1. If you are wondering which category you should enter, well you can enter either one or as many as five.
2. Make sure that you are entering the categories that are relevant to your business.
3. While entering different categories, ensure that you are not copy-pasting the same thing.
4. Read the different criteria for different categories before filling the form.
Finally
If you are that lucky winner of the CanadianSME National Business Awards 2026, do not forget to brag a little on your website. Of course, all your hard work does deserve some recognition now, doesn’t it?
So, what are you waiting for? Get started now!
- The awards are open to all small businesses in Canada within the retail, service, and manufacturing industries. There are no restrictions. You can be home-based or a solopreneur as long as the following eligibility is met.
- To enter the CanadianSME National Business Awards, all applicants must read and understand the terms and conditions in this document (Terms and Conditions) and complete the online entry form for their chosen category.
- Any business facing legal trials or the owners involved in any kind of legal trials are ineligible to apply for the awards. If you have applied, your application will be cancelled automatically.
- All entrants into the CanadianSME Awards will be notified of any change to these terms and conditions that has taken place before their entry is judged and will be provided with a reasonable opportunity to amend or alter their entry (should they wish to do so).
- Enterprises wishing to enter the CanadianSME National Business Awards 2026 must be registered Canadian businesses to be eligible. Additionally, it is required for enterprises to have demonstrable revenue growth year-on-year for at least the last two fiscal years.
- All submissions must be lodged through the CanadianSME Awards website at smeawards.ca (Website).
- By lodging your entry, you agree to provide CanadianSME, and any other third party undertaking external validation on its behalf, with any relevant documentation requested to assess your application (including verifying your entry against the eligibility criteria requirements set out in these terms and conditions).
- Applicants must be in business for a minimum of two years.
- Each organization can apply for up to five award categories.
- Businesses in the new business category must be in operation for less than 2 years.
- Judges have the right to create or delete additional categories, depending on the number of entries received.
- If an entrant selects more than one category, judges have the right to determine the most appropriate category for that entrant without notification or consultation.
- The decision of the judging panel is final and ultimate.
- Unsuccessful and successful finalists will be notified via email.
- Once you submit your entries, the information cannot be changed or added.
- To be eligible, the young entrepreneur must be 30 years of age or younger.
- If we notice that the information furnished is falsified, hidden, or incorrect in any manner, the applicant shall be automatically disqualified without written or verbal notice.
- By entering the CanadianSME National Business Awards 2026, applicants agree to receive relevant communications from CanadianSME.
- We reserve the right to disqualify entries if the answers to the questions are incomplete or irrelevant.
- The CanadianSME National Business Awards 2026 reserves the right to alter or change these terms and conditions at any time at its discretion.
- All entries must be submitted by Dec 2026.
- CanadianSME does not guarantee to share all the marketing collateral for every nomination on their social media channels.
- Please check our website, smeawards.ca, for event updates.
All entries are judged by a panel of subject matter experts, selected by CanadianSME Small Business Magazine from business and community leaders, which may also include previous partners and Category Sponsors.
At its discretion, CanadianSME applies a weighting to each question, based on the complexity of that question in relation to all questions within a category.
Judges will allocate scores to each question asked, and these scores will be multiplied by an unseen weighting to reach an overall score for each entry.
There will be more than one winner for only categories such as Small Business of the Year, 10 employees, Fintech business of the year.
Where there are two or more entries with the same highest score, the judging panel will be reconvened for the determination of the winner. If after the judging panel has been reconvened, there are still two or more entries with the same highest score, the CanadianSME President will have the final determination.
Judges are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and disclose any conflict of interest.
The Judging Panel’s decision is final, and no further correspondence will be entered into.
In situations where there is only one entrant for a category in an Award, this entry will be judged. Subject to meeting a gateway score, the entry will become an automatic SME Finalist and will be awarded a SME Finalist Award.
A representative of CanadianSME or the Judging Panel may contact any entrant via telephone interview or email for further information or to verify their entry prior to selecting the final preferred winner. Conducting such interviews does not create any obligation on CanadianSME or the Judging Panel to select the interviewed entrant as a winner.
Upon their submission pursuant to these Terms and Conditions, entries become the property of CanadianSME. All information provided in the entry form will be used for the purpose of judging only and will be treated as commercial-in-confidence by CanadianSME and any of its related or controlled entities unless otherwise specified.
If you are selected as a nominee in the CanadianSME Awards, the information provided in your entry (excluding financial information) will be used for the purpose of promoting the CanadianSME Awards and your business.
Contact information provided in your entry form may be disclosed to sponsors for the purpose of direct opportunities for promotion through sponsor partners. You can refuse the disclosure of contact information to sponsors by advising Maheen Bari at [email protected] in writing.
Refer to the Key Award Dates page on the website for entry closing dates.
CanadianSME reserves the right to extend or vary the entry period if required, before or after the CanadianSME National Business Awards entry period commences.
Refer to the Key Award Dates page on the Website for entry opening dates.
CanadianSME reserves the right to extend or vary the entry period if required, before or after the CanadianSME National Business Awards Entry period commences.
All entries for consideration must be lodged online and include all the required information.
CanadianSME reserves the right to declare any entry ineligible, if at any time during or after the term of the award process your entry form is found to be incomplete, deficient, false, or misleading in any way.
During the Awards Ceremony, we may shoot video footage and take photographs of the Awards Ceremony which may include video footage and photographs of you and/or your booked Attendees. We will make use of such footage and photographs in promoting the event on our platform.
By attending the CanadianSME Small Business Awards, you acknowledge and agree that:
The event will be photographed and recorded for promotional, editorial, and archival purposes.
Your image, voice, and likeness may appear in photos and videos taken during the ceremony, networking sessions, media wall interactions, or other activities.
These materials may be used by CanadianSME across digital platforms, print publications, social media, and future marketing campaigns without further notice or compensation.
If you prefer not to be photographed or filmed, please notify the event team upon arrival. While we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request, we cannot guarantee complete exclusion from all media.
Unless expressly stated, no provision of this Agreement is enforceable by, or intended to benefit, any person who is not a party to this Agreement.
We expressly agree that we shall be entitled to refer to you as an Attendee of our Awards Ceremony in sales and marketing literature (including websites) and reproduce your logo and/or trademark for that sole purpose.
Technology is the way of the future and businesses who strategically embrace technology will be recognized through the Technopreneur of the Year Award. Entrepreneurs who use innovative ways to find solutions to several business problems and embrace it in their business operations will be considered in this category. Judges are looking for businesses who embraced technology by implementing it in their business practices that have positively impacted their cost-effectiveness and resultingly in substantial business growth opportunities.
The Best New Business Award recognizes start-up companies that have shown significant promise through their growth and successful business strategy. Entrepreneurs will be asked to show how their new business has scaled since its launch and how well they are doing in comparison to other start-ups. Evidence of the success and a demonstration of a solid business plan for growth will be among the aspects that the judges will consider for the winner.
The Business of the Year Award (Under 100 Employees) is an annual award recognising a business that has demonstrated outstanding achievement, growth, and success over the past year. This award celebrates businesses with fewer than 100 employees that have made a significant impact in their industry and community while demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence across all aspects of their operations.
To be eligible, businesses must have fewer than 100 employees and have been in operation for at least one year. This prestigious award recognises the hard work, dedication, and achievements of growing businesses, celebrating those that have demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation, and contribution to their community and industry.
The Small Business of the Year Award is given to small-scale businesses with less than 10 employees who have shown exceptional growth in the past two years. The company that will receive this award will have demonstrated leadership, innovation, growth in profits, and a brilliant business plan for the future throughout the year. The judges will consider aspects such as a solid financial base, growth potential, peer recognition, and innovative business approach for the winner of this award.
Beyond the economic contribution to Canada, Indigenous entrepreneurship is important in numerous ways. This award recognizes the excellence, resilience, innovation of Indigenous businesses while contributing long-term success for these innovative leaders who have found their own voice within an ever-changing world. The judges are looking for a driven entrepreneur who has shown continuous growth and sustainability in their business. The successful candidate should have an established brand with plans of continuing success, as well as solid experience running this type of company already under his belt or her wing! The contribution made by this company will be even greater after they win!
Despite being a comparatively new person in the game and after overcoming many challenges and hurdles that came their way, individuals who were still successful in establishing a thriving business are felicitated with the Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year award. Companies that have shown significant growth and success throughout the year will be recognized under this category. Immigrating to a new country has several challenges, and starting a business in a foreign country is even more challenging. Therefore, our award is a bid to recognize the efforts of such entrepreneurs who built a robust and growing company from scratch.
Among the most honorable and prestigious awards for any business owner is the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Individuals who have demonstrated excellence in every facet of their business whether innovation or sales or marketing or advertising will be felicitated with this honor. The judges are on the lookout for an entrepreneur who has established a successful business and brand that has shown continuous growth, a solid business plan, and a sustainability outlook. The individual who will take home the Entrepreneur of the Year Award will be an inspiration for generations of entrepreneurs to come!
The Business Woman of the Year Award is meant to recognize and award the determination and success of a woman entrepreneur who made it in the stringent business world. Judges are looking for a female entrepreneur who has demonstrated how she has successfully overcome challenges to build a robust and thriving company.
This award goes out to recognize the efforts of a person of color who is also a successful entrepreneur and has paved space for themselves through their hard work and dedication to their craft. Belonging from a minority community, black entrepreneurs have had to face the many hardships and struggles in the business landscape but that hasn’t deterred them from scaling new heights. Whether it’s in logistics, tech, retail, or finance, this entrepreneur shows why you should never give up on your goals. This award is to highlight this individual’s achievement and their immense contribution to the Canadian economy.
This year’s Diversity and Inclusion Award goes to a business that has demonstrated excellence in living and promoting behaviours that demonstrate diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence.
This award encourages businesses to embrace cultural differences and build relationships with diverse communities.
It is important for businesses to actively work towards creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and culture, as this will benefit everyone involved. By doing so, they are also setting themselves up as leaders in the industry.
By demonstrating these qualities, businesses can create a more inclusive workplace for all employees. The award is dedicated to celebrating the successes of businesses that have positively impacted their communities.
The Tech & Innovative Business of the Year Award recognises a company that has demonstrated excellence in technology, innovation, leadership, and business impact. It celebrates businesses that challenge conventional thinking and introduce innovative products, services, strategies, processes, business models, or technologies that deliver meaningful and measurable results.
Judges will consider the originality and significance of the innovation, its impact on customers and the wider industry, and the value created through its achievements. The award honours a forward-thinking business that drives positive change through technology, creativity, and bold ideas while demonstrating leadership and a clear impact over the past year.
Small businesses that demonstrate a commitment to environmental and social responsibility are honoured with the Sustainable Business Award. The award honours businesses working to make the world more sustainable through their goods, services, or activities. Businesses must be small (fewer than 500 employees) and have been in operation for at least three years to be eligible for the award. A demonstrated dedication to sustainability, innovation, and growth is also required. The CanadianSME Small Business Magazine bestows the award each year. The award recognizes small businesses’ achievements that pave the path to a more sustainable future.
The Best in Retail & E-Commerce Award recognises a business that has demonstrated outstanding performance, innovation, customer experience, and growth across the retail and e-commerce sectors. The award celebrates companies that have successfully adapted to an evolving marketplace through innovative retail strategies, technology, digital commerce, enhanced customer experiences, sustainable practices, and effective online and offline operations.
Judges will consider business performance, creativity, digital innovation, customer focus, growth, resilience, and the overall impact of the company’s achievements. Whether a large retailer, independent business, boutique, or e-commerce platform, the award honours a forward-thinking company that sets exceptional standards, embraces new opportunities, and makes a meaningful contribution to the future of retail and e-commerce.
The Best in Manufacturing Award celebrates companies that exemplify excellence, innovation, and efficiency in the realm of manufacturing. This accolade seeks to highlight businesses that have demonstrated not only superior production capabilities but also a dedication to sustainability, workforce welfare, and technological advancements. Eligible companies are those that have achieved remarkable milestones in production quality, embraced state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, and showcased a commitment to reducing environmental impact. From small-scale craftsmen to large industrial giants, this award recognizes those that set industry benchmarks, optimize supply chains, and pave the way for future innovation. It’s a tribute to manufacturers that push boundaries, uphold the highest standards, and, in doing so, drive the global economy while respecting both people and planet.