Dish Play Pride & Butchie’s Presents - Pride Entrepreneur Grant

Supporting the Next Generation of LGBTQIA+ Food Entrepreneurs

Food businesses are built on passion, creativity, and hard work. They're also some of the hardest businesses to start.

Whether you're selling at markets, developing a product, running a catering company, launching a food truck, building a bakery, creating a beverage brand, or dreaming of opening your own restaurant, access to professional space, mentorship, and industry knowledge can make all the difference.

That's why Dish Play is proud to launch the Pride Food Entrepreneur Grant.

This initiative is designed to support one LGBTQIA+ food entrepreneur in Durham Region by providing access to mentorship, professional kitchen and event space, business development support, and community exposure.

Rather than offering a one-time cash award, we're investing directly in the entrepreneur and helping them build a stronger foundation for long-term success.

What the Recipient Receives:

One-on-One Mentorship with Chef Andrea Nicholson

Work directly with an experienced food entrepreneur and business owner on topics including:

Menu and product development

Food costing and pricing

Branding and marketing

Catering and event strategy

Scaling a food business

Customer acquisition

Business planning

Access to Dish Play

Utilize our commercial kitchen and event facility for approved business-building activities such as:

Product testing

Menu development

Content creation

Professional photography

Pop-up events

Tasting events

Community networking

Business Development Review

Receive a detailed review of your concept, products, pricing, operations, and growth opportunities, along with practical recommendations to help strengthen your business.

Community Exposure

We'll help introduce your business to our network through social media, community partnerships, and promotional opportunities.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applications from LGBTQIA+ individuals operating or building food-related businesses, including:

Caterers /Bakers / Food truck operators / Specialty food producers

Beverage brands / Farmers market vendors / Meal-prep businesses

Pop-up concepts / Aspiring restaurant owners / Culinary entrepreneurs

APPLY NOW AND TELL US:

What food business you're building

Why you started it

What challenges you're facing

How mentorship and access to resources could help you grow

Important Dates

Applications Close: June 30, 2026

Recipient Announced: July 15, 2026

Program Begins: August 2026

If you're building something exciting, we'd love to hear your story.

Apply Today