Nominate a Business

30th Annual Minority and Small Business Awards

The Minority and Small Business Alliance will present awards to outstanding small and/or minority-owned businesses that have demonstrated success as business owners and commitment to the Southern Arizona community.

Call for Nominations: Southern Arizona Small Business Excellence Awards

The Minority & Small Business Alliance of Southern Arizona is proud to celebrate the success and community impact of local businesses! We invite you to nominate exceptional small businesses located in Southern Arizona that demonstrate excellence, resilience, and a strong commitment to our communities.

Whether it’s a business you admire or your own, self-nominations are welcomed! Help us recognize those who are making a difference and contributing to the vibrant future of Southern Arizona.

Submit your nomination today and shine a spotlight on the businesses shaping our region!

Business Award Nomination Form

About the Nominee: *

Title *

Business Name *

Address *

Telephone *

Email *

Type of Business *

History of business. Date the business was established or purchased and how it progressed to current state of success. Eligible businesses must have been owned and operated by the nominee for the last three years.

Major obstacles. Major obstacles/challenges the firm faced to reach financial success.

Nominee’s background. A brief biography with highlight on what nominee was doing before starting a business; why the business was started; what services or products the business provides, and an overview of the firm’s customer base.

Economic Impact. Discuss the firm’s pattern of growth. Review the number of employees and revenue levels at start-up as compared to current levels. Assess the firm’s impact on the economy over time. Does the firm promote from within, offer training, welcome interns, or participate in a journeyman’s program? How many jobs has the firm created in the past three years? If applicable, describe any unique management approaches or employee benefits.

Community Impact. Provide information on involvement of the nominee in community activities, including those specifically relating to entrepreneurship, mentoring, youth awareness, and community economic development. Detail the community events and programs supported by the nominee or their firm and who has benefited as a result. Where possible, offer stories of how this support has helped individual persons. Highlight the owner’s philosophy regarding giving back to the community and how that translates into business practices. If applicable, discuss how the owner benefitted from community programs while growing up, or as an emerging entrepreneur.

Business Profile. Provide details on any relevant awards, citations or public recognition received by the owner or firm in the last three years. List organizations with which the nominee is affiliated that support or foster minority and/or small business growth and development. Has the nominee benefited from any local business development programs, and if so, how and from whom?

Nominee Information *

Telephone *

About the Sponsor(s)/Nominators(s) *

Telephone *

Occupation *

Relationship to Nominee *

Please note:

Nominations will be accepted from all sources, including self-nominations by business owners wishing to be considered for any of the awards.

All nominations may be submitted using the ONLINE AWARD NOMINATION FORM above or the downloadable Nominations Form. Nomination Form can also be downloaded below. The completed download form must be sent to Nominations@msbasa.org. The All nominations and nomination packages must be submitted by the deadline of Sunday, OCTOBER 6, 2024.

All nominations should contain the information requested for each category. Remember that judging will be based solely on the information submitted, so please take the time to provide details and to fully answer all questions.
To simplify the submittal process, the Nomination Committee has provided several ways to submit a nomination form – please see above.

Award Criteria

Eligible businesses must:

Be U.S. citizen-owned and have,
Been in business for at least three (3) years, and
Be a for-profit enterprise.

Other considerations:
Committee judges take into consideration many different aspects of a business owner’s story. Business performance, growth and economic impact are very important, but the challenges and adversities a nominee has overcome on the road to success are considered as well. The nominee’s demonstrated commitment to community involvement is of great importance also. Details are important, so please take the time to provide specific examples and reply to all questions contained in the nominations package. Judges are as equally interested in the story behind the successful business, as they are in the fact that the business is successful.

Email Form to:

Nominations@msbasa.org

OR Mail to:
Minority and Small Business Alliance of Southern Arizona
Attention: Nomination Committee
PO Box 22801
Tucson, AZ 85734
Attention: Nomination Committee

For further information contact:
Lydia Aranda – Chairperson at (971) 832-3867.

Download Form