The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened nominations for the 2025 National Small Business Week awards, while the SBA Iowa District Office is accepting nominations for that state’s Business Champion of Change Awards.
The U.S. SBA said in a release that for the past 60 years its NSBW awards have been lifting up American small businesses. They do it by recognizing the exemplary achievements, triumphs, contributions and resilience of SBA-assisted individuals and businesses that help to drive the American economy.
“From corner shops to innovation hubs, American entrepreneurs create jobs, invent and provide crucial products and services to their communities, and help define the neighborhoods they serve,” SBA Administrator Guzman said in the release.
“The SBA is proud to celebrate National Small Business Week each year to lift up the best of that American entrepreneurial spirit and recognize the many essential contributions all of our small businesses make to our nation.”
Nominate a small business owner in your area and download forms, criteria and guidelines at sba.gov/nsbw. All nominations must be submitted electronically by 3 p.m., Dec. 5, 2024. National awards will be presented during the NSBW awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 4-5, 2025.
U.S. SBA Awards list
The SBA’s signature award during NSBW is the Small Business Person of the Year. A business owner from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam will be selected for individual state Small Business Person of the Year awards. State winners will compete for the 2025 National Small Business Person of the Year title.
Nominations are now being accepted in the following award categories:
- Small Business Person of the Year.
- Small Business Exporter of the Year.
- Small Business Investment Company of the Year.
- SBIC Emerging Manager.
- SBIC Established Manager.
- Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery. They are for Small Business Disaster Recovery, for Small Business Disaster Recovery – Mitigation, for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official, and for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, volunteer.
- Federal Procurement Awards. They are: Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year, Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors, 8(a) Graduate of the Year.
- SBA Resource Partners awards. They are: Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Excellence and Innovation Center Award, SCORE Chapter of the Year, Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award, Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year.
- Surety Bond Agent of the Year.
Iowa District SBA awards
The Iowa SBA District Office awards categories are:
- Iowa Women in Business Champion of the Year.
- Iowa Minority Small Business Champion of the Year.
- Iowa Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year.
Iowa Champion Award nominees do not have to be small businesses. They can include anyone who has been a champion for small businesses within those categories. For local area contact and other related information go here.
Every year since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week. It recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners have made in their communities and neighborhoods. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, creating about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.
