Awards Eligibility

In order for a small business to be eligible for a CoolCalifornia Small Business Award, the small business (applicant) must meet the following requirements:

  • Applicant must not be a prior CoolCalifornia Business of the Year winner (i.e., if your business won a Business of the Year award before, you are not eligible to win again). Note: Previous CoolCalifornia Climate Leader award winners are eligible to compete for a Business of the Year Award.
  • Applicant must be a small business as defined by the California Department of General Services.
  • Applicant must not be: a franchise; a government entity; a non-profit organization or business; a K-16 educational institution.
  • Applicant must be in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations (e.g. air, water, waste, etc.).
  • Applicant must be in compliance with any applicable business license, permit, and certificate requirements in the State of California. Refer to CalGold and the U.S. Small Business Administration website for information.
  • If the applicant’s business is a corporation, it must be in good standing with the Secretary of State.
  • Application must be legible and complete. It can be submitted electronically (through the CoolCalifornia website) or by U.S. mail in hard copy. [Do not hand deliver].
  • The completed application and all supporting documents must be received by ARB electronically by 11:59pm PST or postmarked (hard copy submittal) by the due date of December 4, 2017.
  • Application must be signed by the business owner or someone with signature authority for the business.

Award Recipient Requirements

  • All award recipients will be asked to send an executive/senior staff member to the awards ceremony to receive formal recognition of their award.
  • All award recipients must be willing to provide their business logo for inclusion in the CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards program guide and promotional collateral (banners, fact sheets, small business case study, etc.).
  • All award recipients must be willing to be photographed and videotaped during the awards ceremony and reception. The video and photos will be made available to the awardees after the event and, thereafter, made available for the general public.