Pop Up & Pitch Grant Competition at Durag Festival 2025

Applications are open for the Pop Up & Pitch Grant Competition at Durag Festival 2025. The competition, in partnership with ByBlack and powered by U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and the DuGhood Foundation, aims to spotlight the next generation of Black innovators from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. One winner will receive a $1,000 cash grant during the live pitch showcase at Durag Fest on June 21, 2025.

Cash grant of $1,000; access to exclusive grant lists; feature in newsletters and media articles; business coaching 101 for strategy and scaling.

Open to current students enrolled at an HBCU and recent alumni who graduated from an HBCU in 2022 or later. Applicants may apply as an individual or a team (with at least 50% of the business owned or managed by an eligible HBCU student or recent alum).

Submit an online application with a short written overview, a 60-second pitch video, and proof of HBCU enrollment or graduation.