COLUMBUS — The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for small business owners and champions who stand out as positive influences on their communities through the creation of local jobs, community involvement and other accomplishments for its 2018 National Small Business Week Awards, which will made April 29 to May 5, 2018.
Since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed a National Small Business Week to recognize the impact of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. Small businesses create an estimated two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. In Ohio, more than 99 percent of businesses are small and employ 46 percent of the state’s workforce.
The SBA’s Columbus District is seeking nominations for small businesses that have an impact on the local community and economy in and among the 60 counties it serves in central and southern Ohio. Some of the local and national Small Business Week awards include Small Business Person of the Year, Small Business Exporter of the Year, 8(a) Graduate of the Year, Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award and Women’s Business Center of Excellence.
Nominations can be made by individuals or organizations, such as resource partners and lending institutions, dedicated to the support of the small business community. In addition, individuals can self-nominate. To be eligible, small business leaders must have owned or operated a small business for a minimum of three years and received SBA assistance such as an SBA loan, resource partner counseling or contracting assistance. They must also meet the SBA small business size requirement, which can be referenced at sba.gov/category/navigationstructure/contracting/contracting-officials/eligibility-size-standards.
Nomination packages can be found at www.sba.gov/nsbw/awards and must include a background form on all the nominees, nomination form and photo of the nominee(s). Additional information may be required, depending on the award. All nominations must be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than 3 p.m. EST on Jan. 9, 2018, to U.S. Small Business Administration, 401 N. Front St., Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43215 or faxed to 202-481-5520.
