TORONTO — DoorDash Canada has debuted its Festival Activation Fund, a new program designed to help Entrepreneurship and Access merchants on DoorDash share their food at summer festivals this year.
The Festival Activation Fund will provide 15 restaurants with up to 50-per-cent off a restaurant’s summer festival fee (up to $3,000) that occurs in any Canadian city from Jun. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025.
“Summer food festivals bring neighbourhoods together, boost local economies, and provide a welcoming space to celebrate the diverse, vibrant cultures that make each of our communities unique,” says Heather Cameron, head of Brand and Creative at DoorDash Canada. “We’re proud to support restaurants in sharing their love for food with even more diners by helping to remove some barriers for entrepreneurs to succeed.”
Applications are now open and will be accepted until May 16, 2025, with successful recipients notified by June. Among other eligibility criteria, restaurants, gastropubs or bakeries must be an active partner on DoorDash, have between one and three physical locations in Canada with less than 20 employees per location and have a valid Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) business number.
The Festival Activation Fund builds on DoorDash Canada’s existing Entrepreneurship and Access programs which have provided dozens of grants to under-represented entrepreneurs through #BlackFoodEnergy, Made By Women, and Kitchens Without Borders. Entrepreneurship and Access partners on DoorDash can also enjoy increased in-app searchability and other resources to help grow their businesses.
