SBA Now Accepting 2016 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations

RHODE ISLAND – The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for its 2016 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year. Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy.

The dedicated website http://awards.sba.gov  provides criteria and guidelines for submitting a nomination. For 2016, the nomination criteria have been streamlined and simplified.  In years past there were multiple forms, letters and documents required; now the nominees are only required to submit one form and questionnaire.

SBA Awards given in celebration of National Small Business Week, May 2-6, 2016, include the following:

• Small Business Person of the Year
  • One from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
• Exporter of the Year
• 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)
  • 8(a) Graduate of the Year
• Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year
• Small Business Investment Company of the Year
• Awards to SBA Resource Partners
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award
  • Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award
  • Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year

All nominations must be submitted no later than 3 p.m. EST, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. In addition to the website, nominations can also be sent directly to an SBA District Office – for contact information and other District Office information visit online at http://www.sba.gov/districtoffices.

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