The inaugural SBS Awards Ceremony recognises the experts and standards that strengthen the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in European standardisation.
At a pivotal moment for the future of the European market, this event brings together key stakeholders to highlight contributions that make a real difference for SMEs, and to affirm their essential role in building a fairer, more innovative and competitive Single Market.
Individual Award
Only SBS registered experts who were active during 2025 are eligible. Nominations may be submitted by the expert themselves (self-nomination) or by other experts or organisations who can attest to the candidate work and impact.
Applications can highlight the expert contributions at both European level (working groups in CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) and international level (e.g. ISO), including active participation, leadership roles, and concrete outcomes delivered on behalf of small businesses.
The jury is composed of:
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Before the vote, the SBS Secretariat reviews all nominations for eligibility, verifies the accuracy of submitted evidence, and ensures no candidate presents a conflict of interest.Â
Team Award
Anyone with a success story about how a standard has positively impacted SMEs is encouraged to nominate. This includes SMEs themselves, SME organisations, industry associations, standard setters, and any other stakeholder who can demonstrate tangible benefit for small businesses.
The jury is composed of:
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On stage, an official from the relevant standards organisation (e.g. ISO or CEN/CENELEC) or the convenor of the working group may be invited to receive the trophy on behalf of the standard.
1
4 May
Call for
applications
2
16 June
Submission
deadline
3
17 - 19 June
Selection
of finalists
4
29 June
Awards Ceremony
All qualifying nominations from both categories will be thoroughly evaluated and voted on by our panel of judges.
Dr. George Sharkov is Minister of e-Governance in Bulgaria, as well as an Associate Professor at the Institute for ICT at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He has 30 years of experience developing complex software, cyber resilient systems and trustworthy AI. George currently represents European digital SMEs and Small Business Standards in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Technical Committees on Cyber Security (TC CYBER) and Securing AI, as well as various ENISA and European Commission ad-hoc groups.
With over 25 years of advocacy experience at the local, regional, national, and
European levels, Véronique Willems has dedicated her career to counselling and
mentoring SMEs and shaping an SME-friendly business environment. She currently
serves as the Secretary General of SMEunited, the association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe.
An experienced manager of non-profit organisations, Philip van Nieuwenhuizen was elected President of Small Business Standards (SBS) in December 2025. He also serves as Vice President Sectoral Regional and Rural policy at SMEunited, Chair of the Committee on European SME Affairs at MKB-Nederland, and Past-President of the European Builders Confederation.
A member of the SBS Board, Gérard Bobier serves as the Vice President for Internal Affairs at CMA France, the French Assembly of Craft Chambers.
A seasoned manager and founder of two SMEs, Jon Echanove has extensive
experience in regulatory best practices, industrial and trade policies, and SMEs support tools. An expert in market access and quality infrastructure, he has an in-depth understanding of the European regulatory process and the challenges of supporting SMEs in its design and implementation. He joined SBS as Secretary General in 2025.
Submit your application for the SBS Awards. Choose one of the two categories below.
There are two distinct categories:
The timeline for the 2026 cycle is as follows:
