Small Business Persons of the Year, Champion Awards and special award winners will be selected at the state level. Nomination packages for each state Small Business Person award winner will be sent to regional SBA offices and prepared for transmittal to the SBA Office of Advisory Councils for review. The National Small Business Person of the Year will be selected by the SBA Administrator, based on the recommendation of the SBA’s Small Business Week panel of judges.

All nominations are due in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Baltimore District Office by Friday, November 10, 2011. It is anticipated that winners will be announced in March 2012 and awards will be presented in April 2012.

For questions or additional information, contact Rachel Howard by phone at (410) 962-6195, Ext. 330 or by email at rachel.howard@sba.gov.

Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria

All nominees for Small Business Week awards must be residents of and employed in the United States or its territories and will be subject to background checks. Small businesses owned and operated by nominees must comply with federal civil rights laws. The SBA size standards apply in defining a small business as small.