The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the opening of a new call for nominations for the 2023 National Small Business Week (NSBW) Awards.

The NSBW Awards recognize the inspiring achievements and contributions of SBA-assisted small businesses to their communities and to the U.S. economy.

“Our nation’s entrepreneurs have overcome incredible challenges throughout the pandemic, and our focus now lies on growing their businesses to be resilient. Thanks to the President’s Biden American Rescue Plan and SBA’s COVID relief programs, small businesses have the support they needed to rebuild and survive. In fact, last year more Americans filed to start a business than on any other year on record. National Small Business Week is our time to celebrate the entrepreneurs, innovators, mom and pop shops, and all of these ecosystem builders who have all lifted their communities and powered America's economy. And during NSBW, we honor our small business economic engine with our prestigious National Small Business Award, including Small Business Person of the Year, ”said Isabel Casillas Guzmán, SBA’s Administrator, through a video on her Twitter account.

Are you the next Small Business Person of the Year?

SBA is now accepting nominations for the 2023 #SmallBusinessWeek awards!

Submit your nominations by December 8: https://t.co/jVJqNTydJv pic.twitter.com/QGXrVrV0PG

— SBA (@SBAgov) September 1, 2022

National Small Business Week 

As an event that recognizes the contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners, the SBA has held the NSBW for more than 50 years to celebrate the contributions that this segment offers to the national economy.

To nominate a small business owner in your area or download related forms, criteria and guidelines, visit sba.gov/nsbw. Nominations will be accepted for the following categories:

• Small Business Person of the Year: A business/owner from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam will be selected for the State Winner award. State award winners will compete for the title of National Small Business Person of the Year, the SBA's flagship award.

Other awards included are:

• Small Business Exporter of the Year
• Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery:

Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery

Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery - Mitigation

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 using small businesses as suppliers and contractors)

8(a) Graduate of the Year

• SBA’s Resource Partners Awards:

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award

Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award

Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year

• Small Business Investment Company of the Year

All nominations must be submitted electronically by 3 p.m. ET on December 8, 2022. The awards will be presented during the NSBW Awards Ceremony in the first week of May 2023.

For local area contact and other related information, click here.