This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
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Start-Up, Boot-Up
Enter by April 25, 2011
Here’s a chance to get your start-up out of the garage with over $75,000 in servers and development tools! Some of the greatest start-up ideas were born in a greasy garage or cramped basement. But Start-Up, Boot-Up™ will take one winner out of that environment and put them in a modern office with access to the servers and development tools to take their idea to the next level: reality. See website for full list of prizes and entry details.
AMD Visionary of the Year Awards
Enter by April 30, 2011
AMD has announced its first ever VISIONary of the Year Awards, honoring innovation in the three passion categories of Foodie, Photography and Entrepreneurship.
Eligible voters can vote and enter to win one-of-a-kind category prizes, including the ultimate culinary trip to New York City (Foodie category), a $4,000 technology shopping spree (Entrepreneurship category), a $4,000 camera (Photographer category), as well as AMD’s $10,000 grand prize.
Recognize an Administrative Professional
Nominate by April 26, 2011
Chances are you rely on one or more administrative professionals to conduct business. A great virtual assistant, administrative assistant or other administrative professional can be a big part of your success. Show your appreciation. Nominate someone deserving, in honor of Administrative Professionals’ Day (which is April 27). The person with the most nominations gets a $2,500 American Express Gift Card. Another 100 nominees will be randomly selected to win $25 Gift Cards.
2011 Small Business Awards
Enter by May 20, 2011
In its 6th year, The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards honors the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state New York area. In addition to the Best of the Year Categories, the New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards will honor nine small businesses for their accomplishments and best practices.
National Association for Moms in Business Grant Competition
Enter starting March 1st, Competition runs May 1 – June 15, 2011
Business grant competition via crowdfunding to give mom entrepreneurs a better chance at launching a new or current business project. All participants win a half-page feature in Moms In Business Magazine, publicity on peerbackers.com and momsinbusinessgrant.com, and a $2,000 publicity toolkit from PRNewswire. When the crowdfunding competition ends, all grant applicants who raised 80% or more of their funding goal will become semi-finalists. A team of mom executives and entrepreneurs will judge each application to determine the $10,000 Grand Prize Grant Package winner. Competitors must be a member of NAFMIB.
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Competition
Enter by June 30, 2011
Ten winners will be paired with advisers and resources for growing their businesses and they’ll get to participate in a customized executive-leadership program. In addition, winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum 2011 in Palm Springs, Calif., in November.
The contest is being run in collaboration with the Women Presidents’ Organization, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the Committee of 200, National Association of Women Business Owners and Babson College.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses during its first 11 years.
The program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details, see the website.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. In addition, we also have a giveaways page; click to learn more about our small business giveaways section.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing. )
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Where did you find all of these entrepreneurial contests? Are they all in one central location or do you have to go and dig for them? I appreciate this list because I know DooBizz would like to sponsor some of these in the near future. Thanks for the article.
Hi Mitch, when we first started creating the list of contests (and on alternating Saturdays, our list of small biz events), we had to go dig them up.
However, now people send them to us. It still costs us time and money to put the lists together — they take more time than you’d think just to assemble the information and format the listings.
Laura does a great job with the lists.
– Anita