Consult the NSBW Awards Nomination Guidelines for a list of National Small Business Week awards, eligibility criteria, selection process, evaluation criteria, and how to submit a nomination package.

All nominees are required to complete SBA Background Form 3300. For “team” nominations, a background form is required for each team member.

National Small Business Week award nomination forms include:

• Small Business Person of the Year Award
• Small Business Exporter of the Year
• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery – Public Official
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery – Volunteer
• Federal Procurement Award – Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award
• Federal Procurement Award – Small Business Subcontractor of the Year Award
• Federal Procurement Award – Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence
• 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award
• Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award
• Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award
• Women’s Business Center of the Year Excellence Award
• Small Business Investment Company of the Year

• Some SBA offices make additional awards locally. The form for all SBA local awards is:

  • SBA District Office Award

  Submission instructions

  All nominations must be submitted via the corresponding upload link no later than January 11, 2022 at 3pm ET. Please submit the award nomination form, nominee background form(s), and supporting materials as follows:

  Award	Upload link
  Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery	Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer
  Federal Procurement Awards	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)
  Awards to SBA Resource Partners	Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year
  Small Business Investment Company of the Year	Small Business Investment Company of the Year

   

  For the Small Business Person of the Year, Exporter of the Year, 8(a) Graduate of the Year, Women’s Business Center of the Year, and Small Business Development Center of the Year, you must submit your nomination materials to the corresponding SBA District Office where the business or center is located. If you are unsure of which SBA District Office serves your area, you can find it by inputting your zip code into the SBA local assistance map.

  MICHIGAN

  Michigan District nominations

  Elsewhere from SBA:

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  Today, Administrator Guzman visited Arizona to meet inspiring small business owners who were able to pivot, recover and grow with help from SBA programs and resources. Follow the Administrator on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see photos and videos of all her visits to small businesses across America. 

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  Happy New Year from the SBA! Are you resolving to start a business in 2022? The SBA’s 10-step guide can help.

  Learn more

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  Are you interested in government contracting? Join the U.S. General Services Administration for a free webinar on January 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET about suspension and debarment in federal contracting. During this webinar, you will learn:

  • Why businesses and individuals are suspended and debarred
  • The impact of suspension and debarment on small businesses
  • How small businesses can avoid suspension and debarment

  Register

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  Looking for a business mentor? During National Mentoring Month, connect with a business mentor through SCORE, an SBA resource partner. SCORE, a nonprofit organization, is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, dedicated to helping small businesses plan, launch, manage and grow. 

  Learn more

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  How CDFIs Will Help Women Entrepreneurs Thrive Despite the Pandemic As featured in Forbes by Geri Stengel In 1994, Congress created Community Development Financial Institutions to provide affordable financing to women, minorities and other underserved entrepreneurs. Today, CDFIs are helping entrepreneurs succeed and SBA programs such as the Small Business Investment Company program and SBA loan products are helping support this effort. Learn more

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  Paycheck Protection Program borrowers: If your loan is $150,000 or less, you may be eligible to apply for direct forgiveness through SBA using our online portal. Follow the steps below.

  1. Find out if your lender is participating. 
  2. Watch a video about how to use the portal.

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