Aspirations Grant
As of 2025, 30 grants totaling $198,297.97 have been awarded.
The Aspirations Grant, imagined in 2013 and first awarded in 2016, was designed to bring the dreams of women to fruition. This grant is available to women in the South Texas and Texas Hill Country regions who are not LDEI members, who already have a culinary innovation record, have been in business for at least three years and need assistance to move to the next level, helping it grow in a major way—becoming more successful, more efficient, and more profitable than it is now.
2024 Aspirations Grant Recipients
Heather Curtsinger, The Dough Station, Castroville
Gelato MachineStephanie Martinez, 2F Akaushi Beef, San Isidro
Commercial Meat GrinderJanessa Sullivan, Doubleside Toffee Company, Bulverde
Upright Freezer and CaramelizerCharity Teague, Charity Teague Confections LLC, San Antonio
Labels for New Midnight Chocolate LineElisa Trevino, The Beignet Stand, San Antonio
Upgrade Motor for Walk-in Cooler
2018 Aspirations Grant Recipient - Sarah Clavieres of Talking Tree Farms in Converse, Texas.
2017 Aspirations Grant Recipient - Kathryn Graham of Zanzenberg Farms in Center Point, Texas
2016 Aspirations Grant Recipient - Lori Kreiger of Taste Elevated in Castroville, Texas.
2016 Aspirations Grant Recipient - Julie Braune of Braune Farms in Geronimo, Texas
Interested women must apply for the grant and present both a viable business plan and a community giveback plan, in addition to other stipulations.
Past winners of the Aspirations Grant have purchased cooking kettles for producing broths and sauces, walk-in coolers to increase cold storage, and label printers or other equipment to help bottle and label their products. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the grant helped women in the Port Aransas–Rockport area purchase necessary equipment, from signage to an espresso machine, so they could quickly re-open their restaurants.
The deadline is March 1st of each year. Please check below for instructions on how to submit an application & eligibility.
Grant Eligibility & Purpose
The purpose of the Aspirations Grant Program is to award a grant (usually between $2,500 and $10,000) each year to empower and further business enhancement or culinary innovation to a woman (LDEI members or former members are not eligible) in the San Antonio, Texas Hill Country, or South Texas community.
Please note that all information submitted in connection with this application and reporting will remain confidential. All Aspirations Grant Committee members have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements.
Grant Eligibility – Grant applicants must meet the following criteria and include appropriate materials with the application. We do NOT consider incomplete applications.
• Must be a woman specializing in the areas of food, nutrition, wine, beverages, hospitality, arts of the table, agriculture, or other fields as it relates to these disciplines who resides in the San Antonio, Texas Hill Country, or South Texas areas. (LDEI members or former members are not eligible.)
Must be a citizen of the United States of America.
Must be 18+ years old
Must NOT be a current or former member of Les Dames d’Escoffier
Must demonstrate how the grant will be used for culinary development or innovation in her respective field.
Use-of-Funds Criteria
1. Examples of acceptable uses would include purchasing equipment, product development, marketing and branding, and facility upgrades or safety improvements to a facility you own.
2. The grant does not cover certifications or training, licensing fees, professional development, personal expenses, debt repayment, salaries or stipends, travel, labor costs, rent, taxes, fees, food vendors, or website development.
If the equipment costs more than the grant, then the applicant must be able to pay for the portion of the equipment not covered by the grant. The grant is paid directly to the seller, not to the grant recipient.
• Must demonstrate community giveback and/or support the initiative will have on the community. Please provide detail.
• Must provide three (3) written reference letters as to why the individual should receive an Aspirations Grant and detail the reference’s relationship with the individual. Please have the recommending party send the letter directly to aspirationsgrant@ldeisa.org.
• Must be operating a business or project in relationship to the culinary innovation for at least three years.
· Must represent fiduciary responsibility and transparency in the form of cash flow statement, income statement, balance sheet, and last IRS tax return schedule C or F, and/or Federal Business Tax return. Must be current with the IRS and the Texas State Comptroller.
If selected as a finalist, must be interviewed by the Aspirations Grant Committee.
If selected as Aspirations Grant recipient:
• Must follow the reporting and accountability guidelines, including submitting two performance reports – one six months into the project, and the final at the end of the project, detailing how the grant was used to enhance business or project and the community benefit.
• Must attend the Aspirations Grant Award ceremony on date appointed by LDEI-SA Chapter.
• Must agree to participate in LDEI-SA Chapter public relations initiatives to promote the Aspirations Grant Program, if asked.
• Must agree to presence on the LDEI-SA as well as the LDEI websites and mutual promotion of the Aspirations Grant Program if asked.
• Must agree to allow use of video or photographs of recipient and/or her business at LDEI events, websites, Facebook, and all other types of media or public relations efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We are here to help majority women-owned businesses that would like to take their business to the next level. Taking a business to the next level would mean helping it grow in a major way by becoming more successful, more efficient, and more profitable than it is now. We welcome applications from women running businesses of all sizes, large or small (example: early-stage businesses, home-based or cottage food businesses, etc.).
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A clear and compelling explanation of the business
A specific plan for how the grant will be used
Realistic budget and timeline
Demonstrated impact on the business or community
Professional, complete responses
A clear plan for growing and marketing the business
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The applicant must have been in business for 3 years to apply.
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Yes. Any business more than 3 years old that desires to go to the next level may apply.
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Yes, you can reapply. You are encouraged to speak with a member of the committee to get feedback on what would make your application successful.
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Yes. As long as you have been in business for 3 years or more.
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Unfortunately, nonprofit organizations are not currently eligible for the aspiration grant.
Deadline For Submission
The application must be sent to the LDEI-SA official post office box and postmarked by March 1, OR the information can be sent to our email address, and must be received by March 1 at 11:59 p.m. You may also submit your application & other requested materials via the below form.
Mailing Address: Aspirations Grant, Les Dames d’Escoffier, PO BOX 15302, San Antonio, TX 78212
Email Address: AspirationsGrant@ldeisa.org, use Aspirations Grant in the subject line, and enclose scanned application and other requested materials as attachments.
Questions – Email: AspirationsGrant@ldeisa.org
Decision will be made by May 1, and each applicant will be notified – acceptance or regrets -- soon after that date.
NOTE: Please double-check that you have included all the requested information. We do not accept incomplete applications. not consider incomplete applications. You may either download and submit the application manually to our P.O. Box, submit it to aspirationsgrant@ldeisa.org, or utilize the form below for submission.