Please note: The application period for the 2024 CO—100 is now closed. Good luck to all applicants! Be the first to receive information and updates about the program as well as the upcoming October event by subscribing to our newsletter.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. NO PURCHASE, PAYMENT OR CONTRIBUTION NECESSARY. A PURCHASE, CONTRIBUTION, DONATION, OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. BY ENTERING THE PROGRAM, ENTRANTS AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE OFFICIAL RULES.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO—100 America’s Top Small Business Recognition Program Terms and Conditions
By submitting an application to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO—100 America’s Top Small Business recognition program (CO—100), entrants agree to these Terms and Conditions, the General Rules, and represent that all Eligibility Requirements are met.
- All aspects of the entrant's application and supporting material are original to the applicant or the applicant owns or has secured all rights to submit the application and supporting material in accordance with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO—100 America’s Top Small Business (CO—100) recognition program's Terms and Conditions.
- Neither the entrant's application into the 2024 CO—100 nor the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's use of the application, in whole or in part, violates the right(s) of any third party, including privacy rights.
- The entrant acknowledges that any part of the application may be made public at both the event and in related activities. All tax and financial information will remain confidential, except as specifically set out otherwise in these Terms and Conditions.
- The entrant grants the U.S. Chamber of Commerce the irrevocable right and license to: copy, reproduce, display, perform, publish, modify, edit or otherwise use (collectively "use") the application and supporting material, in whole or in part, including the corporate name(s), trade names, trademarks and logos, as well as names and other personal information of individuals, referred to in the entry and supporting material, all without limitation as to time, geography, or media for judging, education and publicity purposes, and any and all other purposes without need for prior notice, review or additional consent by entrant or additional consideration, and the entrant waives all moral rights in and to his/her entry in favor of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
- The CO—100 winner will be chosen without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental ability, or any other classification prohibited by local, state, or federal law.
- Contact information will be used solely for the purposes of communication with the applicant unless other consents are obtained and as otherwise permitted by law.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without notice, for any reason.
- By submitting your application, you are agreeing to receive email communications from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CO—, and all contest sponsors.
- Questions regarding CO—100 can be sent to co-100@uschamber.com.
Official Rules of the 2024 CO—100 Recognition Program
Eligibility for Application:
To be eligible to apply for CO—100, an applicant must:
- Be a legal resident of the United States.
- Be a for-profit business operating for at least one (1) year prior to May 4, 2023, primarily within the United States.
- Have fewer than 250 employees or gross revenues of less than $20 million for both 2022 and 2023.
- Agree to all of the Award Rules, including potentially attending the award ceremony.
Employees, officers and directors of Sponsors and any affiliated entities, and their respective immediate families (parents, spouse, children, siblings) or individuals residing in their household (whether or not related) are not eligible applicants.
Entry Procedure:
The applications portal will open at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 13, 2024. Participants may enter either by the Application Fee or by the Free Entry Method, as described below:
(a) Application Fee Method: To enter via this method, you must pay an application fee of $99 by going to https://www.co100.com, submitting a complete application, and paying the application fee by Monday, July 22, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. You must also provide your first name, last name, date of birth, and email address. You will not need to pay this application fee until you are deemed eligible and have completed all parts of the application. Application fees are not refundable. Entering via the application fee method will not increase your chances of winning a prize. The application fee is not tax deductible as a charitable contribution.
(b) Free Entry Method: To enter via the Free Entry Method, you must submit an entry by doing the following:
- Complete all parts of the application located at https://www.co100.com.
- Once all fields are complete, navigate to co100.uschamber.com
- On the My Entries page, find your completed application.
- Select the “PDF” icon to download a printable copy of the application.
- Print your application.
- Send the completed application only by U.S. Mail to the mailing address below. Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than July 15, 2024 for consideration. Any fields left blank or incomplete will nullify your application.
Mailing Address:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Attn: CO—100 Applications
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20062
For either entry method, the entry must fulfill all requirements as specified herein to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to these Rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Sponsor. You may enter only once. You must accurately provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of Sponsor.
Criteria for Selection of Finalists:
As described below, a panel of judges, including representatives from U.S. Chamber of Commerce staff, will choose a list of 100 Semi-Finalists to be included in the CO—100. They will additionally choose from the 100 Semi-Finalists a total of 10 Finalists and one America’s Top Small Business of the Year (Award Winner).
Judging Process: All applicants will be given the opportunity to be judged in up to five out of 10 possible categories. Those categories are: Growth, Community Impact, Micro-Business, Resilience, Customer Service, Global Expansion, Digital Innovation, Endurance, Disruption, and Company Culture. Each of these categories will be considered using the same methodology.
In each category, applicants will be judged using the methodology described below. Each subsequent round will increase in difficulty.
Round 1: A panel of judges comprised of U.S. Chamber of Commerce employees will select a first round of 250 applications by scoring one open-ended question designed to explain business plan and strategy. We will also judge 15 general multiple choice questions that will assess growth, longevity, resilience, community involvement, and other key factors related to business health, vitality, longevity, and other key success metrics. Each factor will be weighted equally. The top-scoring 25 businesses in each category (a total of 250 businesses) will move to Round 2.
Round 2: A second panel of different judges comprised of U.S. Chamber employees and, potentially, local and state Chamber leaders, previous winners and finalists, and industry experts will select 10 top-scoring Semi-Finalists in each of 10 categories for a total of 100 companies. Applications in Round 2 will be scored on one long form question related to each category entered. Three multiple choice questions per category entered will also be factored into Round 2 score.
Round 3: A final judging panel comprised of Chamber employees and industry experts will select one top application in each of 10 categories as Finalists (a total of 10 Finalists). Finalists will be chosen based on Round 1 and Round 2 scores, vetting of company digital presence, and alignment with U.S. Chamber goals and values which will be assessed in Round 3. One (1) Finalist will be selected as America’s Top Small Business of the Year (Award Winner).
All Finalists must comply with all requests made by U.S. Chamber of Commerce employees, including but not limited to: telephone confirmation, response to all email correspondence, requests for all assets, and participation in event and digital content.
The odds of being selected as a Semi-Finalist, Finalist, or Award Winner depend on the number of eligible, completed applications received on or before July 22, 2024.
Finalists will be notified on or before October 1, 2024, through the contact information provided in the application. Finalists may be asked to submit additional information for their application. To stay up to date with the latest announcements and information, sign up for our newsletter, Midnight Oil, to receive updates.
Selection of CO—100 Award Winners and Finalists:
Finalists are encouraged to attend the CO—100 ceremony and must confirm and supply information as to their qualifications and otherwise abide by the terms and conditions of the executed Award Rules. In addition, each Finalist must submit photos of their business and a headshot of the business owner.
The Award Winner must be present at and participate fully in the ceremony in person.
Each Finalist must provide a video-recorded and/or written interview that includes various photographs to be furnished by each Finalist, which will be used to create profile videos to be posted on https://www.uschamber.com/co and used during the Awards Ceremony.
The CO—100 Award Winner and all Finalists will be announced at a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on or about October 8, 2024.
Prizes:
The following prize will be awarded to each of the 100 CO—100 Semi-Finalists:
- One-year paid U.S. Chamber of Commerce membership (valued at $250).
The following prizes will be awarded to all ten (10) CO—100 Finalists:
- $2,000 cash prize.
- One-year paid U.S. Chamber of Commerce membership (valued at $250).
- Recognition and award presentation during the award ceremony.
- Will be featured in an article on CO—.
The following prizes will be awarded to the winner of the America’s Top Small Business of the Year recognition program:
- $25,000 cash prize.
- One-year paid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Membership (valued at $250).
- Promotional video played during the award ceremony.
- An article on CO— featuring the Award Winner.
The Small Business of the Year Award Winner will be responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes that may be applicable. We reserve the right to add additional in-kind or cash prizes presented by sponsors at our Award Ceremony.
General Rules:
All applications must be submitted online or by U.S. Mail. Only those applications submitted through the online application process provided at https://www.co100.com or by U.S. Mail will be accepted. The online application process will take place through Award Force. Applications received by any other means will not be considered. No application can be amended or withdrawn after July 22, 2024. Neither Sponsors nor their parents, affiliated entities or agents are responsible for any illegible, lost, stolen, late, damaged, incomplete, mutilated, or misdirected applications or other documents. Applying party and applicants are responsible for ensuring proper contact information has been submitted and is maintained throughout the Award program to allow communications about the Award program.
Erroneous or false information provided in the application will result in immediate disqualification of the applicant. Sponsors retain the right to disqualify any applicant in their sole discretion.
If, for any reason, the recognition program is not capable of running as planned, Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the program at any time.
By creating an application, or by being an applicant, you understand that there is no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship between you and Sponsors arising from any application, prize or award.
The Award Winner is responsible for payment of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes. The Award Winner will be required to submit taxpayer identification information and any other information required for the reporting of any award, prize, or other payments made as prizes or awards as part of this program.
The decisions of the judges are final, and applicants and Finalists specifically agree that the decision of the judges and any decision of Sponsors is not subject to review or appeal in any forum whatsoever, including courts of law.
NO WARRANTY OF ANY TYPE IS PROVIDED FOR ANY PRIZE, AND NO PRIZE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO ANY PARTY.
Any information provided as part of this program is provided according to the website Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, as they may be amended from time to time, and as otherwise provided for in these Rules.
By making an application or being an applicant, you agree on behalf of yourself and each of your respective heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, agents, successors, and assigns (“Releasing Party”) to the Award Rules and the decisions of the judges and Sponsors, as applicable, and any affiliated entities or persons, and by making an application or being an applicant, you release, defend and hold harmless Sponsors, and their affiliates, advisors, agents, licensees, and any social or other media used for the Award, and individual judges, and any of their respective officers, directors and employees as applicable (“Released Parties”), from any and all causes of action, suits, debts, dues, sums of money, accounts, reckonings, bonds, bills, covenants, contracts, controversies, promises, lost profits, indirect or direct damages, consequential damage, incidental damages, punitive or exemplary damages, judgments, claims and demands whosoever, in law, or equity, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, which any Releasing Party has or may ever had, now or hereafter, arising from or related to the recognition program, these Official Rules, any application materials, including but not limited to any use or non-use of any application materials, delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, attendance at, travel related to, misuse, and/or use of or inability to use, any Prize, or technical or other failures of any kind.
The entrant has read and agrees to the official rules for the CO—100 recognition program. The entrant has read the program's Terms and Conditions and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Privacy Policy. Additionally, the entrant certifies that, to the best of their knowledge, the information contained in their application is accurate.
This contest is void where prohibited by state law.
The presenting sponsors of this contest are:
T-Mobile for Business
12920 SE 38th St.
Bellevue, WA 98006
The supporting sponsors of this contest are:
Dell Technologies
One Dell Way
Round Rock, TX 78682
FedEx
Renaissance Center
1715 Aaron Brenner Drive Suite 600
Memphis, TN 38120
Iron Mountain
85 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 150
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Square
1455 Market Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94103
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20062
Walmart Business
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716