Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream — Pitch Room Competition
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) / Accion Opportunity Fund
$10,000
$10K pitch prize for food & bev entrepreneurs
Samuel Adams' Brewing the American Dream program supports US food and beverage entrepreneurs through free coaching, bootcamps, and the annual Pitch Room Competition — where packaged food and beverage businesses pitch for a $10,000 grant plus a year of personalized expert coaching. Competition runs at regional events (Boston, Cincinnati, NYC, and others) with regional winners advancing to the national stage. Administered in partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund. The broader program also offers free one-on-one coaching, webinars, and speed-coaching with lawyers, accountants, and marketers.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000
- Realistic amount
- The national winner receives $10,000 plus a year of coaching. Regional winners advance but regional prize amounts are no…
- Deadline
- Annual — Pitch Room Competitions run spring/summer each year at regional locations. Boston Rooftop Pitch Room: May 21, 2025. Cincinnati Pitch Room: May 19, 2026. Watch brewingtheamericandream.com and Accion Opportunity Fund newsletter for next regional event dates.
- Status
- active
- States
- MA, OH, NY, CT, ME, NH, RI, VT
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Owner of a food, beverage, or craft brewing business with a packaged product currently being sold
- Must be at least 50% owner of the food or beverage business
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must have a business bank account
- Business must be in one of the eligible geographic regions: New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT), Cincinnati area, or NYC metro (for Bootcamp); Pitch Room regions vary by cycle
- Packaged products only — restaurant or food service businesses without packaged products are not eligible for the Pitch Room competition
Hard requirements
- Restricted to industry: packaged food, beverage, or craft brewing products only
- Location restriction: New England (CT/ME/MA/NH/RI/VT), Cincinnati OH, or NYC metro for Bootcamp; Pitch Room regions vary by cycle
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and operating expenses
- Equipment and production upgrades
- Marketing and packaging
- Distribution and retail expansion
- Staff and hiring
Ineligible expenses
- Businesses without a packaged product (restaurant or food service businesses are not eligible for the Pitch Room)
- Personal expenses
- Businesses outside the eligible geographic regions for regional events
How to apply
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1
Subscribe to Brewing the American Dream newsletter
Sign up at brewingtheamericandream.com for the newsletter and follow their social channels. Regional Pitch Room events are announced here first. You must apply to the competition in your region.
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2
Apply to your regional Pitch Room competition
When a regional competition is announced near you, submit your application via the Brewing the American Dream website or Accion Opportunity Fund page. Pitch your packaged food or beverage product to judges at a live event.
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3
Compete at regional live pitch event
Present your pitch to a panel of judges at the regional event (held at a venue — the Boston event was on a rooftop). Regional winners are selected to advance.
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4
National competition and award
Regional winners advance to the national stage. The national winner receives the $10,000 grant plus a year of personalized coaching from the Samuel Adams and Accion Opportunity Fund expert network.
The Pitch Room is only for packaged-product businesses. The free coaching and bootcamp resources are available to all food/bev entrepreneurs in the eligible regions and provide substantial value even without winning a grant. Sign up for the newsletter — that's the only way to know when your regional event opens.
Deadline & timing
Competitions are held at regional events, typically in spring and summer. The Cincinnati 2026 event is May 19, 2026. Watch the Brewing the American Dream newsletter and Facebook for upcoming regional event dates — each regional competition has its own application window. The national competition selects regional winners from multiple events.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.