(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- With nearly 665 million entrepreneurs worldwide building businesses that will shape the future economy, a staggering 99% may never receive formal recognition for their achievements.

This gap costs innovative companies critical visibility, investor attention, and market credibility.

With its launch, the Global Impact Award introduces a new standard in entrepreneurial recognition. A merit-based, internationally accessible awards platform celebrating excellence across 25+ categories spanning innovation, sustainability, market impact, and leadership.

The Overlooked Business Minority That Is the Majority
SMEs are the backbone of nearly every economy, representing roughly 90% of all businesses and accounting for more than half of global employment. Yet despite their scale and innovation potential, general and corporate awards have celebrated large institutions instead.

The traditional awards system has created what industry analysts call the "entrepreneurship recognition gap." While prestigious awards historically centered on North American and European markets, 70% of global entrepreneurial activity occurs in emerging economies where recognition infrastructure remains limited.

While awards such as Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, TIME100 Impact, and established entrepreneurship awards spotlight certain sectors and geographies, systemic barriers still exclude many high-performing impact businesses.

GIA is carving its place as the next evolution in the best startup awards and digital innovation awards. It not only celebrates achievement but acts as a catalyst for business visibility, investor confidence, and partnership growth across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Digital & Sustainability Trend Insights
In recent years, digital transformation and sustainability imperatives have become central to business innovation. A 2023 World Economic Forum piece noted that up to 67% of SMEs and mid-sized businesses struggle to fully survive unless they embrace digitalization, given resource constraints and competitive pressures.

Consequently, the WEF's“Sustainability Meets Growth” initiative (2025) hints that embedding ESG strategies into SME growth is no longer optional but essential.

Beyond recognition, the Global Impact Awards highlight the broader ecosystem of global branding. GIA categories align with creative marketing awards, public relations awards, and Brand of the Year honors, a holistic approach that reflects what success truly means in modern entrepreneurship.

The Global Impact Award's Mission in Filling The Gap
The Global Impact Award is designed to spotlight the high-impact innovators who often fly under the radar. It combines the prestige of company excellence awards with a transparent, accessible award nomination process designed for fairness and credibility.

Through its fully online award submissions platform, GIA addresses these systemic gaps through three foundational principles: accessibility, transparency, and tangible impact. Unlike most business recognition awards, GIA features diverse industry-specific awards across categories such as FinTech, GreenTech, EdTech, HealthTech, and Social Enterprise.

The initiative also champions inclusion by recognizing women in leadership, youth, and talent awards, as well as employee recognition programs, reflecting the changing face of global business excellence.

At the heart of GIA's credibility lies its rigorous judging criteria for awards, combining quantitative results, innovation, and social impact under a transparent, bias-free framework.

Each submission is evaluated by an international panel of experts from innovation, finance, and sustainability sectors, ensuring authenticity and trust. GIA publishes its evaluation framework publicly, separating revenue generation from judging decisions entirely.

"Excellence exists everywhere...in Lagos and London, in two-person startups and 200-employee scale-ups," said Ken, GIA Co-founder. "Our mission is to find that excellence, celebrate it credibly, and amplify it meaningfully."

The Global Impact Award 2025 is now accepting nominations via the GIA Website . With nomination fees starting at $299, significantly below the $500-$5,000 range of traditional awards, GIA ensures deserving businesses at any stage can compete.

Organizations from all continents, small startups to scale-ups, are encouraged to apply. Winners will receive global publicity, endorsement, and a network of growth opportunities.

About Global Impact Award
The Global Impact Awards is an international recognition platform celebrating entrepreneurs and organizations creating measurable global impact.

With a transparent award nomination process, digital evaluation system, and global panel of judges, GIA amplifies credibility, visibility, and opportunity for high-impact ventures.

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