Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 National Small Business Week Awards. The NSBW Awards recognize the achievements of SBA-assisted small businesses and the contributions they have made to their communities and our nation’s economy.
“The SBA Upstate New York District is excited to further support our small businesses and entrepreneurs in 2022,” said District Director Bernard J. Paprocki. “We’re looking for your nominations for the Agency’s 2022 National and District Small Business Week Awards, including our Small Business Person of the Year.
“The past 20 months have been challenging as small businesses have adapted and pivoted to meet the demands of COVID across our 34 county coverage area. That’s why we’re asking our neighbors to nominate a small business owner who has used an SBA program like the Paycheck Protection Program, COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Shuttered Venue Operators Grant or any of our traditional funding programs or resource partner services.
“Self-nominations are also accepted to help further highlight our vibrant small business community from Central New York, the Capital Region and North Country to the Hudson & Mohawk Valleys, Southern Tier and Finger Lakes.”
To nominate a small business owner located in the Upstate New York District, apply online via sba.gov/nsbw. Learn more about nomination guidelines, download the required Background and Nomination Forms and submit them via the proper national or district upload link. For National Small Business Week 2022, no paper or mailed forms will be accepted; all nominations must be made online.
All nominations should be submitted electronically by 3 p.m. Jan. 11, 2022. The awards will be presented during National Small Business Week in early May 2022.
Nominations for the following categories are now being accepted:
- Small Business Person of the Year
- Small Business 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
- 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
- Small Business Investment Company of the Year
The winners of the Upstate New York district office Small Business Person of the Year and Exporter of the Year awards will also be sent to the SBA Atlantic Regional Office for judging; one regional winner will be named and sent to Washington for consideration as a national awardee. All other awards nominations are made directly through the appropriate program office.
For more than 50 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The SBA Upstate New York District serves 34 counties across upstate New York; award nominations may be submitted to the Upstate New York District from small business owners in Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren and Washington counties.