Grants
The Hop Forward Society works to create opportunities for underrepresented groups. We offer three different grants on an annual basis. These grants are available to anyone who is Black, Indigenous, racialized, and/or part of the LGBTQ2S+ or disability community.
What are the grants for?
Have you always wanted to work in the craft beer industry, but aren’t sure you have the right skills? Do you have an amazing idea that would create positive change in the beer industry? Are you furthering your education with hopes of pursuing a career in the beer industry once you graduate? If you answered yes to any of these questions then these grants are for you! The grants are for anyone - aspiring marketers, salespeople, Advanced Cicerones, taproom managers — you name it! If you can dream it and it can be applied to the craft beer industry, then you can use the grant for it!The Hop Forward grant was created to remove barriers for those who are looking to make a meaningful contribution to the Alberta craft beer industry. How do you apply?
We’ve created the Hop Forward grant application to be simple and approachable. Fill out the grant application and tell us about yourself, share how you plan to make a meaningful contribution to the craft beer industry in Alberta. Inform us about the barriers you have faced to entering our industry, and how Hop Forward can help you overcome these barriers.Who is eligible?
Members of an underrepresented group in the Alberta craft beer industry. Specifically, if you are a Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGTBQ2S+, and/or a person with a disability, then this grant was made for YOU. What grants are available?
Two $1, 000 grants are awarded annually Microgrants of up to $500 are awarded on an ongoing basisApplication Guidelines
Grant eligibility
To qualify for the grant, applicants must:
Belong to an under-represented group in the Alberta craft beer industry.LGBTQ2S+BlackIndigenousRacializedA person with a disability
A resident of Alberta for the past 12 monthsDemonstrate how you plan to use the funds to make a meaningful impact within the Alberta craft beer Industry
Application Guidelines
Application duration
The two $1000 grant applications close each spring. The microgrants of up to $500 dollars will be available on an ongoing basis, these applications will not close. Educational institutions and programs
The grant is not specific to an educational institution and as such is open to different alternatives of learning and education. (For example research projects, Cicerone or Pro-serve applications, internships etc.) Modes of submission
Applications can be submitted to Hop Forward through multiple modes. We aim to allow applicants to showcase their responses in alternative ways than an essay or a written response might not. Available modes of submission areText (essay, poetry, lyrics, other written format)Media (audio, video, images, recorded presentation, or another visual format)
If you have any questions regarding the application, please submit your query to: hopforwardab@gmail.comGrant Recipients
The Hop Forward Society works to create opportunities for underrepresented groups. We offer three different grants on an annual basis. These grants are available to anyone who is Black, Indigenous, racialized, and/or part of the LGBTQ2S+ or disability community. Meet our past grant recipients below!2023-2024
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I am a passionate brewmaster and a dedicated student of Brewery Operations Management. My journey into the fascinating world of brewing started as a hobby with homebrewing, which quickly grew into a deep professional commitment. My expertise not only spans the art of brewing but also extends to distilling, where I enjoy creating unique spirits. I am continually driven by a desire to innovate and refine the techniques used in both brewing and distilling. With the support of the Hop Forward Society Grant, I am eager to share my innovative spirit and technical knowledge with a wider audience and to make a meaningful impact in the brewing community.
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Greg is currently working in the craft beer industry. With this grant, Greg plans to continue their education in the craft beer industry and further their knowledge and expertise as a beer educator and advocate. As a person who identifies as Pansexual/Queer and who is Hearing Impaired Greg is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the beer industry, and has already been working towards this goal through their social media channels, workplace, and personal life.
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Jenna works in the craft beer industry. She is a queer lesbian woman and sees not just the opportunity for the brewing industry to change, but the opportunity for her to play a supportive role in that change. She intends to use the money awarded to take her first-level Cicerone. Achieving this goal would allow her to develop educational programs for other people who work with and under her to improve their knowledge as well. She is eager to be in this industry, encourage and support expanding DEIA in craft brewing, and use her platform to provide opportunities and uplift those around her.
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I am from Edmonton, AB and have a competitive sports past in Lacrosse & Hockey. I entered the craft brewing industry in 2021 and have just completed the brewmaster program at Olds College this spring. I will be using the grant towards my student loans. I wish to be a positive role model for the Metis community. I strive to continue to learn and advance in this industry, with the ultimate goal of opening a brewery with my wife in the future.
2022-2023
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Shivani has been working within the craft beer industry in Alberta for several years. They plan to use the funds to create to organise, shoot, edit and provide 'stock' images for craft breweries of Alberta to use in their marketing that include all kinds of people, in the hopes of evolving the typical 'craft beer drinker' stereotype into a more accurate picture of who really drinks craft beer today. As a marketing professional in the craft beer industry and a South-Asian woman, Shivani highly values representation in media and believes that the visual representation of this in marketing and social media assets would be a step in that direction.
2021-2022
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Steve is attending the Olds College Brewmaster program and hopes to finish that next year. They have noticed first-hand the lack of diversity in the brewing industry. Not seeing himself represented has motivated them to get to a place where his presence shows people that they too can be in this industry and succeed. The cost of school has been their biggest barrier to moving forward and they plan to put this grant money towards their tuition and books in the program. Their passion for craft beer and sharing it with others will truly help to bring this industry closer to being truly inclusive and equitable.
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Megan is an Old’s College student with aims to open a brewery that showcases their values and is an inclusive and accessible space. Megan wants to advocate for diversity within the brewing industry as a bisexual woman, and to work towards breaking through existing stereotypes.
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Chihyung is a second-year student at the Olds College Brewmaster program. They have an appreciation for the spirit of the craft beer industry. It is their belief that their presence and success within the industry will serve to help encourage DEIA in craft beer. They will be using this grant money to enable them to go after their second-level Cicerone Program which will act as a boost to their career and improve their craft. Their long-term goals in the craft brewing industry are to open their own brewery in Calgary that combines their love of where they come from in Korea, craft beer, and where they are now that will be a “harmonized place for all”.
Grant Application
Inclusive Images Project
Shivani Gibbs received a 2022-20223 grant to fund a photoshoot to produce diverse, inclusive images that accurately represent who is drinking beer, as well as other activities that take place in Canadian taprooms.The images are available for download to be used for marketing and advertising.See more of Shivani’s work at @therockiesplusModel casting: Kello InclusiveModels: Chris MacMurdo, Dani MilanesaVenue: Rising Tides Taproom
