As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members throughout the United States.
The Jefferson Chamber wants to ensure each of our eligible members has the opportunity for SBA recognition. To learn more about each SBA award category, click on the award below to view expanded information plus links for additional details.
To nominate an individual or business you feel deserving of an award, please click here, click here. You may also nominate yourself!
Small Business Person of the Year
National, Regional & District Award
Nominees throughout the US will compete for the title of the National Small Business Person of the Year, SBA’s signature award. Nominees must demonstrate success in business as well as contributions to their local communities. Previous award winners include Equator Coffee & Teas, Pacifica, and Missouri Star Quilt Company.
Nominees throughout the US will compete for the title of the National Small Business Person of the Year, SBA’s signature award. Nominees must demonstrate success in business as well as contributions to their local communities. Previous award winners include Equator Coffee & Teas, Pacifica, and Missouri Star Quilt Company.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
Nominees for this award must meet the following eligibility requirements. Consult your nearest SBA district office if you have questions.
- Any legal resident of the United States or its Territories who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a small business for a minimum of three years may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a small business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four (4).
- Individuals who have received one type of SBA assistance such as, but not limited to an SBA loan, SCORE counseling, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) assistance, and Women’s Business Center (WBC) assistance, government contracting assistance, disaster assistance, Emerging Leaders Initiative, or Boots to Business training.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals who have received the Small Business Person Award at the State level within the past three years
- Elected officials
- Individuals or teams who own or operate a business defined as “other than small” (ie large businesses) for its primary industry under the applicable SBA size standards
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Small Business Exporter of the Year
National, Regional & District Award
SBA’s Small Business Exporter of the Year recognizes individuals for their success and dedication to exporting products or services. Previous winners include Endoscopy Replacement Parts, Inc., Sawyer Manufacturing Company and Baby Elephant Ears, Inc.
SBA’s Small Business Exporter of the Year recognizes individuals for their success and dedication to exporting products or services. Previous winners include Endoscopy Replacement Parts, Inc., Sawyer Manufacturing Company and Baby Elephant Ears, Inc.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Any legal resident of the United States or its Territories who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a small business for a minimum of three years may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a small business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four (4).
- Individuals who have received one type of SBA assistance such as, but not limited to an SBA loan, SCORE counseling, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) assistance, and Women’s Business Center (WBC) assistance, government contracting assistance, disaster assistance, Emerging Leaders Initiative, or Boots to Business training.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals who have received the Small Business Person Award at the State level within the past three years
- Elected officials
- Individuals or teams who own or operate a business defined as “other than small” (ie large businesses) for its primary industry under the applicable SBA size standards
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
National Award
The Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery is given to a business owner whose efforts and contributions have enabled their business to recover successfully from a disaster.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Any legal resident of the United States or its Territories who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a small business for a minimum of three years may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a small business may be nominated as a “team,” so long as the number of individuals in the team nomination does not exceed four (4).
- Businesses that suffered a physical disaster loss and received an SBA disaster loan during fiscal years 2015 or 2016.
- Business that suffered losses in a disaster that occurred during fiscal year 2014 but did not receive an SBA disaster loan until fiscal year 2015.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Public Official
Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery
National Award
The Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official is given to an individual whose efforts and contributions have enabled their community to recover successfully from a disaster.
National Award
The Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official is given to an individual whose efforts and contributions have enabled their community to recover successfully from a disaster.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- A public official may be nominated for his/her outstanding contribution to a community’s recovery following a natural disaster which occurred during fiscal years 2015 or 2016. For purposes of this award, a public official is a person who has been elected to carry out some portion of a government’s powers, whether Federal, state, or local, or a person who has been appointed to a position at the Federal, state, or local level of government. In some cities, mayors or city council members are appointed, not elected. These “nonelected” officials are also eligible.
- Public officials who suffered a physical disaster in their community during fiscal years 2014 or 2015 are eligible for nomination.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Corporate entities
- Individuals who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Volunteer - Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery
National Award
The Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Volunteer is given to an individual whose efforts and contributions have enabled their community to recover successfully from a disaster.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- A private-citizen volunteer may be nominated for his/her outstanding contribution to a community’s recovery following a natural disaster which occurred during the previous fiscal year. For purposes of this award, a private citizen volunteer is an individual who uses available resources to support the recovery efforts of the community.
- Volunteers who suffered a physical disaster in their community during fiscal years 2015 or 2016 are eligible for nomination. Public officials who suffered a physical disaster in their community during fiscal years 2014 or 2015 are eligible for nomination.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Corporate entities
- Individuals who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year
National Award, Self Nomination
The Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year Award is presented to a mission-focused lender (Mission Lender) that has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the creation, growth and expansion of small businesses in underserved markets with a demonstrable impact on the communities it serves.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- To qualify, the nominee must be a participant in two or more of the following economic development loan or grant programs:
- SBA’s Microloan Program, Community Advantage Program, CDC/504 Loan Program, Intermediary Lending Pilot Program (ILPP,) and/or PRIME.
- Alternatively, the Mission Lender could be a participant in one of these programs and be a Department of Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI).
- The nominee must have made a minimum of 10 loans in either, or some combination of, the SBA Microloan, ILPP or Community Advantage Loan Programs during the fiscal year. Having met the minimum criteria, the award will be based upon the number of loans made and the relative impact the particular Mission Lender has had on the communities it serves based on the judgment of the reviewing panel.
- The nominee must have met the minimum requirements for consideration for the award will be asked to submit a model exemplary transaction and/or interaction with a small business(s) they have served during the fiscal year which they feel best epitomizes their organization’s mission, goals and community served.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence
National Award, Self Nomination
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence is a self-nomination award program; large prime contractors nominate themselves.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- This award recognizes large prime contractors that have documented excellence in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. If a compliance review has been conducted in the past three years, the rating(s) received may not be less than outstanding. One award may be made in each of the following five categories: manufacturing, service, research and development, construction, and utilities. Firms that have received this award in any of the five categories within the past three years are not eligible for nomination.
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
8(a) Graduate of the Year Award
National Award, Regional & District Award, Self Nomination
SBA will make the 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award to a formerly certified 8(a) Business Development Program participant that has graduated from the 8(a) Program for at least one year as of April 1, 2016. The firm does not have to currently be a small business.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Firm must have a demonstrated history of successful performance on 8(a) contracts while in the 8(a) Business Development Program
- Companies and/or their principal owner(s) must not appear on the suspended or debarred list as published at sam.gov
- Firm must still be primarily owned, managed, and controlled by the person(s) whom 8(a) eligibility was based at the time of participation
- The firm must show reduced reliance on 8(a) contracts; the most recent fiscal year-end financial statement must reflect non 8(a) sales of 50% or more of total sales
- Businesses owned and operated by nominees must comply with federal civil rights laws
- If nominee or nominee’s firm has an SBA loan, payment record must be satisfactory and the loan must be current and in good standing
- Firm must be in satisfactory financial condition (i.e. financial capability: sufficient capitalization, financial performance, bonding capacity, manageable debts). Applicants are ineligible if it is found that the firm, or any of its principals, has failed to pay Federal financial obligations.
- For government contracts, the nominee must have performed satisfactorily on all contracts, and have had no terminations for default
- Before SBA publicly announces any awards, nominee must be cleared by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General and EEO/CR offices
- The nominee must be a formerly certified 8(a) Business Development Program participant that graduated from the 8(a) Program for at least one year as of April 1, 2016
- The firm does not have to be a small business
Who is NOT eligible to be nominated for this award?
- Individuals or firms who are currently suspended or debarred by the Federal government
Click here for further award guidelines.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
District Award
To be considered a young entrepreneur, the individual must serve as a majority owner and operate or bear principal responsibility for operating a small business with a three year track record, and who will not have reached the age of 30 by June 1, 2017.
- Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
- Increased employment opportunities created by the nominee’s business.
- Development and/or utilization of innovative or creative business methods.
- Demonstrated entrepreneurial potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.
Entrepreneurial Success Award
District Award
Individuals must own and operate businesses initially launched as a small business according to SBA size standards and subsequently developed into large businesses; and they must have received SBA assistance to help the businesses grow.
SBA District Guidelines Coming Soon.
Minority Small Business Champion of the Year
District AwardAn individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for minority business owners may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be small business owners.
- Volunteer efforts beyond business/professional responsibilities to advance minority small business interests within the community, state and/or nation.
- Demonstrated efforts to improve conditions in the minority small business community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
- Volunteer efforts to provide professional services to the minority small business community in a legal, legislative, managerial or financial capacity.
- Demonstrated accomplishments in advising minority small business groups of opportunities within the overall business community.
- Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee’s merit as an effective advocate for minority small business interests.
SBA District Guidelines Coming Soon.
Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year
District Award
An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for veterans of the U.S. armed forces may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be veterans.
- Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small businesses.
- Evidence of increased business opportunities for veterans as a result of the nominee’s actions.
- Advisory activities to improve awareness of small business opportunities among veterans’ groups.
- Advocacy of special consideration for veteran-owned small businesses in government policymaking.
- Demonstrated success in obtaining support within the community for the establishment of veteran-owned small businesses.
- Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee’s effective advocacy of veteran- owned small businesses.
SBA District Guidelines Coming Soon.
Women in Business Champion of the Year
District Award
An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of women’s business ownership may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be small business owners.
- Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small businesses.
- Efforts to increase business and financial opportunities for women.
- Legal, financial or managerial assistance provided to enhance women’s business ownership.
- Voluntary efforts to strengthen the role of women business owners within the community.
- Advocacy of the women-owned business community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
- Other accomplishments demonstrating effectiveness in improving the environment for the creation and expansion of businesses owned and operated by women.
SBA District Guidelines Coming Soon.
Family-Owned Business of the Year
District Award
This award honors a family-owned and operated business which has been passed on from one generation to the next. The owner must also serve as a majority owner and operator or bear principal responsibility for operating a small business with at least a 15-year track record.
- Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
- Increased employment opportunities for family members and non-family members for the nominee’s business.
- Demonstrated potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.
- Voluntary efforts to strengthen family-owned businesses within the community.
SBA District Guidelines Coming Soon.
Green and Sustainable Business Award
District Award
Recognition of a business for profitability with a green and sustainable business model. Must be OGC approved. Note: this award is still pending official approval.
