Key Dates

  • Cycle 5 Voting: 03/01 to 04/30

    Voting on accepted submissions from February takes place for two months. Finalists will be announced on May 1st.

  • Cycle 6 Submissions: 4/01 to 4/07

    Applications will be accepted from the 1st to the 7th, or until we receive 300 ideas, whichever comes first. If your idea was not accepted in February, you can try again at this time.

  • Cycle 6 Voting: 05/01 to 06/30

    Voting on accepted submissions from April takes place for two months. Finalists will be announced on July 1st.

We're Awarding Grants of All Sizes

$5k Up to 4 Awardees/Cycle Best for individuals who need to get a great idea off the ground.
$10k Up to 3 Awardees/Cycle Best for individuals & small groups who can work lean & mean.
$25k Up to 2 Awardees/Cycle Best for companies & organizations who can put time into it.
$100k Up to 1 Awardees/Cycle Best for organizations who can dedicate a lot of time & resources.

Grant Categories

  • Health Impact the health of anyone, from hospitals & clinics to exercise.
  • Arts & Culture Celebrate the arts in all its forms.
  • Food & Shelter Provide things to eat, wear or live in - and sometimes all three.
  • The Planet Help improve the environment on a local or massive scale.
  • Neighbourhoods Make any neighbourhoods a better place to live.
  • Education Help people learn and grow at any age.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who can apply?

    Who can apply?

    All legal residents of Canada who are 13 years of age and older.

  2. How many can apply?

    How many can apply?

    Every other month, a maximum of 300 ideas can be submitted.

  3. How many Pepsi Refresh Grants will be awarded?

    How many Pepsi Refresh Grants will be awarded?

    Every other month, there will be up to 10 Pepsi Refresh Grant Recipients selected.

  4. What are the Pepsi Refresh Grant Levels?

    What are the Pepsi Refresh Grant Levels?

    Every other month, up to $200,000 will be awarded as follows:
    1. One Grant at the $100,000 level
    2. Two Grants at the $25,000 level
    3. Three Grants at the $10,000 level
    4. Four Grants at the $5,000 level

  5. What kind of ideas qualify?

    What kind of ideas qualify?

    We are looking for ideas from individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses that can make a positive impact in the community. Ideas should be feasible and completed 12 months from the date you receive the first funds. Ideas must have impact within Canada.

  6. When can I submit my idea?

    When can I submit my idea?

    For every cycle, submissions begin the first day of the month at 12 pm ET and end at 11 am ET on the 7th day of the month or when the first 300 Applications are received, whichever occurs first.

  7. How many Applications will be voted on?

    How many Applications will be voted on?

    A lot! Up to 300 new Applications per cycle will be eligible for voting. The top 5 runners-up from each grant level category will be automatically transferred over to the next cycle's voting period, but accumulated votes from past months will not be carried over.

  8. When will I know who the potential Grant Recipients are?

    When will I know who the potential Grant Recipients are?

    Potential Grant Recipients will be notified by email and will be posted shortly following the close of each voting period. Official Grant Recipients will be posted about 2 weeks later.

  9. If I am a Grant Recipient, when will I get my funds?

    If I am a Grant Recipient, when will I get my funds?

    Quickly! We want to help you get your project up and running fast. As a Grant Recipient, you will receive your funds within four weeks after you have signed a Grant Agreement and completed the verification process. Grant Recipients will receive their funds in two or more disbursements, the first within four weeks of being announced a potential Grant Recipient.

  10. May my project help someone overseas?

    May my project help someone overseas?

    No, all Applications must be submitted by Canadian residents and must benefit projects taking place in and serving Canada.

See all questions

Learn More About The Refresh Project

  • Pre-Submission

    There's plenty to do before you even get started.

    And we've created an Informational Toolkit to help. It contains tips & tricks to make your idea a reality

    If you don't have an idea yet, but want to be a project leader, you can download an idea starter book.

    You don't have to fly solo. Coming up with a good idea for your community might be even better if you get the community itself involved.

    If you already have an idea for a project, great! Now it's time to do some research on your idea.

    • Think about what level of funding you'll need, and what specific results you want to achieve.
    • Consider how you might describe the idea in a single, short sentence, to someone who knows nothing about the issue you care about.

    All of this will come in handy once you take that exciting step of submitting your idea.

  • Submission

    Every other month, submissions will be accepted from the 1st through the 7th, or until we receive 300 ideas, whichever comes first. Submissions will be reviewed and approved projects will be posted and can then be voted on for the two months following the date Applications are posted for voting.

    The submissions process is designed to clarify and hone your idea, and as a way for us to filter ideas that are inappropriate or illegal.

    We're looking for projects that are beneficial, achievable, constructive, and "shovel-ready" (meaning it can be finished within 12 months of funding.)

    Keep in mind, too, that you can save your work and come back later and revise what you've already filled out. You can even start working on your project application before submissions are open for the next cycle.

  • Post-Submission

    It takes us roughly three weeks to review all 300 submissions. During that time, you can learn some tips on how to promote your idea if it is approved.

    If your idea is not approved, we'll try to be as specific as possible about why it was rejected, so you can try again with another project. And, if it's the kind of idea we believe in, but needs some help, we might even contact you directly to help revise it for the next cycle.

    But, if your idea is approved, that's really just the start. Then it's time to get the word out, and we have ways to help you with that, too.

USE THESE TIPS TO MAKE SURE YOUR IDEA GETS PAST OUR MODERATORS!

  • When Posting Written Content

    Be sure to submit your application in English or French and remember the Pepsi Refresh Grant can only benefit projects within the Canada.

    Pay attention to detail! Provide plenty of it and show specific activities you'll need to carry out.

    Use common sense. Don't promote or suggest legalization of alcohol, tobacco, firearms & weapons, drugs or pornography. Don't suggest the taking up of arms. Don't challenge current laws, promote treason or terrorism and especially don't suggest overthrowing the government.

    Play nice! Don't disparage or discriminate against age, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion.

    Don't disparage any products, services, people or organizations. Don't suggest the boycotts or negative action against any business or enterprise.

    Keep it clean! Avoid profanity, abusive intentions, or any suggestions of violence.

    Watch those agendas! Don't advocate any political party or organization and don't promote or recruit for any religious denomination.

  • When Posting Images & Video

    Make sure it's in English or French, clear, in focus, and audible (if the video contains sound). Photos must be less than 1 MB each.

    Make sure it works within the categories defined in this program and that it clearly states or refers to the objectives of your submission.

    Play nice! Make sure your video or image doesn't contain or promote sexual acts or overtones, pornography, profanity, abusive intentions, weapons, violence toward any creature, alcohol, tobacco, hateful content like racism or discrimination toward anyone, or anything else offensive or obscene.

    Watch out for this one! Don't feature or reference commercial brands or products, logos, or endorsements which don't belong to you. Also, don't show any third party logos even in street scenes, panoramic views, or on clothing, not even in the background. Also, don't show vehicle license plates. This stuff tends to slip in, so check your video carefully before you submit.

    Don't reference or use the names of any third party or public figures without their permission.

    Watch those agendas! Do not advocate any political party or organization and don't promote or recruit for any religious denomination.

    Cut! Make sure your video is under 3 minutes long, otherwise it will be rejected.

  • Music In Videos

    If you decide to use music within your video, make sure it's on the list of approved songs under the Creative Commons Attribution license (see the list: http://www.good.is/canadiancctracks). Also, be sure to credit the musician who made the music track, or we may have to reject your submission.

Our Partners

  • Ambassador

    Advisory Board

    Meet the advisory board. They'll serve as mentors and guides for the refreshing ideas and concepts they believe in.

  • Good

    GOOD is the integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good. We are a company and community for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD's mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community.

    GOOD currently produces a website, videos, live events, and a print magazine. Launched in September 2006, the company has garnered praise for its unique editorial perspective and fresh visual aesthetic and is quickly positioning itself as a significant new voice in our culture.

  • Global Giving

    GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about. You select the projects you want to support, make a tax deductible contribution, and get regular progress updates - so you can see your impact.