Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: February 23, 2026

These Wedding Pro Grant Program 2026 Terms & Conditions (these “Program Terms”) and our Terms of Use, which are incorporated herein by reference, (collectively the “Terms”) govern your participation in The Wedding Pro Grant Program 2026 (the “Program”). The Program is sponsored and administered by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (“Sponsor”). The funding organization for this program is The Knot Worldwide Inc. (“TKWW”).

Please read these Terms carefully before participating. By participating in the Program, you agree to be bound by these Program Terms and Sponsor’s determinations regarding the Program, which are final and binding. If you do not agree to all of these Program Terms, you may not participate in the Program. The Program is subject to all applicable national, federal, state, territorial, and local laws, and is void where prohibited. There is no purchase necessary or other cost to enter the Program or receive a Grant.

1. Eligibility. 
   1. To be eligible to enter a business in the Program, you (“Officer”) must satisfy all of the below requirements as of the first day of the Program Period (defined below):
      • Be an entrepreneur who is the leading executive (i.e. Founder and/or President, CEO, CFO, COO, or any such other similar title) of a business that meets the below business criteria;
      • Be a legal resident of the United States;
      • Be eighteen (18) years or older in age.
   2. To be eligible to participate in the program, the business (“Entrant,” together with the Officer, “you” or “your”) must meet all of the following business criteria as of the first day of the Program Period:
      • Be a small for-profit business located and legally registered in the United States that is owner-operated and/or has 5 or fewer employees;
      • Be able to demonstrate that your total annual revenue is equal to or less than $250,000 and that wedding-related services account for equal to or  greater than fifty percent (50%) of your  total annual revenue;
      • Have been open and operating as a registered business entity for at least six (6) months; and
      • Be able to demonstrate a funding need and an active growth plan.
   3. The potential Grant Recipients (defined below) are subject to verification of eligibility by Sponsor, which may include completing associated documentation and/or providing supporting evidence, including but not limited to verifications of EIN and address, and good standing with the applicable secretary of state in which the Entrant is formed/incorporated. Employees, contractors, officers, or directors of Sponsor or TKWW or either of their affiliates, and members of their immediate families, are not eligible to participate.
      
      
2. Application Period.  Applications for this Program must be submitted between February 23, 2026 at 9:00am ET and March 27, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (the “Program Period”). The time clock of the computer administering this Program is the official clock for this Program. Sponsor reserves the right to shorten or lengthen the Program Period for any reason in its sole discretion.
   
   
3. How to Enter.
   1. To enter the Program, Officer must complete the official online application form at https://pros.weddingpro.com/about-us/small-business-grants-for-wedding-vendors/apply and submit:
      1. A short written application; and
      2. A video submission showcasing: The application and video submission are collectively referred to as the “Entry.” Submitting an Entry does not guarantee that Entrant will receive a Grant; and Entry represents an application for the opportunity to be considered.
         1. Their business and work in the wedding industry,
         2. Their need for support and vision for growth, and
         3. How grant funds or advertising support would be used over the next 12–24 months.
      3. You can opt to be considered for a Monetary Grant (defined below) of up to $50K or an Advertising Grant (defined below) of free advertising through WeddingPro.
         
         
4. Entry Conditions. Limit one (1) application per Entrant. Entries must be received by the stated deadline to be eligible.  All Entries become the property of TKWW and will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor and TKWW are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, illegible, or misdirected Entries, which will be disqualified, or for any error, whether human, technical, or otherwise. Sponsor may disqualify any Entry that, as adjudged in Sponsor’s determination: contains any material that is indecent, obscene, hateful, discriminatory; defamatory, slanderous, libelous, unlawful, or otherwise inappropriate;  is submitted in bad faith, is inappropriate, or otherwise violates these Terms; is submitted by an Entrant or Officer who is ineligible or noncompliant with these Terms; and/or, is submitted by any person who tampers with or abuses any aspect of the Program or the Global Entrepreneurship Network or TKWW platforms, who acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, who violates these Terms, or about whom a background check provides unsatisfactory results. 
   
   If there is a dispute about who submitted an Entry, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the Officer and the business identified in the Entry will be deemed the Entrant for the Program. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. The Officer may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.
   
   By submitting an Entry to the Program, you represent and warrant that you are the owner or licensee of any and all materials and information, including photos, videos, and personal information, submitted by you to the Program and you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to Sponsor and TKWW an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully-paid-up, royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense at multiple levels) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part), transfer, distribute any such materials for any purpose and in any format on or in connection with the digital property where this Entry form is published or its affiliated or partner sites, the Sponsor’s or TKWW’’s respective businesses, or the promotion thereof, prepare derivative works, incorporate into other works, and/or grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.   You furthermore represent and warrant that all persons and entities connected with the materials and information submitted in connection with the Program, and all other persons and entities whose names, voices, photographs, likenesses, works, services and materials have been used in such materials/information or its/their exploitation, have authorized the use of their names, voices, photographs, likenesses, performances, and biographical data in connection with the advertising, promotion, trade and other exploitation of the materials and information and the rights granted herein.
   
   
5. Awards and Grant Structure. A total of 26 Entrants will be selected across monetary and in-kind awards (“Grant Recipients”), representing up to $470,000 in total support, including: In addition to the Grants, certain Grant Recipients will also receive the following (up to a total of $30,000 in in-kind value):
   1. Sixteen (16) monetary awards ranging from $10,000 – $50,000 in value (up to a total value of $250,000) (“Monetary Grants”)
   2. Ten (10) awards of advertising services from TKWW at a total in-kind value of up to $220,000 (“Advertising Grants”; together with the Monetary Grants, the “Grants”).
   1. Mentorship: Facilitated introductions to industry mentors, with an expectation of at least four (4) touchpoints per year.
   2. Education: Access to on-demand educational resources and content derived from Funder’s Fellowship for Change programming.
   3. Additional community and visibility opportunities (e.g., participation in WeddingPro programs, events, editorial features, and social storytelling opportunities.)

   Awards are provided “as-is” with no warranty, express or implied. Grantees are responsible for any applicable taxes or expenses associated with receipt or use of a Grant, including but not limited to taxes on the Monetary Grants. Each Grant Recipient may receive recognition on the Sponsor and/or Funder platforms. The Released Parties (defined below) make no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to any grant awarded in the Program.

   Judging will take place from April 1, 2026 through April 30, 2026.  All judging decisions are final and binding.

   By submitting an Entry to the Program, each Entrant and Officer (1) agrees to release Sponsor, TKWW, and each of the Released Parties from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, costs, and/or expenses, including without limitation property damages, personal injury and/or death, arising out of participating in this Program or the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, (2) waives any and all claims against Sponsor, TKWW, and each of the Released Parties based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, or any other intellectual property or privacy right, and (3) acknowledges that neither the Sponsor nor TKWW have made or are responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition, or fitness for a particular purpose.

   Neither Sponsor nor TKWW shall be liable for any damages whatsoever related to or arising from (a) any technical errors that may prevent any Entrant from participating in any way; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Program and/or (c) errors in the administration of the Program.

   Entrant and Officer each waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.  Entrant and Officer further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ aggregate liability for all claims will be limited to $100 and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorneys’ fees.  

6. Judging Criteria. Applications will be evaluated by a panel that may include external educators and/or advisory board members, Sponsor representative(s), Funder representative(s), and optional participation from third-party partners to promote transparency. Entries will be judged based on four core pillars:
   1. Pitch and need for support: 30%
   2. Business Foundation and Execution: 25%
   3. Growth Vision and Impact: 25%
   4. Resilience and Adaptability: 20%
      
      
7. Grant notification and fulfillment. On or around May 1, 2026, Grant Recipients will be notified by email from Sponsor at the email address included on the Entry. Such notification email will include specific Grant details, along with next steps for the Grant Recipient for receiving the Grant.  In the event the Grant recipient is awarded a Monetary Grant, Sponsor shall work with Grant Recipient to distribute the Monetary Grant.  Grant Recipients will be required to provide the correct documentation of eligibility, and additional document as needed to Monetary Grant fulfillment (e.g., financial and banking information).
   
   
8. Consent Agreement.  By submitting an Entry to this Program, you (1) agree to be bound by these Terms; (2) consent to the use of your name, voice, picture, and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes by TKWW and Sponsor in any medium throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation unless prohibited by law, without prior notice, approval, or inspection, (3) agree that TKWW and Sponsor may collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with TKWW’s Privacy Policy and Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, as applicable, and (4) agree that Sponsor and TKWW may send you information, promotions, or special offers that Sponsor and/or TKWW determines may be of interest to you but from which you may opt out of receiving. Each Entrant and Officer will execute specific consent to the uses described in subsection (2) in the previous sentence at Sponsor’s or TKWW’s request. No Entrant or Officer may release on their own or through a third party any publicity or other materials regarding their participation in the Program, without Sponsor’s consent.
   
   
9. INDEMNIFICATION, RELEASE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:  By entering, each Entrant and Officer agrees to defend, indemnify and otherwise hold Sponsor, TKWW and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, the agents, officers, directors, and/or employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”) harmless from and against any and all liability of any nature whatsoever arising out of or relating to (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Program by or directed by Entrant or Officer; (b) breaches of or inaccuracies in any representations or warranties of, or license grants by, Entrant or Officer or any other terms and conditions contained herein; and/or (c) injury, death, or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrant’s or Officer’s participation in the Program or receipt or use of any grant,  including any such claim by the Released Parties’ employees or agents or any third parties.
   
   By submitting an Entry to the Program, each Entrant and Officer (1) agrees to release Sponsor, TKWW, and each of the Released Parties from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, costs, and/or expenses, including without limitation property damages, personal injury and/or death, arising out of participating in this Program or the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, (2) waives any and all claims against Sponsor, TKWW, and each of the Released Parties based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, or any other intellectual property or privacy right, and (3) acknowledges that neither the Sponsor nor TKWW have made or are responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition, or fitness for a particular purpose.
   
   Neither Sponsor nor TKWW shall be liable for any damages whatsoever related to or arising from (a) any technical errors that may prevent any Entrant from participating in any way; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Program and/or (c) errors in the administration of the Program.
   
   Entrant and Officer each waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages. Entrant and Officer further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ aggregate liability for all claims will be limited to $100 and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorneys’ fees.
   
   
10. GOVERNING LAW & DISPUTE RESOLUTION. These Terms (and any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms) will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws specified in the Terms of Use, without regard to conflicts of law principles. You agree that any disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in the Terms of Use.
    
    
11. GENERAL CONDITIONS:  In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Program is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion and at any time, (a) suspend the Program to address the impairment and then, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, resume the Program in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Terms (b) award the Grants from among the eligible Entries received up to the time of the impairment and/or c) terminate the Program.  Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Program may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, each of the Sponsor and the Funder reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Failure or delay by the Sponsor or Funder to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.