2023 Grant Program

Thank you for your interest in the Smokin' With Smithfield Grant Program! Applications for the 2023 barbecue season are now closed. The Smithfield team will reach out directly to event coordinators in the next few weeks to notify chosen recipients and a full list of chosen events will be announced in the New Year!

If you have questions, please contact us at BBQ@Smithfield.com

Rules and Requirements

By submitting an application for your event to be considered for a Smokin' With Smithfield Grant, you hereby acknowledge and agree to the following:

  • All Smokin' With Smithfield Grant decisions are in the sole discretion of Smithfield. Grant awards are subject to and contingent upon the applicant's acceptance of and compliance with Smithfield's standard terms and conditions, which will be provided upon notification of any potential Smokin' With Smithfield Grant award.
  • Any Smokin' With Smithfield Grant money awarded must be used to deepen the prize money payouts to all recipients.
  • Grant recipients are required to include Smithfield branding in all event marketing materials and signage, as provided by Smithfield.
  • Grant recipients are required to include the Smokin’ With Smithfield program name/logo on all checks, trophies, event promotion (i.e. social media, ads, website, etc.) and any contest apparel created for the event, as directed by Smithfield.
  • Grant recipients are required to provide exclusivity to Smithfield within the Pork and Ribs categories as sponsors. No other Pork brands can be leveraged as sponsors of the event or provide pork product to the event. The foregoing exclusivity shall not apply to sponsorships of individual competition teams.
  • Grant recipients must guarantee that basic services like trash, water, ice, power and port-a-potty servicing will be available throughout the event.
  • Within three weeks after completion of the event, Grant recipients must provide Smithfield with the following event information and materials: (i) photos of signage, trophies and prize money recipients, (ii) total number of event attendees and mentions on social media posts, (iii) total number of teams competing, (iv) a list of team names for Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion and 1st Place Winners in both Pork and Ribs categories; (v) the number and percentage of teams cooking with Smithfield in the Pork and Ribs categories, based on key results seen at Meat Inspection; (vi) a list of all participating teams and contact information; and (vii) Smithfield will provide each team a survey after the event to help give a get a better understanding of the event moving forward.

Qualities of a Successful BBQ Event

  • Sufficient Event Advertising - Ensuring the event is well promoted to BBQ enthusiasts and within the community to drive attendance to the event. In addition to traditional event marketing (radio/tv, posters, mailings, e-blasts, newspapers, etc.), leverage social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the event.
  • BBQ Teams Have What They Need - Guaranteeing the basic services such as trash, water, ice, power, port-a-potty servicing and security are available.
  • Well Organized - A well organized competition tends to be a successful event. Planning ahead for tasks such as communication with the sponsors/vendors, meat distribution to the teams and having contingency plans in place for emergencies will make for a much smoother event. Events should als o follow CDC guidelines as well as local regulations in order to ensure safety of all event attendees.
  • Family Friendly - Hosting a family-friendly event that includes the whole family helps invest in the future of BBQ. Offering BBQ teams and the community the opportunity to participate in contests such as the Kid’s Que or Dessert competition enables the whole family to get involved and helps increase event attendance.
  • Judging - Ensuring the proper number of judges (based on the sanctioning rules) are available to judge the competition.
  • Positive Feedback - The best way to help measure success of a BBQ competition is through event feedback. Pitmasters are more likely to attend an event if their fellow Pitmasters are sharing positive feedback about their overall experience.