Please review the information below before starting your application.
Care to Grow: Childcare Business Pitch Competition
$5,000 Childcare Center Growth Grant
Turn Your Next Step Into a Plan
You know your childcare center. You know what your families need. And chances are, you already have ideas about what could help your business grow.
Care to Grow: Childcare Business Pitch Competition is an opportunity to take that idea and turn it into a clear, actionable growth plan.
One childcare center will receive a $5,000 grant to put its growth plan into action.
But Care to Grow is about more than winning a grant. The goal is to help childcare center owners become more comfortable planning for growth, understanding their business numbers, creating a budget, and explaining how an investment can help their business move forward. These are the same skills you may need when applying for a future grant, requesting a business loan, or pursuing other funding opportunities. You do not need to be an expert at pitching. You do not need a complicated business plan. We want to hear about your business, where you want it to go, and how you plan to get there.
Applications Open September 15, 2026
Application Deadline: October 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST
$5,000 Grant | One Childcare Center Selected
Important Dates
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Applications Open
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Vision to Venture Workshop
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend and work on their business growth idea and pitch. Register for Vision to Venture: https://form.jotform.com/262463746451158
Thursday, October 22, 2026 — 11:59 PM CST
Phase 1 Application Deadline. All Care to Grow applications and required materials must be submitted by 11:59 PM CST.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Top 3 Finalists Announced. The three childcare centers advancing to the live pitch competition will be notified.
November 6–11, 2026
One-on-One Finalist Pitch Planning - Each finalist will participate in an individual planning session with the program team.
November 12–15, 2026
Finalists Build and Refine Presentations - Finalists will complete their PowerPoint presentations and prepare for the live pitch.
Monday, November 16, 2026
Final PowerPoint Presentations Due - Each finalist must submit their completed PowerPoint presentation for the final pitch competition.
Thursday, November 19, 2026 — 4:00 PM
Care to Grow Final Pitch Competition - The Kress Building. The Top 3 finalists will pitch their growth plans before a panel of judges.
Thursday, November 19, 2026 — Approximately 6:00 PM
Winner Announced - The $5,000 Care to Grow Childcare Center Growth Grant recipient will be announced during the Give Thanks for Small Business Mixer at The Kress Building.
Need Help Getting Your Idea Ready?
You don't have to figure it all out on your own.
Attend Vision to Venture
If you are thinking about applying for Care to Grow, we strongly recommend attending our Vision to Venture Workshop on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The workshop is an opportunity to work on your business idea and begin thinking through how to turn that idea into a clear plan and pitch. Come with your idea, your challenge, or the next step you want to take in your business. You do not need to have everything figured out before you attend.
Attendance at Vision to Venture is recommended, but it is not required to apply for Care to Grow.
Register for Vision to Venture:
https://form.jotform.com/262463746451158
Visit NavigateMGM
Potential applicants may also visit the NavigateMGM app for assistance developing their business idea and pitch.
NavigateMGM:
https://navigatemgm.com/
NavigateMGM can be another resource as you think through your growth opportunity, business needs, budget, and how to communicate your plan. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available to them. Receiving assistance from Vision to Venture or NavigateMGM is not required to apply and does not give an applicant additional points during judging.
1. How Does the Competition Work?
Care to Grow will take place in two phases.
Phase 1: Submit Your Growth Plan
Eligible childcare centers will complete an application describing their business and one specific opportunity for growth.
Applicants will tell us:
Where your business is today
Where you would like your business to grow
What is currently standing in the way of that growth
What you would do with a $5,000 investment
What results you expect the investment to produce
How you would begin putting your plan into action
Applications must be submitted by:
Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST
Apply here:
https://form.jotform.com/262504863117153
Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline may not be considered.
Applications will be reviewed, and three finalists will be selected.
The Top 3 finalists will be notified on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Phase 2: Finalist Pitch
The three finalists will receive hands-on support to help prepare their presentations.
Each finalist must prepare and submit a PowerPoint presentation by Monday, November 16, 2026.
Finalists will pitch their growth plans to a panel of judges on:
Thursday, November 19, 2026
4:00 PM
The Kress Building
Each finalist will have:
5 minutes to pitch
followed by
3 minutes to answer questions from the judges
The winner will be announced during the Give Thanks for Small Business Mixer later that evening.
Grand Prize
$5,000 Childcare Center Growth Grant
One finalist will receive the $5,000 grant.
The grant does not have to be repaid.
Grant funds may be considered taxable business income. The recipient is responsible for any applicable federal, state, or local tax obligations and should consult a qualified tax professional regarding their individual circumstances.
2. Who Can Apply?
Care to Grow is specifically designed for existing childcare centers located and operating within the City of Montgomery.
To be eligible, applicants must:
Own and operate an active childcare center within the City of Montgomery.
Have a current City of Montgomery business license for the childcare center.
Be appropriately licensed or authorized to operate a childcare center in accordance with applicable requirements.
Be actively providing childcare services at the time of application.
Be able to identify a specific growth opportunity or business improvement that could be supported with the $5,000 grant.
Be willing to participate in finalist preparation activities if selected as one of the Top 3.
Be available to participate in the November 19, 2026 pitch competition at 4:00 PM if selected as a finalist.
Agree to become an approved City of Montgomery vendor if selected as the winner.
One Application Per Business Owner
Only one application may be submitted per business owner.
An owner with multiple childcare centers, business locations, LLCs, or related businesses may not submit multiple applications under different business names or entities.
If you own more than one childcare center, select the center and growth project you would like considered for Care to Grow.
3. What Will I Need to Submit?
We want the application process to be useful without being overwhelming.
Applicants will provide basic information about their childcare center and answer several questions about their plans for growth.
You will be asked to provide information such as:
Business name and contact information
Owner information
Years in business
Number of employees
Current enrollment
Current childcare capacity
Annual gross business revenue
Current-year gross revenue to date
Your business growth goal
The challenge or barrier affecting that growth
Your proposed project
How you would use the $5,000
The results you expect from the investment
A simple 90-day action plan
Required Documents
Applicants should be prepared to submit:
Current City of Montgomery Business License
Proof of applicable childcare licensing or operating status
Completed W-9
Simple $5,000 project budget
We are not asking you to submit a lengthy traditional business plan.
The purpose of this process is to help you begin building a clear growth plan that can become part of a stronger business plan or future funding request.
Complete Your Application Carefully
Applicants are responsible for submitting all required information and documents by the application deadline.
Incomplete applications and applications submitted after 11:59 PM CST on October 22, 2026 may not be considered.
Applicants are encouraged to submit early enough to make sure all required documents have been successfully uploaded.
4. What Can the $5,000 Be Used For?
The Care to Grow grant is intended to help your childcare center grow, improve, or make a strategic investment in its future.
Eligible expenses may include:
Classroom furniture or equipment
Educational materials and curriculum
Technology or childcare management systems
Safety or security improvements
Playground or outdoor learning equipment
Physical improvements to the childcare center
We want to know what YOUR childcare center needs to take its next step.
Physical Improvements
Grant funds may be used for eligible physical improvements to the childcare center when those improvements are directly connected to the approved growth plan.
Applicants proposing improvements to property they do not own should be prepared to provide property owner approval when applicable before work begins.
All improvements must comply with applicable laws, codes, permitting requirements, licensing requirements, and other approvals.
What Can't the Grant Pay For?
Care to Grow funds are intended for business growth investments, not routine operating expenses.
Grant funds cannot be used for:
Payroll
Hiring or staffing costs
Employee wages, salaries, or benefits
Taxes
Utilities
Routine monthly operating expenses
Other expenses that are not directly connected to the approved growth project
When developing your budget, think about an investment that moves your business forward, rather than an expense that simply keeps the business operating from month to month.
5. What Makes a Strong Growth Plan?
You don't need to use complicated business language.
A strong application simply connects the dots.
Where are you now?
Tell us about your childcare center today.
Where do you want to go?
Maybe you want to increase enrollment, open another classroom, improve your learning environment, strengthen your operations, introduce new technology, or make another strategic improvement.
What's standing in your way?
Tell us what is preventing you from taking that next step.
What would you do with $5,000?
Give us a specific plan and budget.
What would happen as a result?
Help us understand the difference the investment could make.
We're looking for a plan that makes sense for your business.
It doesn't have to be the biggest idea. It needs to be a thoughtful idea that you can realistically put into action.
6. How Will the Top 3 Be Selected?
Applications will be reviewed based on the strength and feasibility of the proposed growth plan.
Phase 1 applications will be scored on:
Evaluation Area
Points
Clearly Defined Growth Opportunity
20
Strength of Growth Plan
25
Reasonableness of the $5,000 Budget
20
Expected Business and/or Community Impact
15
Understanding of Business Operations and Financials
10
Ability to Execute the Plan
10
Total
100
The three highest-rated applicants will advance to the finalist round.
7. What Happens If I'm Selected as a Finalist?
First:
Don't panic about the word "pitch."
You are not expected to walk into the competition already knowing how to make a professional pitch.
That's part of the experience.
The three finalists will receive hands-on support to help turn their written growth plans into clear, five-minute presentations.
Finalist Support Timeline
November 5 — Finalists Announced
The Top 3 finalists will be notified and receive information about the final pitch competition, PowerPoint requirements, judging criteria, and finalist preparation process.
November 6–11 — One-on-One Pitch Planning
Each finalist will participate in an individual planning session with the program team.
During this session, we will work with you to review your:
Business growth opportunity
Proposed use of the $5,000
Project budget
Business numbers
Expected results
30-, 60-, and 90-day action plan
Overall pitch story
The goal is to help you organize what you already know about your business into a strong presentation.
November 12–15 — Build and Refine Your Presentation
Finalists will use this time to complete their PowerPoint presentations and practice their pitches.
The program team will be available to answer questions and provide reasonable guidance as finalists prepare.
November 16 — Final PowerPoint Due
Each finalist must submit their completed PowerPoint presentation by Monday, November 16, 2026.
The PowerPoint should support the finalist's five-minute presentation and clearly communicate the proposed growth plan.
November 19 — Final Pitch Competition
Finalists will present their growth plans before the judges at:
Thursday, November 19, 2026
4:00 PM
The Kress Building
What Will I Learn to Communicate?
Throughout the finalist preparation process, we will help you clearly communicate:
My Business
What does my childcare center do and who do we serve?
My Numbers
What do my enrollment, capacity, staffing, and revenue tell me about my business?
My Growth Opportunity
Where can my business grow?
My Barrier
What is keeping me from getting there?
My Plan
What am I going to do?
My Ask
How will I invest the $5,000?
My Expected Return
What will change because of the investment?
My Action Plan
What will I do during the first 30, 60, and 90 days?
These are valuable skills whether you win the competition or not.
The goal is not to turn you into a professional presenter. The goal is to help you confidently explain your business, your numbers, your growth opportunity, and your plan.
8. Final Pitch Competition
The Top 3 finalists will present their growth plans on:
Thursday, November 19, 2026
4:00 PM
The Kress Building
Each finalist will receive:
5 minutes to pitch
followed by
3 minutes of questions from the judges
The judges may ask questions about the childcare center, proposed project, budget, expected results, and the owner's ability to implement the plan.
The final pitch will be scored separately from the Phase 1 application.
All three finalists will enter the final competition on equal footing.
Final Pitch Scoring
Evaluation Area
Points
Growth Strategy
25
Proposed Use of Funds
20
Understanding of Business Financials
20
Expected Results and Impact
15
Feasibility of the Plan
10
Responses to Judges' Questions
10
Total
100
This is not a public-speaking contest.
Judges are evaluating the strength of your growth plan and how well you understand your business and the opportunity—not whether you are a professional presenter.