Frequently Asked Questions

What are the TFWA grants?

Launching into its 12th year of supporting culinary innovation and community giveback through its one-of-a-kind grant program, the Texas Food & Wine Alliance awards grants to selected organizations/individuals exhibiting culinary innovation that contributes to the Texas community in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Since 2012, TFWA has given $528,500 to local culinary professionals, businesses, and nonprofits.

How are TFWA grants funded?

Each year, the TFWA Board of Directors determines the amount of grants to be funded based on the organization’s fundraising efforts from key signature events, community partnerships, and beneficiary events.

What are the grant eligibility requirements?

• Eligible applicants: Food and beverage artisan producers, chefs/culinary professionals, farmers, wine-, beer- and spirit-makers, culinary businesses, and food-focused nonprofits serving the Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio communities

• Must be located in the Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio areas

• Must demonstrate how the grant will be used for culinary innovation

• Must demonstrate community giveback and/or show the impact the initiative will have on the community

• Represent fiduciary responsibility and transparency

• Must follow the reporting and accountability guidelines

• Agree to participate in PR and social media initiatives to promote TFWA & Grant Program

• Agree to AFWA website presence and mutual promotion of TFWA & Grant Program

• Must provide three current written reference letters detailing why you or your organization should receive an AFWA grant and the reference’s relationship to you

• If you’ve previously applied for a grant and you weren’t funded, you can apply again

• If you’ve applied previously and have been funded, you can apply again for a new project unrelated to the original project that was funded

• If you are applying for grant funding to support your operational budget, the applicant must show the business is already operating and supporting documents must show the business is sustainable

What type of projects/initiatives have won TFWA grants previously?

Since 2012, TFWA has awarded $528,500 in grants to fund local projects. Some grant recipients include: 

• Seeding and establishing the state’s first organic apple orchard with Argus Cidery

• A unique food preservation project for a mobile kitchen and traveling canning museum with Confituras

• The first USDA-inspected salumi producer in Texas with Salt & Time Butcher Shop & Salumeria

• The state’s first locally grown and malted barley to support craft beer production with Blacklands Malt

• A one-of-a-kind volunteer program teaching farming skills to diverse populations and culinary students with New Farm Institute at Green Gate Farms

• Production of a documentary film to teach students about the process of raising beef in Texas from pasture to plate with Pflugerville’s Connally High School Culinary Arts Department

• A Georgetown farm producing stress-free, free-range meat while helping wounded veterans with Snodgrass Farm

• The first flour mill opened Austin for more than 130 years, Barton Springs Mill, is using its grant to become the state’s only processing facility for heirloom grains emmer, einkorn, and spelt

For more details see past grant winners and their projects.

Who are the grant judges?

The TFWA Grant Judging Committees are composed of an independent panel of prominent culinary professionals and community members. Because the judges are deeply involved in the community, we do not share their names. The committee makes all decisions on grant awards and are based on the grant criteria, application information, and the goals of each applicant. The judges serve two-year terms.

When will I hear back regarding my application?

Grant winners will be notified by late March.

What are the eligible grant categories? How do I know which category to apply for?

Grants are awarded in separate categories for nonprofit and business. If you’re unsure where you fall, we are happy to help. Please contact us.

If I have previously applied for an TFWA grant, can I apply again?

Yes! And in several cases, grants have been given on a second or third try. If you’ve applied previously and have been funded, you can also apply again for a new project unrelated to the original project that was funded.

What follow-up is required if I win a grant?

Grantees are required to submit two progress reports at six months and one year after receiving the grant. The final performance report will serve as a permanent record of the grantee’s accomplishments. These reports will provide information to the TFWA Grant Selection Committee and staff as they evaluate the significance and impact of the TFWA grants.

Who can attend the Grant Awards Ceremony?

The Grant Awards Ceremony is invite-only. Attendees include the grant award winners, media, participating restaurants and vendors, and TFWA sponsors and supporters.

How much funding is given out each year?

Grant award funding changes each year based on fundraising efforts and community support.

What are the sizes of the grants?

Grant awards start at $2,500 and vary based on each year’s application pool, with the largest grant awarded to date being $15,000. Check out past grant recipients to understand the type of projects funded and the grant amounts awarded for those projects.

What type of grants are available?

Although the Grant Judging Committees determine which applicants, what type of grant, and how much grant funding will be awarded for each grant, all grant winners must show culinary innovation and how they will give back to the Central Texas community in their applications. The special grants are “named” grants which have specific qualifications such as project focused on sustainability, women-led initiatives, or mobile businesses.

Click for a list of 2024’s named grants.

Is there any way I can see the questions on the application before I start the application process?

Yes! Download a sample grant application.

Versión en español

A few tips for applicants:

• Provide funding options on your application. If the Grant Judging Committees do not award the amount requested, tell them what you could do with a lesser amount to move your project forward.

• Grant winners are selected from the pool of applications submitted for that year. In some years, that may mean there are more grants awarded artisan producers or farmers, but don’t assume that certain types of applicants will be more favored than others.

• Judges review all materials submitted. Grants are awarded based on meeting the grant criteria, complete application information, and goals of each applicant.

• If any pieces of the grant application are missing, you will not be considered eligible for a grant.