The Big Idea Grant

The Big Idea Grant for Coffee is Oatly’s annual grant program made just for small businesses in the amazing coffee community to help them pursue strategies, projects and innovative ideas — all with the intention that what they learn in the process can be shared to build a more sustainable future for the industry and the planet.

Look! It’s the new 2022 BIG winners!

From over 150 applications, the 7 Big Idea Grant for Coffee winners below will receive funding for their projects in 2023. Congrats!

THE 2021 GRANTEES ONE-YEAR CHECK-IN

Was it a bumpy year with more than a few failures along the way? Or was it 365-ish days packed with real-world learnings that also happen to make a pretty good web video?

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Meet the awesome 2021 BIG Grantees!

Here’s the part where they share actual real-world learnings with you. Amazing.

Family with three kids standing in front of a building

THREE KEYS COFFEE


Houston, TX
TIO & KENZEL FALLEN

Creating a path to sustainability for themselves and any other startups looking for a blueprint, Three Keys Coffee is going solar, as well as upcycling chaff for local farms.

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Happy people standing in front of a coffee shop

BUILD COFFEE


Chicago, IL
HANNAH NYHART, BRIGID MANIATES, MAIRA KHWAJA and MARA HENEGHAN 

Build Coffee has launched Market Box, a free grocery delivery service that includes produce from local farms, delivered by neighborhood volunteers to residents in their community. 

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Hector at event

DON CARVAJAL CAFE


Bronx, NY
HECTOR CASTILLO CARVAJAL and GECILE FOJAS

After a challenging year, Hector’s determination to bring sustainable practices and education to the community he loves—is proving to be unstoppable.

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Frank in front of a wall

ACADEMIC COFFEE


San Jose, CA
FRANK NGUYEN

Frank and his team at Academic Coffee have a huge heart for San Jose. They’ve converted their parking spaces to host pop-ups that feature and help sustain local small businesses.

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Mike Nelson and Carol Tessitore holding a plant

JUNIOR'S ROASTED COFFEE


Portland, OR
CARYN NELSON, MIKE NELSON and CAROL TESSITORE

Junior’s Roasted Coffee is dedicated to making the coffee supply chain more sustainable, and that means fair pay for farmers, as well as every other person behind your iced latte.

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Michael and Lindsey behind a counter

321 COFFEE


Raleigh, NC
MICHAEL EVANS and LINDSAY WREGE

321 Coffee is all about empowering a sustainable workforce — creating employment opportunities, as well as an environment where workers with disabilities can grow and succeed. 

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Woman sitting and forming glasses with her hands

1A COFFEE


Wilmington, VT
CHRYSTAL and BRIAN HOLT

Master tacticians of sustainability, 1A Coffee has gone fully solar, even selling power back to the grid. They meticulously track air quality and anything else that shrinks their footprint. 

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STAY IN THE BIG LOOP!

Sign up for the BIG newsletter to get notified when entries open and winners are announced!

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Seriously, they approved this part. Just email us at bigideagrant@oatly.com and we can connect you with these amazing entrepreneurs so you can ask all about how to get going on similar sustainable projects of your own. Because sustainability info should be free and shareable for all, of course!