The Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® awards run every year and reached their 38th edition in 2026. Entries for the 2026 round closed on 2 August 2026, so the next opportunity to enter is the 2027 cycle. Entries open at eoy.co.za, and the categories are set by business size rather than sector.
The Entrepreneur of the Year® awards are one of the longest running recognition programmes for small and medium businesses in the country, run by Business Partners Limited. They are worth understanding ahead of time, because the entry window is short and the application asks for information most owners cannot assemble in a weekend.
Where the awards stand now
The programme is annual. The 2026 edition ran under the theme Generation Build, and entries for that round closed on 2 August 2026.
If you are reading this outside an entry window, the useful move is to prepare rather than wait. Check eoy.co.za for the opening date of the next cycle, and use the intervening months to get your financials, your employment numbers and your growth story into a state where entering is a short task rather than a project.
Who can enter
Entry is open to owners of small and medium enterprises across three categories, defined by the size of the business rather than the industry it operates in:
Emerging Business Entrepreneur, for businesses at an earlier stage. Small Business Entrepreneur, and Medium Business Entrepreneur for more established operations.
Five finalists are selected in each category. A separate Job Creator award recognises the finalist judged to have contributed most to employment and skills development, which reflects what the programme is really trying to reward.
What winners get
There is a prize pool, and the current figures are published on the awards site each cycle. In practice the money is often the smaller part of the benefit.
Winners and finalists receive mentorship, media exposure and access to a network of established business owners and funders. For a business that is trying to be taken seriously by a lender, a large customer or a partner, being a named finalist in a 38 year old national programme is a credibility signal that is difficult to buy any other way.
What to prepare before entries open
Judging looks at the business rather than the pitch, so the work is in having your house in order.
Have financial statements that are current and that you can explain. Know your employment numbers, including how many jobs you have created and over what period, since this carries real weight in the judging. Be able to describe your growth with actual figures rather than adjectives.
Have a clear account of a genuine obstacle you faced and what you did about it. Resilience is the recurring theme of this programme, and a specific, honest story about a difficult period does more than a polished narrative in which nothing went wrong.
If your financials are not in a state you would want a judge to read, that is a business problem before it is an awards problem. Our guide to the business plan template and the overview of business tax are reasonable places to start.
Is it worth entering?
For most small businesses, yes, provided you treat the entry itself as useful work rather than a lottery ticket.
Assembling the entry forces you to look at your numbers, articulate what you actually do differently, and describe your growth honestly. Owners routinely say that exercise was valuable regardless of the outcome, which is a reasonable return on the time even if you are not selected.
The exposure matters too. Award programmes are one of the few ways a small business gets in front of an audience it could not otherwise reach.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Entrepreneur of the Year awards still running?
Yes. The programme is annual and reached its 38th edition in 2026. Entries for the 2026 round closed on 2 August 2026.
Can I still enter the 2026 awards?
No, that round is closed. Check eoy.co.za for the opening date of the next cycle.
Which categories can I enter?
Emerging Business Entrepreneur, Small Business Entrepreneur and Medium Business Entrepreneur, based on the size of your business. A separate Job Creator award goes to the finalist contributing most to employment and skills development.
What should I have ready?
Current financial statements you can explain, your employment numbers, your growth figures, and an honest account of a real obstacle and how you handled it.
Further reading
Originally published in June 2023. Updated September 2026 with the current status of the awards. Entry dates change each cycle, so confirm the current window at eoy.co.za before you plan around it.
