FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab

The FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab is a program developed by Accion Opportunity Fund and FedEx to help small business owners develop or expand their e-commerce operations as they continue to adapt their business models in an increasingly digital world.

The program has four components to support businesses at different stages in their e-commerce journey:

1. Hands-on learning for early-stage e-commerce businesses: Small business owners who do not have an active e-commerce site can apply for the Beginners’ Cohort , an intensive four-month learning and coaching experience to create and sell products through an online store. Participants will attend a series of live virtual workshops focused on e-commerce basics and receive coaching from e-commerce experts. They will then apply the learnings by launching their e–commerce business on the SOKONI platform. They will receive free technical support in setting up and maintaining their virtual stores, marketing, managing promotions, customer service, managing orders and fulfillments, and product photography. Participants who complete the experience will receive a $5,000 business grant to put toward an e-commerce growth plan that they develop during the program.
2. Guidance and growth support for established e-commerce businesses: Small business owners looking to scale their e-commerce businesses by developing or expanding their wholesale operations or by opening a storefront location can apply for the Amplify Growth Lab. This intensive five-week learning experience provides hands-on guidance for participants to shape their systems and sharpen their growth strategies through interactive workshops, expert coaching, and educational resources tailored to their wholesale or storefront growth goals. Participants who complete the experience will receive a $10,000 business grant and will have the chance to participate in a virtual pitch competition to win additional grant funds to fuel their business growth.
3. Virtual seminars on advanced e-commerce topics: The third component is a series of four virtual seminars on advanced e–commerce topics. The seminars feature a wide array of expert speakers and target small business owners who are looking to refine and strengthen their e-commerce skills in key areas.
4. Online learning journeys: The fourth component is a dedicated online learning hub that features self-serve digital micro-courses on e-commerce topics.
   

The FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab is a multi-faceted program designed to help small business owners who are looking to develop or expand their e-commerce operations as they continue to adapt their business models in an increasingly digital world.

The virtual seminars and online courses  are open to any small business owners who are interested in learning about e-commerce. 

The Beginners’ Cohort program is intended to support small business owners who are trying out e-commerce for the first time, do not currently have an active e-commerce presence, or are experiencing stagnant sales in their online shops. Eligible businesses should sell packaged products (either shelf-stable pre-packaged food or non-food general merchandise. e.g. fashion, beauty, home décor).

The Amplify Growth Lab is intended to support established e-commerce business owners who are looking to expand their business through wholesale channels or a storefront location. Any small business owner who meets the eligibility criteria is welcome and encouraged to apply.

Applications for the Amplify Growth Lab will open on January 12, 2026. Please check back for the application link at that time .

Applications for the Beginner’s Cohort will open in Summer 2026. Please check back for the application link in June.

Any small business owner who meets the eligibility criteria is welcome and encouraged to apply for these programs. Applicants must have answered all application questions and provided all requested documentation in order to be eligible. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Any small business owner who meets the following criteria could apply for the Beginners’ Cohort : 

• Own a business based in the United States
• Currently sell a packaged, shelf-stable product that is not part of a prohibited industry
• Currently hold appropriate legal permits to produce and sell their product(s)  
• Earned less than $500,000 in annual revenue
• Have been in business for at least six months
• Have a business bank account
• Be willing to commit to full program participation, which includes attending courses and workshops, participating in coaching sessions, and selling their products through SOKONI’s learning laboratory and marketplace for the holiday season 

Any small business owner who meets the following criteria could apply for the Amplify Growth Lab : 

• Own a US-based e-commerce business that is in an eligible industry. Please review our list of prohibited industries here
• Have been formally operating the business for at least three years
• Have earned between $300,000 and $1,000,000 in annual revenue in 2025
• Have a business bank account
• Be preparing for or in the early stages of scaling your e-commerce business by opening a storefront location or establishing wholesale operations

Applicants to the Beginners’ Cohort and Amplify Growth Lab are vetted to ensure they substantially meet all program criteria. Applicants must have answered all application questions and provided all requested documentation in order to be eligible. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

• Front-and-back copy of photo identification (driver’s license, state ID, passport, permanent resident card, matricula consular, tribal card, military ID, or trusted traveler ID) 
• For businesses 18 months or older, the most recent business tax return
• For younger businesses, a business license or registration document (articles of incorporation for LLCs, S Corps, and C Corps; sole proprietorship formation; fictitious name statement or DBA; EIN registration; city, state, or federal license to do business; or relevant professional license) 
• Most recent bank statement from a business bank account 

Beginners’ Cohort :

• The time commitment for the Beginners’ Cohort is approximately three hours per week participating in courses and working on development of their store and other course areas from approximately early August through mid-December. This includes nine workshop sessions that will be held every other week during the program, covering a range of introductory topics related to e-commerce. A detailed program schedule will be shared with selected participants. 

Amplify Growth Lab :

• The time commitment for the Amplify Growth Lab is approximately three hours per work participating in live workshops, completing coursework, and participating in commerce-centric coaching. This includes five workshop sessions that will be held every week during the program. In 2026, the program will take place from early March to early April. A detailed program schedule will be shared with selected participants.

AOF and 37 Oaks vet applications for the Beginners’ Cohort and Amplify Growth Lab.

All applicants to the 2026 Amplify Growth Lab will be notified, whether or not they are selected for the program, by early March 2026.

All applicants were notified of their selection status for the 2025 Beginners’ Cohort in mid-July 2025. Applications for the next round of the Beginners’ Cohort will open in Summer 2026.

Participants who are selected for the Beginners’ Cohort will receive a $5,000 small business grant upon completion of the program to put toward an e-commerce growth plan that they will develop during the program. Grants will be disbursed upon completion of the Beginners’ Cohort. 

Participants who are selected for the Amplify Growth Lab will receive a $10,000 small business grant upon completion of the program to put toward their business growth plan that they will refine during the program. Grants will be disbursed upon graduation from the Amplify Growth Lab.

The workshops for the Beginners’ Cohort and Amplify Growth Lab will be delivered by Terrand Smith of 37 Oaks, a Chicago-based social enterprise that helps small businesses prepare for distribution through diverse growth channels. Bringing a decade of experience in corporate retail across several national brands, Terrand launched her Chicago-based consulting business in 2016 focused on educating and preparing entrepreneurs for growth through e-commerce, wholesale, storefront, and mobile retail channels. She works with municipalities, community-based organizations, accelerators, incubators and small business owners across the country. 

The virtual seminars and online micro-courses are facilitated by AOF and incorporate expertise from FedEx and other industry experts. 

The virtual seminars will take place in October 2025, December 2025, January 2026 and February 2026. You can view all upcoming webinars here.

The online learning modules are available here.

• Adult entertainment including strip clubs, escort services, adult bookstores, and businesses whose principal business is the sale of pornography 
• Tobacco stores, smoke shops, cigarette & cigar retailers and wholesalers, cigarette stands 
• Firearms sellers, merchants, retailers, or wholesalers; ammunition sales; gun clubs; shooting ranges 
• Marijuana related businesses; cannabis dispensaries, marijuana crop farming, edibles, CBD products 
• Massage parlors, saunas, or hot tub facilities 
• Illegal activities 
• Gambling and betting activities, racetracks 
• Real estate investment companies (residential and commercial), house flippers, hotels, businesses whose principal source of revenue is rental income 
• Banking and financial institutions; central banking; other monetary intermediation; trusts, funds, and similar financial entities 
• Merchant service companies, merchant sales organizations, payment services 
• Lending businesses; payday lenders, title lenders, other credit granting 
• Small Business loan brokers 
• Check cashers 
• Bail bonds 
• Pawn shops 
• Collection companies/lawyers or debt consolidation firms 
• Multi-level marketing companies or businesses based on pyramid sales plans 
• Nonprofit organizations 
• Religious organizations, churches, temples, mosques and shrines and other services provided specifically for the religious community 
• Activities of political organizations 
• Transportation of hazardous materials 
• Oil and gas exploration/securities 
• Rideshare (i.e. Uber/Lyft drivers)