BASA Awards®

What BASA Awards® does

BASA Awards® (legal entity BASA Pacific L.t.d.) is a privately held, US-based operator of an annual online small-business recognition competition known formally as the Best of America Small Business Awards. Founded in 2019 in Atlanta, the company runs an annual cycle organized around six tracks and more than 150 categories, with public voting and a paid trophy product — the handmade "Atlanta Trophy," crafted by Italian artist Ithaca — sold to winners for $289 plus shipping. The core technology backbone is the Zealous platform, which handles submissions and public voting; the company layers Shopify for commerce, Stripe and Airwallex for payment processing (including international currencies), and MailJet for email communications.

The company monetizes through a tiered entry-fee structure ($150/$50 Early Bird, $160/$60 Early, $185/$75 Regular) and trophy sales, with no outside venture capital or institutional funding. It is bootstrapped and independently financed. The 2024 cycle drew 7,215 public votes, which expanded to 23,521 votes in the 2025 cycle — an approximately 226% year-over-year increase — indicating rapid growth in entrant and audience engagement. Leadership includes Anna Stella as Awards Expert and Dan Rossi as Director. The company holds registered trademarks in both the United States and England/Wales.

Strategically, BASA Awards® is evolving from a single annual awards event into a broader small-business media and recognition brand. Recent moves include partnerships with four chambers of commerce, production of international promotional flyers targeting the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia, and the launch of the "Best of Business Show" YouTube series, which is actively casting participants. The company serves the long tail of the US small-business market — a population of approximately 32.5 million firms — with no individual customer representing material concentration risk.

Name

BASA Awards®

Legal name

BASA Pacific L.t.d.

Website

https://basawards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BASA Awards® (BASA Pacific L.t.d.) is a privately held, Atlanta-founded operator of an annual US online small-business recognition competition running since 2019. It serves small businesses across six tracks and 150+ categories, monetizing via tiered entry fees and handmade trophy sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Awards & Recognition

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAFAMAD

Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Promotional Products & Sales Promotion Services

Keywords

• Small business awards
• Business recognition
• Awards program
• Industry awards
• Online awards platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Award Entry Fees: Primary revenue from entry fees paid by small businesses submitting nominations. Fees vary by deadline period: Early Bird ($150 first entry, $50 additional), Early Registration ($160/$60), and Regular ($185/$75). Additional revenue from trophy sales ($290 per Atlanta Trophy plus shipping).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BASA Awards® runs an annual online awards program exclusively for US small businesses, organized into 6 tracks and 150+ categories. Customers pay entry fees per nomination, finalists are selected through independent judging and public voting, and winners receive a trophy (The Atlanta) hand-cast in Italy that can be purchased online.

Product overview

BASA Awards® operates the Best of America Small Business Awards, an annual online competition for U.S. small businesses. The core offering is the awards program itself across 6 tracks (Best Small Business, Best Startup, Best Entrepreneur, Best in Class, Best Campaigns, Best in Tech) with 150+ categories. Participants submit entries through the Zealous platform, judged by an independent panel, with finalists advancing to public voting. The product portfolio includes the main awards program, the Atlanta Trophy (handmade ceramic award available for purchase), Winner/Finalist/TopList certificates and digital kits containing promotional assets, winner seals and badges for marketing use, the Entry Kit for application guidance, public voting platform, and free consultation services. Winners gain Hall of Fame placement, certificates, and access to promotional campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BASA Awards® Program Annual online awards program in which US small business owners submit paid nominations across 6 tracks and 150+ categories; finalists are selected via independent judging and public voting, and winners receive recognition including a trophy, certificates, and digital assets.
• The Atlanta Trophy Heavy, hand-cast physical trophy named The Atlanta, manufactured in Italy, sold directly to BASA Awards® winners and other buyers via an online storefront at three price tiers ($595, $895, $1,495).

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% income boost reported by small companies that win awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Colorado Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of commerce partner supporting the BASA Awards program and small business recognition initiatives.
• Cullman Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of commerce partner supporting the BASA Awards program.
• Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partner supporting Hispanic small business representation in the awards.
• LAX Coastal Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partner in the Los Angeles area supporting small business awards.
• Ithaca Art (Arte in Terracotta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian artist studio that designs and manufactures the Atlanta Trophy. The statuette is 100% handmade in ceramic with real gold luster, taking approximately 5 months to manufacture 160 statuettes.
• ZealouscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party award platform used for application submission and management. Participants upload their entries through Zealous.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Inc. 5000: The leading US ranking and recognition program for fast-growing private companies, predominantly small and mid-sized businesses. Serves as both a competitor for SMB mindshare and a benchmark for category credibility that BASA positions itself against.
• EY Entrepreneur Of The Year: Long-established business awards program recognizing ambitious entrepreneurs globally, run by a Big Four firm with far greater brand equity and resources. Competes for the same high-achieving small business owner demographic that BASA targets.

Direct peers

• NYX Awards: International awards program with online submission, tiered entry fees, and trophy fulfillment across business, marketing, and creative categories. Comparable to BASA in structure, monetization, and SMB/Mid-market positioning.
• Muse Awards: International paid-entry business and creative awards program with tiered entry fees, trophy fulfillment, and promotional assets for winners — highly comparable to BASA's pricing tiers, digital submission flow, and winner marketing toolkit.
• TITAN Business Awards: International paid-entry business awards program operating across multiple industry categories with online submission, judging, and trophy fulfillment — closely mirrors BASA's award structure, pricing model, and SMB/mid-market target audience.
• Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards: Long-running business awards program with paid entries, independent judging, and winner recognition across multiple categories. Comparable to BASA in paid-entry awards mechanics and SMB-targeted value proposition.
• Stevie Awards: Operates multiple business awards programs (American Business Awards, International Business Awards, Stevie Awards for Women in Business) accepting paid entries from companies and recognizing winners through trophies and promotional kits — directly comparable to BASA's business model and SMB targeting.
• The Business Excellence Awards: Online paid-entry awards program honoring business excellence across multiple industry categories with digital certificates and promotional assets — operates on a near-identical business model to BASA, targeting SMBs seeking third-party credibility.

Emerging players

• Comparably: Workplace culture and employer awards platform providing SMB-recognition-style rankings and badges for companies. Adjacent in providing SMBs with credibility signals through structured awards/recognition, though focused on employer brand rather than general business excellence.
• Clutch: B2B ratings and awards platform for service SMBs, providing recognition through leader awards, top company badges, and review-driven credibility signals. Competes for SMB marketing budget and attention in the recognition/credibility category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebasawards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/basawards
• Instagraminstagram.com/basawards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BASA Awards®