Awards Detail

  • The Best of America Small Business Awards by BASA Awards® is an online competition dedicated to showcasing the best of small businesses for their work and contribution to their community and encouraging more small businesses to get excited about new opportunities.
  • Strictly for small businesses in America, the award has 6 tracks and 150+ categories for companies to choose from.
  • BASA are prestigiously independent awards with no influence from big corporations, no nepotism, or big guys always winning nature.
  • Our independent Panel of Judges only cares about one thing- YOUR WORK!
  • Companies with the most public votes will be listed in TopList as one of the most popular, fast-rising, and to watch-for brands.
  • The Awards entry submission deadline is on August 20, 2025, followed by judging and public voting, with the winner's announcement in October 2025.

Thank you for nominating and helping us recognize, honor, and support small businesses.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. We value and respect their contribution and believe it is time for small business visionaries, innovators, disruptors, and entrepreneurs to get the recognition they deserve.

Created with an unwavering love for small businesses, the Best of America Small Business Awards by BASA Awards® exist to recognize, honor, celebrate and promote small businesses for their notable efforts in growing and building our communities and a better working world.

We aim to showcase the best of America's small businesses for their outstanding work and contribution to their community.

With over 150+ categories to choose from, the Best of America Small Business Awards is one of the largest awards for small businesses in the United States. Unlike other awards, here, companies have an equal chance of winning despite their size or years in operation.

Strictly for small businesses. An award where companies can fairly compete with other small businesses in their field.

Entry Fees

Entry fees for all categories in the 2025 Best of America Small Business Awards are as follows:

  • First Early-Bird Deadline $150 for the first entry, $50 for additional entries, until May 1, 2025.

  • Early Deadline $160 for the first entry, $60 for additional entries, until July 31, 2025


  • Regular Deadline $185 for the first entry, $75 for additional entries, until August 20, 2025

  • You can start, edit and make changes on all applications until August 20, 2025. No changes are allowed under any circumstances after the judging process has started.

    Questions? Reach out.

    Anna Stella

    Our team of Awards experts are on hand with any questions you might have

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    About the Best of America Small Business Awards

    How to enter

    Registration and submission to the award are easy for you.
    Learn more

    150+ Categories

    Explore the different categories you want to send applications for. Learn more

    Key dates

    Know important awards dates and plan your entry in advance. See more

    Benefits of entering

    We're here to celebrate the future of small businesses. Discover more

    What winners get

    Discover how we celebrate small businesses from start to finish. Find out more

    Entry tips

    Learn what to expect and how to prepare your information in advance. See more

    Judging process

    Our strict evaluation process ensures that our judges are always fair. Learn more

    Entry kit

    Download all the information you need to prepare and submit your entry. Get your copy

    FAQs

    What are the Best of America Small Business Awards by BASA Awards®?

    The Best of America Small Business Awards by BASA Awards® is one of the largest and only independent business awards programs in the United States. At these awards, no participant will experience nepotism, be required to join any club, or pay anything to participate. Furthermore, every business participating will be judged based on their work and the good they do to push the industry forward. click here

    How many categories does the Awards have?

    The Awards have 6 tracks and over 150+ categories ranging from products, services, technology, and innovations for you to choose from.

    How many winners and finalists will the BASA Awards® have?

    There is only one winner per category. All entries scoring 75% from judges will be named finalists and submitted to public voting to increase their chances of becoming category winners. Furthermore, we understand you all can't be winners, and that's why companies that didn't win in their category but got the most votes from the public will be placed in the TopList. The businesses will be listed in the Hall of Fame of Small Business and receive well-deserved recognition for their work. To find out more about the judging and award process, click here.

    Will BASA Awards® winners receive an award?

    The participant with the most marks from both the public votes and Judges will be declared the category winner and receive the digital seals and a winner's certificate sent by mail, while businesses in the TopList will be awarded a digital certificate and the seals. Furthermore, category winners can commemorate their win by buying and receiving our custom-made Atlanta trophy. To learn more about the trophy Atlanta, click here.

    Can BASA Awards winners and finalists purchase additional awards?

    Yes. BASA Category winners will have the opportunity to purchase an additional award statuette. The trophy Atlanta is handmade in Italy by a renowned artist called Ithaca.

    What are the categories?

    The Best of America Small Business Awards by BASA Awards® has 6 tracks and over 150+ categories to choose from. Whether you're a Local business, family business, sole trader, startup, or small team, these Awards are meant to celebrate the best products, services, technology, and innovations that made you a success. For the full list of categories, click here.

    What are the benefits of sending an application?

    There are many benefits to preparing, submitting entries, and winning the BASA Awards®. Just sending an application will help you develop a brief and compelling success story of your company and the resilient hero you are, which you can then use elsewhere. We can't mention all the award benefits here, but we have compiled for you 15 reasons why you need to grab this opportunity and send in your application today.

    What media coverage can BASA Awards winners expect to receive?

    All BASA Awards winners will receive national exposure and be featured on the awards website, blog, and social media channels. The BASA Awards marketing team will work to generate local, regional, and national exposure for all our winners. To find more on what winners get, click here.

    Who can be nominated?

    Only small businesses operating in the United States can be nominated. To learn more about BASA Awards, click here.

    Who can send an application?

    The Best of America Small Business Award accepts entries from only small businesses or startups operating within the United States. An entrepreneur or person looking to send an application can only be accepted if their entry represents a particular company. To learn more about our categories, click here.

    Is it only for small businesses?

    Yes, we don’t accept nominations from any large or medium-sized enterprises.

    Can non-profit organizations send applications?

    Yes, any organization can participate as long as they are not considered medium or large companies.

    When is the application deadline?

    The applications open on April 1, 2025 and close on August 20, 2025. For the full awards calendar, click here.

    Are there any entry charges?

    Yes. Because the BASA Awards are independent, we are funded by your application fees. See the Entry Fees section for more information.

    Are submissions kept confidential?

    Yes. The BASA Awards organizers ensure that only authorized judges will review entries and that no information about nominees is released to anyone else without prior approval. We also strongly encourage all our applicants not to include company secrets or sensitive information they might not be comfortable sharing with the public since all companies with a judging score of 75% and above will automatically be submitted to public voting. Furthermore, as an extra security measure, we also give an opportunity to BASA Awards category winners and companies on the TopList list to deduct confidential information from their applications before publishing them on the award website.

    Why are the application requirements for most categories so loosely outlined?

    The application requirements are loosely outlined because we understand that every organization is unique in its culture, accomplishments, and why and how it seeks recognition. The requirements are structured so that each organization can determine and cite its achievements. We did not want to narrow the award's focus by strictly defining the application requirements.

    Who judges the BASA Awards?

    The BASA Awards® are judged by a panel of independent third-party industry leaders across the United States.

    Who are the BASA Awards® Judges?

    The BASA Awards® judging panel comprises third-party industry experts from U.S. corporations interested in giving back and promoting small business growth. Click here to read more.

    Can I apply to become a Judge?

    To become a member of the BASA Awards® judging panel, complete the form here. If accepted, you can participate online at your convenience between August - October, 2025.

    Will there be an awards ceremony this year?

    No, there will be no award ceremony broadcast for the 2025 Best of America Small Business Awards. All winners and finalists will be notified via email and have their certificates sent to their addresses.