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Awards to British Columbia Small Businesses to Recognize Exceptional Contributions to Local Communities

Small Business BC Awards


Agency
Foundation

GrantWatch ID#
158880

Funding Source
Small Business BC (SBBC) Awards
Array ( )

Geographic Focus
Canada:British Columbia;

Important Dates
Deadline: 03/10/23 11:59 PM Save

Grant Description
Awards to British Columbia small businesses to recognize exceptional contributions to local communities. Nominees will be narrowed down by public vote and the finalists will be required to present their businesses to a panel of judges. Four categories of awards are offered, each with its own judging criteria.

The Small Business BC Awards is British Columbia’s largest awards competition dedicated exclusively to small businesses. In 2023, the categories have been doubled so your business has even more opportunities to win. 

The Premier’s People’s Choice Award is presented to a BC-based small business that can demonstrate they have the unwavering and loyal support of their community. The criteria for winning is simple: Get more votes than any other nominee. Businesses in this category are tasked with using any imaginative, creative, or traditional tactics available to them to engage their community to vote for them. At the end of the process, the business with the most votes (after vote normalization) wins. For additional information, see: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/premiers-peoples-choice-award/

The Business Impact Award goes to the business owner(s) making a difference in their community. Alongside an aptitude in areas like sales, marketing, logistics, finances and operations, their business has taken positive action to invest in the community and views social responsibility as an integral part of their success. For additional information, see: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/business-impact-award/

The Best Youth Entrepreneur exists to reward this entrepreneurial spirit, saluting a business leader aged 35 and under who has demonstrated a track record of success, with a business that’s been in operation for at least 12 months. For additional information, see: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/best-youth-entrepreneur/

The E-commerce Experience Award goes to a small business that presents an enjoyable experience for their customers online. Whether it’s on mobile or desktop, this business converts visitors into purchasers through an easy-to-navigate store experience and clear, measurable digital marketing strategy. For additional information, see: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/e-commerce-experience-award/



Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria
General Eligibility:
- Business must be in operation for at least 12 months before becoming eligible.
- Business must be based and registered in British Columbia, Canada.
- Nominees must own (or will own) shares in the company, hold (or will hold) a senior executive title and/or be the chief decision maker.
- Franchisors are eligible as long as the total employee number for all franchisees is under 50.
- Nominees must satisfy the eligibility criteria listed for the category they’re entering.
- Nominees must not operate businesses that are sexually exploitative or that feature sexually explicit entertainment, products or services.
- Nominees must not be associated with illegal activities.
- Inappropriate, disrespectful or offensive language will not be accepted as part of Small Business BC Awards

Ineligible
- Past Small Business BC Awards winners are prohibited from entering the category in which they won.
- Franchisees are NOT eligible for the Small Business BC Awards
- Small Business BC staff members are not eligible to enter

Pre-Application Information
Timeline:
- January 16th, 2023: Nominations and Voting open
- March 10th, 2023 (11:59 pm): Nominations and Voting close
- March 14th, 2022: Top 5 Finalists announced
- Mid-April: Judging Period (Top 5 pitches)
- June 2nd: Small Business BC Awards Gala and winner announcement

Process:
- January 16th: Nominate your business (or a business you love) and share it with your community to get as many votes was you can by March 10th
- Late March: Top 5 finalists announced for each category
- Mid-April: Business Pitch categories present to a panel of judges
- June 2nd: Awards Gala Ceremony

Nomination Rules:
- Businesses may be nominated in the Premier’s People’s Choice category, plus one other category, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria for that category.
- Businesses can be nominated by a third-party or by themselves (first-party).
- In the case of third-party nominations, the owner/s of the business nominated will be notified to confirm their participation and fill out the application form, before the nomination is published.

Only one vote per person is allowed, per nominee, per category. Voters can vote once for their favorite business in every category they’re nominated in.

About the Awards: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/about-the-awards/
Premier’s People’s Choice Award: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/premiers-peoples-choice-award/
Business Impact Award: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/business-impact-award/
Best Youth Entrepreneur: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/best-youth-entrepreneur/
E-commerce Experience Award: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/e-commerce-experience-award/
Rules: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/how-it-works/rules/
How it Works: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/how-it-works/

Estimated Size of Grant
- Each of the four award categories has a $10,000 prize purse.
- In-Person Gala: Toast the success of BC’s small business community at the Awards Gala in June 2023

Contact Information
Nomination forms: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/awards/nominate-a-business/

Small Business BC
Phone: 604-775-5525
Toll-Free in BC: 1-800-667-2272
TTY (Teletypewriter): 1-800-457-8466
awards@smallbusinessbc.ca

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