Walmart's Open Call 2025
We are excited to announce that applications for Walmart’s Open Call 2025 are now LIVE!
Building on a Legacy: Walmart’s Open Call 2025 Applications Now Live
Forty years since Sam Walton’s Buy American initiative, we’re still opening doors for U.S. products — and the innovations behind them.
Key Insight: Open Call 2025 applications are now open, offering entrepreneurs the chance to pitch Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers with products made, grown, or assembled in the U.S. to have a shot at national distribution.
Key Insight: Open Call is now expanding applications beyond shelf-ready products to include breakthrough innovations that support domestic manufacturing, reinforcing Walmart’s $350 billion investment in American jobs, ideas, and industry. Forty years ago, Sam Walton established a vision that still shapes our business today: to support American-made products and the small businesses behind them. This commitment lives on through Open Call — and as of today, applications for Open Call 2025 are officially open!
This year’s event, taking place October 7-8, offers U.S. entrepreneurs the chance to pitch Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants for a game-changing opportunity: getting their shelf-ready product in stores or online, and in front of millions of customers. Since 2014, Open Call has helped thousands of small and medium businesses grow their operations, expand their manufacturing footprint, and create jobs in their local communities. It’s more than a pitch meeting — it’s a platform for long-term growth.
Innovation Takes the Stage at Open Call
This year, Open Call is expanding its application beyond just products, to search for innovative companies developing breakthrough technologies that enable or enhance U.S. manufacturing. “America has no shortage of ideas — it's the infrastructure and tools that are often the biggest roadblocks,” said Jason Fremstad, senior vice president, supplier development for Walmart sourcing. “We want to find innovations that can help close that gap and unlock new possibilities for U.S. manufacturing.”
Teams are looking for the best of the best of manufacturing innovation in categories like yield insights, shelf-life extension, alternative materials, and advanced manufacturing to reduce complexity, cost, or environmental impact to U.S. manufacturing. One example of our partnerships making waves is San Francisco-based Unspun, a pioneer in 3D weaving technologies, streamlining the supply chain and helping to revolutionize the textile industry.
Apply Now: Open Call 2025 Closes July 25
If you’re a U.S. manufacturer or innovator with a shelf-ready product — or the tech that could help bring more of them to life — we want to hear from you. Submissions for manufacturing innovation pitches are now open via our online form. A select group of companies will be invited to participate in this year’s Open Call experience alongside product-based applicants.
Made in America Is More Than a Trend — It’s a Legacy
Open Call is part of Walmart’s broader $350 billion commitment to products made, grown, or assembled in the U.S. With over two-thirds of our annual product spend already going toward U.S.-made, grown, or assembled goods, we’re not starting something new — we’re building on decades of action.
Open Call isn’t just about shelf space. It’s about economic opportunity, hometown pride, and continuing a legacy that began with Mr. Sam’s “Buy American” initiative in 1985. It’s also what our customers want. More than 86% of Walmart shoppers have told us it’s important that the products they buy are American-made.
“This is in our DNA,” Jason said. “Supporting American-made products has been part of our story since the beginning, and it will be for decades to come.”
Curious what Open Call is all about? Check out the highlights from last year’s event — Hundreds of pitches, 48 states represented, and a whole lot of “yes.”
Read More - Building on a Legacy: Walmart’s Open Call 2025 Applications Now Live
Walmart
-
Emilio Balderas
- July 01, 2025
- Send Email