Sponsor. The Spice It Up Small Biz Grant (the “Grant”) is sponsored and administered by Penny Blossom LLC d/b/a Bailee’s Kitchen, a for-profit Texas business, 8841 N. Hwy 171, Ste. F #14, Godley, Texas 76044 (“Sponsor”).
Nature of the Grant. The Grant is a merit-based business competition, not a raffle or sweepstakes. The winner is selected solely on merit using the published rubric in Section 7. Chance plays no part in selection.
Eligibility. Open to for-profit small businesses that are established and based in the State of Texas at the time of application. Sole proprietorships (including those operating under an assumed name), limited liability companies, partnerships, and corporations are eligible. Nonprofit organizations and businesses that have not yet been established are not eligible. The applicant must be an owner of the business and at least 18 years old. Employees and owners of Sponsor, and their immediate family members, are not eligible. Void outside Texas and wherever prohibited by law.
Application period. Applications open November 1, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. Central Time and close November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. One application per business.
How to apply. Complete the online application at baileeskitchen.com/grant and pay the $10 application fee.
Application fee. A nonrefundable $10 application fee is required with each application. Fees are retained by Sponsor to operate the program and are not refunded for any reason, including ineligibility or not being selected. Payment of the fee has no effect on scoring or selection.
Judging criteria. Applications are scored out of 100 points: Business clarity (20), Use of funds (25), Expected impact (25), Drive and resilience (15), and Community connection (15). Ties are broken by a second round of judging of the tied applications against the same rubric. Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding.
Review process. Applications are reviewed by Sponsor. Sponsor may use artificial intelligence tools to help organize or pre-screen applications; all final scores and the selection decision are made by a person.
Award. One (1) award of $500, paid by check. The $500 grant will be awarded regardless of the number of applications received, provided at least one eligible application is submitted.
Winner notification and verification. The winner will be notified by email on December 10, 2026, using the email address provided in the application. If Sponsor does not receive a reply within 48 hours, Sponsor will also call the phone number provided in the application. The winner must respond by email or phone within three (3) business days of the original notification email and provide a mailing address and copies of the business’s formation or registration documents. No award payment will be sent until Sponsor has received and verified these documents. The documents must show that the business was formed or registered in the State of Texas before the application was submitted, under the business name used in the application. Limited liability companies, corporations, and limited partnerships must provide the Certificate of Formation (sometimes called Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization) filed with the Texas Secretary of State; entities formed in another state are not eligible, even if registered to do business in Texas. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships must provide an assumed name (DBA) certificate filed in Texas or, for a business operating under the owner’s legal name, a Texas sales and use tax permit or local business license issued before the application date. Sponsor may confirm a business’s status through Texas Secretary of State, Comptroller, or county records. If the winner does not respond by email or phone within three (3) business days, cannot provide this documentation, or is found ineligible, the award goes to the applicant with the next-highest score, who must meet the same verification requirements.
Payment. The award check will be mailed by December 15, 2026, or within five (5) business days of verification if later. The winner is responsible for any taxes on the award. Sponsor may request a completed IRS Form W-9.
Use of funds. The award is intended for the business purpose described in the application.
Publicity. By accepting the award, the winner agrees that Sponsor may announce the winner’s name, business name, and city and share a short description of the business, unless prohibited by law.
Privacy. Application information is used only to administer the Grant and is not sold or shared with third parties, except service providers that help run the program. Applicants are not added to any marketing list without their consent.
Release. By submitting an application, each applicant agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its owners, and its reviewers from any claim arising from the administration of the Grant, the selection of the recipient, or errors in an applicant’s submission.
General conditions. Sponsor may cancel, modify, or suspend the Grant if it cannot run as planned, and may disqualify any application that is false, incomplete, or submitted in violation of these rules.
