The EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Program 2026 opens nominations for its prestigious annual recognition of outstanding entrepreneurial achievement. This globally respected initiative honors business leaders who demonstrate exceptional vision, innovative leadership, and measurable success while contributing to a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world.
Program Overview and Mission
Each year, the Entrepreneur of the Year® program identifies and celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs whose work shapes industries, transforms communities, and creates lasting positive impact. The 2026 cycle continues this tradition, seeking nominees who embody entrepreneurial excellence across diverse sectors and markets.
What the Program Represents
This recognition goes beyond celebrating financial success. It acknowledges entrepreneurs who demonstrate:
- Visionary thinking that reimagines what’s possible in their industries
- Leadership excellence that inspires teams and drives organizational culture
- Measurable success through sustainable business growth and market impact
- Social responsibility addressing real-world challenges facing communities
- Future-focused innovation is preparing businesses for long-term relevance
The program recognizes that today’s most successful entrepreneurs balance profit with purpose, viewing business as a vehicle for positive change while maintaining financial viability.
Application Components and Requirements
Submissions consist of several key sections designed to provide comprehensive insight into the entrepreneur and their business:
Nominee and Company Information
Basic biographical and organizational details establishing the entrepreneur’s background, role, and the company’s structure, industry, and operations.
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Financial Performance Data
Objective metrics demonstrating business growth, operational health, and financial sustainability. This data provides quantifiable evidence of entrepreneurial success and business viability.
Narrative Submissions
The application’s core consists of four narrative sections, each limited to approximately 250 words (2,000 characters maximum). These narratives allow nominees to articulate their unique story, philosophy, and impact.
The Four Evaluation Pillars
1. About the Nominee and Business
This foundational narrative establishes the entrepreneur’s journey and company history:
Company Origin Story: Detail how the business began, including the inspiration behind the original strategy and how the concept evolved over time.
Founder’s Journey: If the nominee launched the company, describe the personal and financial risks undertaken, obstacles overcome during the startup phase, and challenges faced while building the enterprise.
Non-Founder Leadership: For entrepreneurs who didn’t found the company, explain how they assumed the entrepreneurial role, including risks taken, personal investments made, or sacrifices involved.
Family Business Context: If applicable, describe the generational history, the nominee’s role within that legacy, and succession planning ensuring continuity.
Industry Challenges: Discuss significant obstacles overcome within the specific sector, demonstrating resilience and problem-solving capabilities.
2. Entrepreneurial Spirit
This section explores the entrepreneur’s mindset, approach, and journey:
Opportunity Recognition: How does the entrepreneur identify possibilities others overlook? Do they solve pressing problems, reimagine existing approaches, or create entirely new value propositions driving innovation and growth?
Bold Risk-Taking: What personal and business risks has the entrepreneur taken? How have they learned from experiences, and what motivates their continued pursuit of ambitious goals despite challenges?
Resilience and Determination: Describe how creativity, persistence, and adaptability have helped overcome significant obstacles that could have derailed the business.
Cultural Cultivation: How does the entrepreneur foster an entrepreneurial mindset throughout the organization, inspiring innovation and empowering team members to think and act entrepreneurially?
3. Purpose
This narrative examines the values driving the entrepreneur and their vision:
Mission Clarity: What is the entrepreneur’s personal and business purpose? Why does the company exist, whom does it serve, and what meaningful difference does it strive to make?
Stakeholder-Focused Innovation: How does the entrepreneur prioritize long-term value creation for multiple stakeholders—employees, customers, communities, the environment, and the business itself?
Values-Based Leadership: How does the entrepreneur build trust by remaining committed to core mission and values, even during uncertain or challenging periods?
Inclusive Culture Building: How does leadership champion inclusivity while aligning organizational strategy with fundamental values and long-term vision?
4. Impact
This section highlights the tangible positive difference the entrepreneur creates:
Customer Value: How do products or services meaningfully improve customers’ lives, strengthen communities, or advance industries?
Team and Opportunity Development: How does the entrepreneur build inclusive teams and create access to resources and opportunities for diverse individuals, acknowledging different needs and starting points?
Solution Innovation: What new or improved offerings create lasting benefits for people, markets, or society more broadly?
Environmental Stewardship: How does the business help protect, restore, or regenerate the environment, ensuring sustainability for future generations?
5. Growth
The final narrative focuses on scaling and future-readiness:
Financial Performance: How does the entrepreneur demonstrate consistent growth in revenue, profitability, and return on equity while scaling responsibly and sustainably?
Team Development: How are strong, adaptable teams built? How is the customer base expanded by leveraging diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives?
Industry Leadership: How does the entrepreneur use innovation, emerging technologies, and novel approaches to lead, improve, and evolve their industry?
Long-Term Resilience: How does the business maintain agility and resilience, delivering sustained value for all stakeholders through changing market conditions?
Who Should Apply
The program welcomes nominations across industries, company sizes, and entrepreneurial journeys. Ideal candidates include:
Founder Entrepreneurs
Individuals who conceived, launched, and built businesses from the ground up, navigating the inherent uncertainties and risks of entrepreneurship.
Growth-Stage Leaders
Entrepreneurs who assumed leadership roles in existing companies and transformed them through innovative thinking, strategic repositioning, or bold expansion.
Family Business Successors
Next-generation leaders are carrying forward family enterprises while adapting to contemporary markets and preparing for future transitions.
Serial Entrepreneurs
Business builders with multiple ventures demonstrating sustained entrepreneurial achievement across different contexts.
Social Entrepreneurs
Leaders whose ventures explicitly address social or environmental challenges while maintaining business sustainability.
Application Strategy and Tips
Craft Compelling Narratives
With just 250 words per section, every sentence matters. Focus on:
- Specific examples over general statements
- Quantifiable outcomes demonstrating impact
- Personal insights revealing your unique perspective
- Authentic voice that conveys genuine passion and commitment
- Clear structure makes narratives easy to follow and understand
Balance Ambition and Humility
Judges appreciate confidence supported by evidence while respecting entrepreneurs who acknowledge challenges, learning experiences, and contributions from team members.
Connect Business Success to Broader Impact
Demonstrate how your entrepreneurial achievements extend beyond financial metrics to create value for employees, customers, communities, and the environment.
Show Future Readiness
Beyond past accomplishments, articulate your vision for where the business is heading and how you’re preparing to meet future challenges and opportunities.
Program Benefits and Recognition
Prestigious Recognition
Association with a globally respected program that has celebrated entrepreneurial excellence for decades, enhancing credibility with customers, investors, partners, and talent.
Peer Network Access
Connection with fellow entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, creating opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.
Visibility and Media Exposure
Recognition generates media coverage and public awareness, elevating the entrepreneur’s profile and enhancing the company’s brand reputation.
Learning and Development
Participation provides access to insights, best practices, and resources supporting continued entrepreneurial growth and leadership development.
Community Contribution
Recognized entrepreneurs serve as role models inspiring the next generation of business leaders and demonstrating entrepreneurship’s potential to drive positive change.
Application Process
Getting Started
Self-Nomination: Entrepreneurs may nominate themselves, providing the most comprehensive insight into their journey and achievements.
Third-Party Nomination: Colleagues, investors, advisors, or others familiar with the entrepreneur’s work may submit nominations.
Secure Portal Access
Applications are submitted through a secure online platform. New users create accounts, while returning users access existing credentials. The system guides applicants through each required section.
Regional Program Connection
The Entrepreneur of the Year program operates through regional offices. Applicants unsure of their appropriate region can reference program maps and contact information to identify local program managers.
Timeline Considerations
Nominations for 2026 are now open. Applicants should monitor program communications regarding deadlines, evaluation timelines, and announcement dates specific to their region.
Judging Process and Criteria
An independent panel of accomplished entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry experts evaluates applications based on the five key pillars: business history, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, impact, and growth.
Judges assess:
- Authenticity of the entrepreneur’s story and values
- Evidence supporting claims about achievements and impact
- Innovation in business model, operations, or market approach
- Sustainability of business model and growth trajectory
- Leadership quality and organizational culture development
- Social responsibility and commitment to stakeholder value
Why This Recognition Matters
In an era of rapid change and complex global challenges, entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in driving innovation, creating opportunities, and addressing societal needs. The Entrepreneur of the Year program highlights individuals demonstrating that business success and positive impact are complementary rather than competing goals.
Recognition from this program validates an entrepreneur’s approach, amplifies their influence, and connects them with a global community committed to building better businesses and a better world.
Take the Next Step
If you’re an entrepreneur building a business that creates value for multiple stakeholders while pursuing ambitious growth, consider applying for the 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year program. Your story, achievements, and vision deserve recognition and could inspire countless others pursuing their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Nominations are now open. Visit the program website to begin your application or nominate a deserving entrepreneur whose work exemplifies the program’s values.
For more information, visit the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program.
