Published November 18. 2023 08:00AM

The U.S. Small Business Administration Eastern Pennsylvania District Office seeks small business with exceptional innovation, growth, community engagement or resilience, to put them in the spotlight for the 2024 National and District Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Self-nominations are encouraged and accepted.

The annual event aims to recognize the contributions of small businesses nationwide. Last year’s winners included businesses located in Allentown, Danville, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, and Wayne and represented industries such as business services, food, health, IT, manufacturing, and retail.

“Pennsylvania’s small businesses are essential to our communities – creating jobs, inspiring innovation, and delivering the goods and services our nation and world has come to depend on,” said Eastern Pennsylvania District Director Steve Dixel.

The business should have been in operation a minimum of three years prior to being nominated, and should have received at least one type of SBA assistance such as, but not limited to, an SBA loan/microloan, Resource Partner assistance (counseling/training), government contracting/certification assistance, disaster assistance, pandemic funding, Boot to Business training, T.H.R.I.V.E./Emerging Leaders cohort, etc.

Visit the SBA’s dedicated website at www.sba.gov/nsbw to download forms.

The Eastern Pennsylvania District Nomination Guidelines and district awards categories can also be found on SBA’s dedicated website at https://www.sba.gov/national-small-business-week/district-office-awards. SBA’s Resource Partners can help assist the business, at no-cost, in writing their BEST nomination. To locate a local Resource Partner, visit https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners.

Eastern Pennsylvania District categories

• Small Business Person of the Year (National and District).

• Small Business Exporter (National and District).

Local awards

• Entrepreneurial Success of the Year

• Family-Owned Small Business of the Year

• Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year

• Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year

• Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Deadline to submit a nomination is 4 p.m. Dec. 7.

Contact Public Information Officer Sonia Smith at sonia.smith@sba.gov with any questions.