Grant Official Terms and Conditions

OFFICIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE GRANT PROGRAM OF PEPPER BODY INC.

General:

These terms and conditions apply to Pepper’s Startup Grant for Black, woman-owned businesses (the “Grant Program”) sponsored by Pepper Body Inc. (“Pepper”). By entering the Grant Program and accepting the terms herein, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions, which constitute a binding agreement between you and Pepper.

Application Period:

The Grant Program application period commences on July 25, 2022 and closes on August 26, 2022 at 11:59pm MT (the “Application Period”).

How to Apply:

To apply to the Grant Program, submit the online application form available here (the “Application”) during the Application Period. Applications will be accepted by online entry only. No other method of entry will be accepted. All entries must be received by the end of the Application Period to be valid. Limit 1 entry per person/email address/business. Applicants must fully complete, submit, and upload all information requested in the Application, as directed, during the Application Period in order to be eligible. All entries must include a valid e-mail for the applicant. Applicants must acknowledge their agreement to these terms and conditions by clicking in the relevant box in the Application. Applicants are solely responsible for Internet connectivity, software and/or hardware that may be required in order to create and/or submit their Application, including any files. Applications, including attachments, that do not comply with these terms and conditions and/or are incomplete or inaccurate will be void, eliminated and not eligible for consideration. By submitting an Application, you represent that the materials submitted are original and have been created by you and/or that all necessary rights have been secured and disclosed in the event they were developed by others.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the Grant Program, you and your business must meet all of the following criteria:

You are 18 years of age or older as of the date the Application is submitted;
You are a United States citizen or permanent resident physically residing in the United States;
You are an owner of the business;
You identify as Black or African American;
You identify as female or non-binary;
At least 50% of the business must be owned, controlled or operated and managed by Black or African American, female or non-binary owners;
Business must be based in the United States and incorporated as a legal entity under the laws of any states within the United States; and
Business must qualify as an early stage business that has received less than $500,000 of equity financing or funding from investors.

Employees of Pepper and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and any other party involved in the development or administration of the Grant Program, and their immediate family members or household members are not eligible to apply or receive the Grant Program. Past recipients may not apply for additional Grant Program awards.

Pepper may determine, in its sole discretion, whether an applicant meets the eligibility criteria to participate in the Grant Program. Pepper’s decisions regarding eligibility are final and binding.

No Purchase Necessary:

There is no requirement to purchase Pepper’s products or payment of any kind required to apply to the Grant Program. A purchase of Pepper’s products will not improve your chance of selection.

The Award:

The final recipient (the “Recipient”) will be awarded $5,000 (the “Grant”). In addition to the Grant, the Recipient will also have the opportunity to participate in advisory, community and amplification initiatives, which will at minimum consist of the following:

1-hour mentorship calls directly with the 2 founders of Pepper, Jaclyn Fu and Lia Winograd;
Dedicated promotion on Pepper’s social media accounts;
Access to workshops and events in the realms of fundraising, finance, marketing, and others (collectively with the “Grant”, the “Award”)

Pepper may, at its sole discretion, offer Recipients benefits in addition to the Award, such as additional advisory support, community, and amplification opportunities, but Pepper does not guarantee, and makes no commitments to provide, any prize beyond the Award.

The Grant will be sent to the Recipient in the form of ACH wire transfer or such other mechanism as Pepper shall choose. All federal, state and local or other tax liabilities, and other expenses relating to the acceptance of an Award, or arising from the Award, including the Grant, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of each Recipient. Recipients may be issued a 1099 tax form for the actual value of the Grant. Limit of one Award per applicant. By applying for the Grant Program, you agree that, if selected as a Recipient, you will use the Award solely for legitimate business expenses and for the purposes expressed in your application.

The Award is subject to the terms and condition of a grant agreement. By applying for the Grant Program, you acknowledge that receipt of the Award is conditional on execution of the grant agreement. The Award is non-transferable and non-assignable. Pepper reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase the value of any Award. If no or an insufficient number of Applications meet the minimum eligibility criteria, some or all of the Award may not be awarded. Pepper reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if advertised Award becomes unavailable. All details of the Award not specified herein shall be determined solely by Pepper.

How Finalists and Recipients are determined:

Eligible Applications will be reviewed by members of the selection committee consisting PepperFfounders, Jaclyn Fu and Lia Winograd, Pepper Chief of Staff, Pranidhi Dadhaniya, and Startup Girl Foundation founder Shilpa Yarlagadda. The Semi-finalists (“Finalists”), and ultimately the Recipient, will be selected from among all eligible applicants based on the following criteria:

Demonstrates passion and creativity for solving the specific problem (40%)
Demonstrates viable business opportunity with clear plans (30%)
Demonstrates financial need (20%)
Ability for Pepper to support and add value (10%)