Salute to Small Business Awards Application
The 2020 Award Application Deadline has Passed. Check Back Next Year!
VIDEO: Hear from several recent Small Business of the Year Award winners as
they talk about what it meant to their business to be recognized by the community.
they talk about what it meant to their business to be recognized by the community.
Commerce Lexington Inc. began honoring the contributions that small businesses have on our economy in 1986, and since that very first Salute to Small Business event, the impact of small businesses on the global economy has become more important than ever before.
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2020:
Commerce Lexington Inc. has not only streamlined the Salute to Small Business Awards application, removing some redundancy and allowing for better descriptions of the success of the business, but has also reduced the number of award categories from eight to four. In addition, the number of employees for a business to be considered has been increased to under 150 employees (full-time or some combination of full- and part-time as indicated in the awards application.
ELIGIBILITY:
Businesses must be active members of Commerce Lexington Inc. and have completed three (3) or more full years of operation in the local market with fewer than 150 employees. Small businesses can apply for ONE award category. Past Category and overall Small Business of the Year award recipients are not eligible to reapply for 5 years from the date of their award presentation. APPLICATIONS ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Small business award applicants are judged, and winners are selected for each of the four categories. The names of the category winners are released approximately a month prior to the Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon. The Commerce Lexington Inc. Small Business of the Year is then selected from the category winners (excluding non-profit of the year) and announced at the awards luncheon. The Overall Small Business of the Year then has the opportunity to apply for state and national recognition through the U.S. Small Business Administration with the assistance of the Bluegrass Small Business Development Center.
SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS AWARD CATEGORIES:
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2020:
Commerce Lexington Inc. has not only streamlined the Salute to Small Business Awards application, removing some redundancy and allowing for better descriptions of the success of the business, but has also reduced the number of award categories from eight to four. In addition, the number of employees for a business to be considered has been increased to under 150 employees (full-time or some combination of full- and part-time as indicated in the awards application.
ELIGIBILITY:
Businesses must be active members of Commerce Lexington Inc. and have completed three (3) or more full years of operation in the local market with fewer than 150 employees. Small businesses can apply for ONE award category. Past Category and overall Small Business of the Year award recipients are not eligible to reapply for 5 years from the date of their award presentation. APPLICATIONS ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Small business award applicants are judged, and winners are selected for each of the four categories. The names of the category winners are released approximately a month prior to the Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon. The Commerce Lexington Inc. Small Business of the Year is then selected from the category winners (excluding non-profit of the year) and announced at the awards luncheon. The Overall Small Business of the Year then has the opportunity to apply for state and national recognition through the U.S. Small Business Administration with the assistance of the Bluegrass Small Business Development Center.
SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS AWARD CATEGORIES:
- Business Success Award
- Entrepreneur Award
- Minority Business Award
- Nonprofit Community Impact Award
