Deadline: February 27, 2026
Applications are open for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program 2026. Each year the Entrepreneur of the Year Program celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are shaping the future, and building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur of the Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally. This program honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. They celebrate original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future.
Benefits
- Build valuable relationships with entrepreneurs who are leading successful businesses across a variety of industries.
- Increase exposure to potential customers, suppliers and investors.
- Recognize your company’s success within the local business community and celebrate your team.
- Gain access to exclusive peer-to-peer learning and networking experiences.
- Connect with EY subject-matter resources for guidance on fostering long-term value creation.
Eligibility
The Entrepreneur
- The entrepreneur must be the CEO or president of a private or public company who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company.
- The entrepreneur may be the original founder, a multigenerational family business leader, or a transformational CEO of a company or subsidiary who is not the founder.
- The entrepreneur must have been in the role for at least two years by the application deadline.
- Previous eligible finalists and applicants who did not win are eligible to reapply.
- Former award winners may reapply if they have founded or transitioned to a new company.
The Company
- Companies must have been in business for at least two years to be eligible.
- Companies are most competitive when they demonstrate long-term value and has a strong growth rate and growth plans.
- Only for-profit businesses may apply.
- Companies must have a minimum revenue of $10M*.
* Revenue exceptions include companies in the Life Sciences sector and emerging companies that are less than five years old.
Judging Criteria
The independent panel of judges evaluates nominees on a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to:
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Purpose
- Growth
- Impact
- Financial performance
Application
For more information, visit EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program.
