Small business owners from across the country will be honored for their accomplishments as the nation’s leading small businesses.  The highlight of events will be the announcement of the National Small Business Person of theYear.

“Small businesses drive our economy, creating jobs and opportunities for Americans in every community across the country,” said SBA Administrator Steve Preston.  “The SBA is very proud of the vital role it plays in enabling America’s entrepreneurs, and we are excited to be able to recognize a few of these great success stories during the week.”

National Small Business Week 2008 will begin with three days of events in Washington, D.C., at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where more than 100 outstanding business owners from across the country will be recognized.  In addition to the State Small Business Persons of the Year, men and women involved in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business champions as well as SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development will be honored.

A focal point this year will be a series of executive panel forums on Health Care, International Trade, Energy, and Finance.  In addition, there will be a procurement session with corporate buyers and prime contractors who will discuss small business partnering and mentoring opportunities for small businesses seeking government contracts.

On April 24, Small Business Week moves to New York, where SBA will participate in the closing bell ceremony at NASDAQ to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Women’s Business Center program.  The program has served more than 650,000 new and growing small business owners in the past five years alone.  An awards event celebrating the top small business lenders and a financial forum on community investment, cosponsored with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, will culminate activities in New York.

The 2008 National Small Business Week award events will include the following individuals and groups:

• The National Small Business Person of the Year, selected from the 53 State Small Business Persons of the Year.

• The Champion Awards, recognizing both individuals and organizations for their achievements on behalf of small business, including minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses.

• The Phoenix Awards, recognizing a public official, a business owner and a volunteer whose efforts have helped their businesses or communities recover successfully from a disaster.

• The Lender of the Year, honoring financial institutions, including those that provide financing for small business exporters and inner city businesses.

• The Entrepreneurial Development Awards honoring Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and SCORE for their innovation and excellence in assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.

• The Gold Star Award, recognizing exemplary performance of federal staff who manage the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.

• The Frances Perkins Vanguard Award, honoring government and industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.

• The Small Business Prime Contractor and Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, honoring small businesses that have provided government and industry with outstanding goods and services as prime or sub contractors.

Small Business Week award winners will meet with top agency officials, congressional representatives and national business leaders.  The State Small Business Award Winners and recipients of the Champion and other Entrepreneurial awards are nominated by local trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations and government agencies.

Media outlets are encouraged to cover National Small Business Week events, and can register online.  Additional information on the Small Business Week 2008 events is available at www.sba.gov/sbw .

Small Business Week 2008 Schedule of Events