers; optional pitch deck review event on August 20, 2026.
~6 hrs
-
3
Submit application by September 23
Submit the online application before the deadline.
~1 hrs
-
4
Pitch live if selected as finalist
Finalists pitch in person in New York City on November 5, 2026; travel stipend provided for out-of-town finalists.
~4 hrs
Revenue must be between $100K and $999K and the company must be founded after January 1, 2022—verify these hard numbers before applying; previous finalists can reapply, so polish your pitch deck using past winner recordings.
Deadline & timing
Applications open in August 2026 (exact date not stated on page) and close September 23, 2026. Live pitch event is November 5, 2026 in New York City.
Required documents
- Online pitch competition application
- Pitch deck
- Proof of revenue and founding date
- Product samples if selected as finalist
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