National Small Business Week award nominations open
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MORGANTOWN – The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for its annual National Small Business Week 2027 awards, according to a press release. National Small Business Week will take place from May 2-8, 2027, and will recognize the contributions of neighborhood businesses to the United States.
The SBA was founded in 1953 as a national effort to improve efficiency and job opportunities in small towns, according to the SBA website. National Small Business Week has been celebrated by the organization for over 60 years and rewards hardworking business owners with network opportunities, national recognition, public relations kits and social media coverage.
National awards include "Small Business Person of the Year," "Small Business Exporter of the Year," "Small Business Manufacturer of the Year," "Rural Small Business of the Year," "Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year" and "Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year." District award categories are "Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year" and "Family-Owned Small Business of the Year."
Jim Spencer, SBA regional administrator, explained that after winning in their state category, business owners have the opportunity to compete at a national level. As a Bluefield resident, he said he would "love" to see worthy nominations come out of West Virginia.
Eligibility requirements include any U.S. citizen or U.S. national that owns 51% of a small business that has been in operation for a minimum of three years. Owners must be in good standing on federal obligations and must have received at least one type of SBA assistance, according to the release.
Partners who jointly operate or own part of the business may be nominated as a team, but the team number cannot exceed four members.
Spencer explained that the SBA serves as a way for small businesses to showcase their strengths customers wouldn't have known about otherwise. SBA programs include loan assistance, counseling, fraud reporting and more, according to their website, www.sba.gov.
"It's a way to showcase what they can do. I learned a long time ago that if you don't tell your story, someone else will, and you may not like how they tell it. These small businesses need to tell their story," he said. "We are all about helping grow small businesses. There's a lot of programs that we offer. The biggest thing is that businesses are not aware of them, and we want to make sure that we bridge that gap with the knowledge of the services we provide with the community and businesses that need the help."
This annual recognition week helps the SBA know how the federal government can best support them.
"I'm a professional matchmaker," Spencer said. "We try to find out what your business needs are, and then my goal is to connect you with those resources, whether it's a business coach, whether it's financial, whatever it may be."
Spence said one category he looks most forward to is "Rural Small Business of the Year."
"I love that rural category because that's where a lot of these small communities get left behind, and this is a category they can excel in and showcase some of the great things going on in rural America," he said.
Andrew Pintus III, Marine-Corps veteran and owner of Blue Mountain K-9, a dog training and boarding center, won the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year in 2026. Pintus said he was unexpectedly nominated by a colleague from the Small Business Development Center.
"It was exciting," he said. "That wasn't even on my radar as being a thing."
He said the award has added credibility to his business on a nationwide scale and has allowed him to expand, opening a second kennel this past year.
"It's just one of those things that tell people that we offer a quality service. I think it gives us a little more legitimacy and looks good for people to see that recognition," he said.
He encourages local businesses and community members to participate in the competition and well-deserved acknowledgement to Morgantown's favorite spots.
"If you're working with someone or a business and you feel like they're doing a really great job and need recognition for that or other people should see that they're performing a cut-above other people in their industry ... it's a nice way to let them know that and to share what they're doing with a greater number of people who might not necessarily have interaction with them otherwise," he said.
Individuals can self-nominate or nominate a favorite business at https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/organization/observances/national-small-business-week/.
Nominations will be open through 3 p.m. Dec. 7.