The Chamber Small Business Awards Nomination Criteria & Guidelines

The Chamber Small Business Awards celebrate small businesses and the contributions they make to our communities and economy. 

Three Companies Recognized Annually

Each year in early March, The Chamber recognizes an entrepreneur, non-profit, and small business from the Tri-State area that have excelled in the following award categories:

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Non-Profit Business of the Year Award
The Small Business of the Year Award

The award is given to the business, including all of the employees, not just the owners. We recognize the owner(s) have the vision and take the risk, but is the teamwork of all the employees that makes a successful company. Award-winning companies are honored at a brunch attended by an average of over 500 people. The brunch not only serves as an opportunity to shine the spotlight on a Chamber member company who is excelling, but it is also the kickoff brunch for the Tri-State Business EXPO. During the awards presentation each recipient will share a life or business success tip with the audience. Each winning company receives a beautiful, engraved glass award that they will proud to display for their employees and customers.

Award Categories and Criteria

Entrepreneur of the Year
The recipient of The Entrepreneur of the Year Award exemplifies the following characteristics and meets the following criteria:
  •  Nominee must be a privately held company
  •  Nominee turned an idea into a viable, sustainable enterprise
  •  Nominee has met/meets a need in the community
  •  Nominee is a start-up company (opened in 2011)
  •  Nominee develops and fosters the virtues and skills of civic engagement and social responsibility within their community
  •  Nominee is a member in good standing of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana
  •  Nominee maintains a responsible and rewarding workplace environment
  •  Nominee has not been the recipient of the award in the past two years
  •  Nominee must be a small business (1-50 employees)

Nonprofit Organization of the Year
The recipient of the Non-Profit Business of the Year Award exemplifies the following characteristics and meets the following criteria:
  •  Nominee has made a meaningful, impactful achievement in the past 12 months
  •  Nominee has made an improvement to the community
  •  Nominee develops and fosters the virtues and skills of civic engagement and social responsibility within their community
  •  Nominee must be a member in good standing of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana
  •  Nominee maintains a responsible and rewarding workplace environment
  •  Nominee has not been the recipient of the award in past two years

Small Business of the Year
The recipient of the Non-Profit Business of the Year Award exemplifies the following characteristics meets the following criteria:
  •  Nominee is privately held company
  •  Nominee is a business facing issues of growth, not survival
  •  Nominee has made a noticeable impact in job creation or sales growth
  •  Nominee demonstrates leadership and sustainable, competitive advantage in the marketplace
  •  Nominee has been is business two years or more
  •  Nominee develops and fosters the virtues and skills of civic engagement and social responsibility within their community
  •  Nominee is a member in good standing of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana
  •  Nominee maintains a responsible and rewarding workplace environment
  •  Nominee has not been the recipient of the award in the past two years
  •  Nominee must be a small business (1-50 employees)

Award Selection Process

Representatives of the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center and The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana will narrow the nominations to five per category. An independent panel of Chamber board member judges, who work for or own companies with more than 25 employees, will review the nominations received and determine a recipient for each award. The award recipient will be announced at The Chamber Small Business Awards brunch.

Nomination Form