Independent restaurants and bars are where creativity meets community. You prioritize your team’s well-being, reduce waste, build community partnerships, and find new ways to grow sustainably. You push boundaries. You create positive change.
Thats why the IRC and Chase Innovator Awards will recognize 40 independent restaurants and bars with $25,000 grants to strengthen the ideas, practices, and business models that promote sustainability and environmental innovation. This includes zero-waste kitchens and low-carbon menus, as well as workforce and industry innovation like childcare support and leadership or culinary training.
If your restaurant is creating something bigger than your bottom line, we encourage you to apply.
Who’s Eligible?
If you’re an independently owned restaurant, bar, café, pub, or food cart with 20 or fewer locations, less than $13 million in 2024 revenue, and at least two years in operation—you may qualify. Full eligibility criteria and terms are available on the application site.
What You’ll Need to Apply:
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Your most recent profit & loss statement and balance sheet
- A budget outlining how you’ll use the grant to bring your vision to life
- A letter of support from a partner, vendor, or community member
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Two 500-1000-word essays telling us how your practices make an impact on the industry, as well as how you'll achieve your goals through use of the grant.
Applications are open now through August 27, 2025. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered—so gather your materials, take your time, and tell us your story.
No purchase, payment, or obligation is necessary to submit an application or receive a grant. A purchase/payment will not increase your chances of being selected for a grant. The Independent Restaurant Coalition and Chase Innovator Awards Grant Program submission period begins on 7/30/25 at 9:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on 8/27/25 at 9:00:00 a.m. ET. Who may apply for the grant: a small, independent business whose primary purpose and profit comes from preparing, serving, and selling of food and/or beverages to the public, such as, but not limited to, full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants with counter service, cafes, bars, pubs and food carts. The business must have a physical public facing location that customers can either dine or drink onsite or carry food out. Additionally the business must be: [1] be a for-profit only business (corporation, LLC or sole proprietor) located/headquartered in the 50 US, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam; [2] have been actively engaged in its current business activity for at least two (2) consecutive years immediately preceding the start of the Program; [3] be owned by natural persons who are legal residents of the 50 US, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam, and who are at 18 years old; [4] have a valid employer identification number or taxpayer identification number; [5] have no more than a maximum of 20 locations in the 24 months prior to submitting an Application; [6] total annual revenue of less than $13,000,000 (13 million) for tax year 2024 (or tax year 2023 if information is not yet available for 2024); and [7] not be owned by an employee of Sponsors or a company wholly owned by a Sponsor or Sponsor’s parent company. The total maximum retail value of all grants is $1,000,000.00. Limit: One (1) grant per small business. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. For complete details and Official Terms and Conditions and Program Rules go to https://ircinnovatorawards.chase.com. SPONSORS: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 201 N. Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 and Independent Restaurant Coalition, PO Box 480, Joseph, Oregon, 97846.