US Chamber of Commerce Dream Big Awards
US Chamber of Commerce Foundation
$25K (cash prize — verify)
US Chamber CO—100: SMB recognition program (entry fee applies)
The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation's recognition program for outstanding US small businesses has been rebranded as the CO—100 List for the 2026 cycle. The 2026 program has a $300 (early) / $350 (regular) application fee and selects 10 category winners with a July 23, 2026 deadline. The separate Dream Big 'Small Business of the Year' award with a $25,000 cash prize may continue — verify current prize structure at uschamber.com. Note: the free-entry model from prior years no longer applies for the CO—100 program.
- Funding type
- Award
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $25,000
- Realistic amount
- Category winners receive recognition, PR, and smaller awards; only the grand prize winner receives the $25,000 cash priz…
- Deadline
- 2026 cycle deadline: July 23, 2026 (CO—100 program). Application fee: $300 early / $350 regular.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- US-based small business
- 250 or fewer employees
- For-profit entity
- 2026 CO—100 program: $300 early / $350 regular application fee required
- Chamber of Commerce membership is NOT required to apply
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Any legitimate business expense — the grant is unrestricted cash
- Technology and equipment
- Marketing and expansion
- Hiring
- Inventory or operations
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
- Non-business uses
- Political contributions
How to apply
-
1
Select your award category
Choose which of the seven categories best fits your business: Grand Prize, Community Impact, Resilience, Innovation, Inner City Business, Entrepreneur of the Year, or other available categories for the current cycle.
~1 hrs
-
2
Submit online application
Complete the free online application with business overview, founding story, number of employees, and revenue information.
~1 hrs
-
3
Write your impact narrative
Each category requires a specific narrative — e.g., Community Impact asks for documented community contributions; Innovation asks for description of breakthrough products/services.
~1 hrs
-
4
Finalist evaluation
A panel of judges reviews all applications. Finalists may be contacted for additional information or an interview.
~1 hrs
-
5
Winners announced at summit
Winners are announced at the America's Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. Grand prize winner receives $25,000 and national recognition.
~1 hrs
Chamber membership is not required. The 2026 program requires a $300–$350 entry fee — factor this in before applying. Applying in a specific category gives you a better shot than the open grand prize pool — niche categories have fewer entrants. Verify whether the $25K cash prize applies to the 2026 CO—100 cycle before paying the entry fee.
Deadline & timing
The 2026 program is running as CO—100 (rebranded from Dream Big Awards). Deadline: July 23, 2026. Entry fee: $300 (early) / $350 (regular) — this is a significant change from prior free-entry years. Verify the $25K cash prize eligibility for the current cycle at uschamber.com before investing application effort.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.