Exciting Vendor Opportunity!
Tampa Bay Markets is proud to partner with Fulfill Your Destiny to bring their signature program, the $1,000 Business Builder Grant, to our market vendors.
TBM & Fulfill Your Destiny will award 4 TBM approved vendors Business Builder grants, 1 per quarter, for $1000 each in 2025.
Don’t miss this opportunity to energize your business!
Applications are due by March 1, 2025 for the first grant award opportunity in 2025.
About Fulfill Your Destiny
Fulfill Your Destiny began with a mission to give a “second chance” to citizens, whose ability to work has been cut short by injury, or unforeseen circumstances.
Operating with zero administrative overhead, we extend help to underserved citizens with nowhere to turn. Since 2010 we have offered “Second Chances“ enabling citizens to achieve independence and fulfill their destiny.
Fulfill Your Destiny’s signature program is its ‘Business Builder Grants’. Fulfill Your Destiny has pioneered ‘Business Builder Grants’ awarding these grants to proven entrepreneurs, who have experienced life-changing events and desire to take their businesses to the next level.
“I’ve enjoyed attending hundreds of Tampa Bay Markets as an engaged customer over the years. Many vendors have shared their unique stories, as well as their vision and goals for their businesses with me. It’s an honor for my organization, Fulfill Your Destiny, to partner with Tampa Bay Markets to provide qualified vendors with Business Builder Grant award opportunities, so that they too may fulfill their destinies.”
– Karen Mertes, Fulfill Your Destiny Founder
Exciting Details
Quarterly, Fulfill Your Destiny will award one (1) approved, participating vendor a $1,000 signature 'Business Builder Grant’.
This opportunity is open to all active and participating vendors, as defined by Tampa Bay Markets, who have been in business for at least one full year and are interested in taking their business to its next level. Apply by submitting your digital application.
TBM Vendor Fulfill Your Destiny Business Builder Grants
will be awarded in April, July, October and December of 2025.
Applications are DUE on the following dates:
Q1 3/1/2025 to be awarded in APR 2025.
Q2 6/1/2025 to be awarded in JUL 2025.
Q3 9/1/2025 to be awarded in OCT 2025.
Q4 12/1/2025 to be awarded in DEC 2025.
***IMPORTANT GRANT APPLICATION NOTES: There is a question on the app that says, ‘“How did you hear about the Fulfill Your Destiny Business Builder Grant.” Any approved participating vendor must put ‘Tampa Bay Markets’ in the organization field.
If you have previously applied for a Fulfill Your Destiny Grant, we encourage you to update and resubmit your application with any new information about your business’ achievements and initiatives. The grant selection committee will review your consecutive grant entries / updates for each new grant cycle.
My Spice Buds, Grant Winner 2024
“Receiving the Fulfill Your Destiny Business Builder Grant is not just a milestone for My Spice Buds; it's a validation of our vision and a catalyst for growth. This grant enables us to launch our eagerly anticipated spice blend line, directly responding to our customers' enthusiastic demand. This funding is instrumental in bridging the financial gap that often challenges small businesses.” We are deeply grateful to the Fulfill Your Destiny and TBM teams for this opportunity and making our dream a reality!”
- Bindu Grandhi,
Founder & CEO of My Spice Buds, LLC
Roots & Ritual, Grant Winner 2022
“As vendors, our tents are our storefronts. The experiences our customers have when they visit is vital. From our overall appearance, to our convivial interactions, to the quality of our products… we only have a few seconds to make a impactful impression. We gratefully used our grant from Fulfill Your Destiny to help buy a new branded tent”.
- Sandi & Amber Hein
GoneGreens by Nessa,
Grant Winner 2024
“My company GoneGreens develops innovative new approaches for folks to enjoy collard greens.
GoneGreens is a reflection of me, it gives homage to my cultural past, it’s the indeterminate moment I’m in and it’s my future gift to share. I want to produce fresh food for healthy consumption which mean healthy people.The Fulfill Your Destiny grant money will be a good piece of the puzzle and one step out of many that will help shore us up in this critical business start-up phase. The immediate repacking need requires a costly machine that will seal the product, blocking oxygen from reducing the shelf life of the product. This one step would increase sales by 20% this market season.”
- Nessa McClain,
Author & Founder of GoneGreens by Nessa
Joseph’s Tea, Grant Winner 2022
“As a small business any amount of money to help with inventory, marketing, and building your business is critical. We used the $1,000 to help us get some additional inventory that we needed at the time.”
– Guerby and Shannon Joseph, Joseph’s Tea
Maine-iacs Lobster, Grant Winner 2021
“Most of us vendors go through a struggle/lean period. This grant can be an important helping hand for vendors looking to improve their business. “This is a “no strings attached” grant. The grant administrators trust recipients to spend the money in a manner they deem necessary for the betterment of their business”
- Guy Cote
Dz’s Bz’s, Grant Winner 2023
“I learned that I am the only one who can control where I go and what I do with my life, and I should never discount myself. Receiving this grant has helped our business strengthen customer education about the benefits of our products.”
- Drew Reinhart
DOL Woodcraft, Grant Winner 2024
“Since joining Tampa Bay Markets my sales have increased 2-fold. I plan on using the grant to upgrade my shop machinery, which will increase production. The grant will put my savings for a commercial jointer machine over the top.”
- Jeff Goble