The Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award
Supporting Black Entrepreneurs
Black entrepreneurs continue to face systemic barriers when it comes to accessing funding to grow their businesses.
In fact, Crunchbase data shows that funding to Black founders dropped 71% in 2023 - to the lowest in nearly a decade. Fifteen Percent Pledge is working to address this challenge by supplying Black-owned businesses with no-strings-attached funding to accelerate and sustain their success.
For the third year in a row, Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with Shop with Google to provide $250,000 in grant funding to unlock the next horizon of growth for three Black-owned businesses. The winner of the Achievement Award will also receive mentoring and pro-bono consulting services from industry leaders. All awardees will receive complimentary tickets to our 2025 Gala.
2025 Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award Grants:
- Winner will receive $200,000, in addition to mentorship and pro-bono consulting services
- 1st Runner Up will receive $35,000
- 2nd Runner Up will receive $15,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Member of the Fifteen Percent Pledge Business Equity Community
- E-commerce business with a minimum annual revenue of $100K
- Black-owned: At least one self-identifying Black person with 50% or more equity in the company
- Has between 2-15 employees, including the founder
- Has a presence on Google Shopping
Selection Criteria
- Has high potential for growth
- Has a sustainable competitive advantage
- Led by a strong management team with deep industry knowledge
- Has a strong use case for the award to manage growth challenges and scale for the future
- Fosters inclusivity and showcases community impact
Application Process + Timeline
The application will be open for four weeks. A review committee will select semi-finalists, and the winner will be selected through public voting.
September 17
Application opens
Application opens
October 16
Application closes
Application closes
December
Public Voting Period
Public Voting Period
Early January
Top three finalists are notified with no indication of winner status
Finalists are notified with no indication of winner status
February 1
Winner is announced at the event
Winner is announced at the event
See FAQs for more information. Got additional questions? Email brands@15pp.org
About the Fifteen Percent Pledge
The Fifteen Percent Pledge is a racial equity and economic justice non-profit organization addressing the inequities that exist throughout the American consumer economy and working towards closing the racial wealth gap. In recognition that Black people in the U.S. compromise nearly 15% of the population, the Fifteen Percent Pledge calls on major retailers and corporations to commit a minimum of 15% of their shelf space, sales revenue, and annual spend to support Black-owned businesses. In 2022, the Pledge was the recipient of Fast Company's Most Innovative Company of the Year Award.
For more than four years, Fifteen Percent Pledge has been working alongside major corporations to re-evaluate their organizational structures, funding streams, and supply chains, in order to create new economic opportunities and greater equity for Black businesses.
To date, more than 30 corporate partners have helped us create the potential to shift $14B to Black businesses. Despite this progress, there is still so much work to do to ensure an inclusive economy and an equitable future for Black entrepreneurs.
Donations
If you are a founder, venture capitalist, corporate employee, or other leader who wants to invest or contribute to funding a grant for a Black business owner, please email us
You can also donate here to support the Pledge’s general operations and long-term organizational growth.