We’re awarding $250,000 to Ontario businesses
Nominate your business for Meridian’s sixth annual Small Business Big Impact Awards. Each year, we help businesses expand their positive impact on Ontario communities. We select award winners based on their:
- Innovation
- Environmental stewardship
- Inclusive employment practices
- Community support and other impactful initiatives
We can make a bigger impact together
We’ll select 20 winners across five Ontario communities. Each community will have four winners – two will go to for-profit businesses, and two to non-profit organizations. From those 20 winners, our expert judges will select five to compete for the Ontario Votes award, an additional $50,000.
20 Winners
$10,000 each for ten for-profit businesses and ten non-profits across Ontario.
5 Communities
Awards equally distributed across Northern and Eastern Ontario, Southern Ontario, GTA, Niagara/Hamilton, and Indigenous entrepreneurs.
$50,000
The Ontario Votes award, voted on in 2027, gives one community winner an additional $50,000.
.jpg?language=en-US)
Important dates
October 1, 2026: Nominations open. Submit your business for consideration.
November 30, 2026: Nominations close. A team of experts reviews the applications and reads all about how these businesses are impacting their communities and how they want to build on that impact in the future
December 14, 2026: Our team selects the finalists.
January 25, 2027: The Small Business Big Impact Award judges select the community winners.
February 15, 2027: Meridian announces the community winners.
March 1, 2027: Public voting opens for the $50,000 Ontario Votes award.
March 31, 2027: Ontario Votes closes.
April 15, 2027: Ontario Votes winner announced.
Is your business eligible for the award?
To be eligible for the 2026 Small Business Big Impact Awards, businesses must meet these criteria:
- Registered small business operating solely in Ontario
- Under 50 employees
- Annual revenue under $10,000,000
- In business for more than 12 months
Non-profit businesses and registered charities are also eligible.
What region do I belong to?
When you nominate your business make sure to specify what region you’re in or whether your business is Indigenous-owned.
- Algoma District
- Bruce County
- Cochrane District
- Dufferin County
- Frontenac County
- Grey County
- Haliburton County
- Hastings County
- Kawartha Lakes
- Kenora District
- Lanark County
- Leeds & Grenville County
- Lennox & Addington County
- Manitoulin District
- Muskoka District
- Nipissing District
- Northumberland County
- Ottawa
- Parry Sound District
- Peterborough County
- Prescott & Russell
- Prince Edward County
- Rainy River District
- Renfrew County
- Simcoe County
- Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
- Sudbury District
- Thunder Bay District
- Timiskaming District
- County of Brant
- Chatham-Kent
- Elgin County
- Essex County
- Haldimand County
- Huron County
- Lambton County
- Middlesex County
- Norfolk County
- Oxford County
- Perth County
- Waterloo Region
- Wellington County
- Peel Region
- Toronto
- York Region
- Durham Region
- Halton Region
- Hamilton
- Niagara Region
Answers to your questions about the awards
Yes, you can! If you’re a Member, but you don’t have a business-related account with us, please use the form that says “I’m not a Meridian Business Member.
Yes, please nominate your business again this year! Any business that meets the eligibility requirements and has not won in a previous year can submit a nomination.
Businesses must nominate themselves for the awards. If you know of a business that deserves recognition for the positive impact they have on your community, please point the owner towards this page and encourage them to nominate themselves!
We serve all of Ontario and we want to make sure that’s reflected in how we recognize and reward businesses making a positive impact. This way, even if we get a number of nominations from businesses in Toronto or Hamilton, we can make sure we’re not missing out on great businesses in other Ontario communities.
After all the nominations are in, our team goes through each one and selects finalists for each region. These finalists then get the opportunity to provide more insight into their business and impact.
Then, our team gives that information to the judge panels. There is a panel of three judges for each region. They will carefully consider all the finalists and select four community winners. The panel submits their top choice to the Ontario Votes stage.
Five businesses are eligible for the Ontario Votes award (an additional $50,000). We’ll invite anyone in Ontario to vote for one winner.
Our panel of judges evaluate nominations based on 3 key components:
- Quality of content: 15%
- Business model and values: 60%
- Impact of the prize on business: 25%
Any business that is Indigenous-owned qualifies, and will be automatically entered into the Indigenous Entrepreneur category. To be considered Indigenous-owned, the business must be majority-owned by Indigenous people (at least 51%). The owners must identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, or be registered under the Indian Act. The business must be controlled by Indigenous individuals, groups, or organizations.
Around here, business is personal
Learn more about how Meridian can help support and grow your business. From personalized advice to simple financing solutions, we’re here to help your business finances work for you.
Nominate your business
Please select and submit your nomination form based on whether or not you’re already a Meridian Business Member (you have a business account, credit card, loan, line of credit, etc. with Meridian). This isn’t a requirement, or an advantage – the Small Business Big Impact Awards are open to any business that meets the eligibility guidelines.