Every year, the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) celebrates outstanding local entrepreneurs through the SOE Awards, a tribute to their edication, innovation, and contribution to Singapore’s economy. Each Award Honouree is carefully selected from a pool of nominees interviewed by students, showcasing how collaboration and shared learning can highlight the very best of local enterprise.
The SOE Award isn’t just about trophies or titles. It’s about people: the dreamers, the doers, and the determined individuals who build businesses that uplift others. By recognising these changemakers, the Award encourages fair business practices, innovation, and the continued growth of entrepreneurship in Singapore. Over the years, more than 550 local entrepreneurs have been celebrated for their hard work and resilience.
Notable past Honourees include visionaries behind beloved homegrown brands such as Charles & Keith, Dian Xiao Er, HungryGoWhere.com, PropNex Realty, and Ya Kun Kaya Toast. Their success stories continue to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to dream big and take bold steps towards their goals.
Award Categories
Among all business awards in Singapore, SOE stands out for its heart, shining a light on each entrepreneur who not only grows their businesses but also gives back to the community.
SOE-PropNex Top Honouree of the Year Award
SOE-Dian Xiao Er Social Contributions Award
SOE-EATZ Sustainability Award
Nomination Process
Nominations are open to anyone who wants to celebrate local talent, from members of the public and tertiary students to SOE’s Board of Governors.
Getting Nominated
Preliminary Screening
Interviews
Preparation of
Interview Reports
Judging and Selection
Awards Presentation Ceremony
Qualifying Criteria
- Nominee must be a Singapore Citizen or a Singapore Permanent Resident, and at least 21 years old
- Company must be registered and currently operating in Singapore, and must have been in operation for at least the past three years (for established companies)
- Company has good standing in the industry and with the relevant authorities, and is not involved in any legal proceedings
- Company must have at least 30% local equity, and the nominated entrepreneur must own at least 30% of the shares. Government investment programme should not be a principal shareholder of the company
Participation Requirements
- The SOE Awards is open for nomination by SOE’s Board of Governors, SOE Alumni, appointed Student Interviewers and, entrepreneurs (self-nomination)
- All nominees must complete the nomination form and submit the required supporting documents to SOE for preliminary screening to ensure that the qualifying criteria have been met
- Appointed Student Interviewers will contact shortlisted nominees for interviews and site visits, submit their interview reports and documents, and the judging panel will review and make the final selection of awardees
Award Acceptance Conditions
- Winners will be conferred the SOE Award on a complimentary basis; i.e., no payment is required to receive the Award
- If selected as an Award Honouree, the entrepreneur must be present at the SOE Awards to accept the Award during the Presentation Ceremony
- Nominees agree that SOE has the right to feature/publish their stories and interview transcripts on the SOE website and in related collateral
- SOE will not pay any royalties to nominees and honourees for publishing their stories
Judging Criteria
All nominees will be assessed based on the following:
Leadership
- Focuses on the organisation’s leadership, mission, vision and values, governance system, as well as responsibility to the community and the environment
Strategy
- Focuses on the development and implementation of strategic plans based on the organisation’s external environment and internal capabilities. The plans should address current and future challenges as well as the organisation’s mission and vision
People
- Focuses on how the potential of employees is effectively harnessed to achieve excellence
Customer
- Focuses on how the organisation understands market and customer requirements, and future trends to build relationships with customers and create superior customer experiences
Entrepreneur’s Personality and Business Profile Financial Performance
- Focuses on organisation’s long term sustainability
Be Part of the Next Chapter
Applicants are encouraged to download and review the relevant Awards Nomination Kit before submitting an application.
- For the Established or Start-up categories, please refer to the Nomination Kit here and submit your application via the Nominee Registration Form for Established/Start-up categories.
- For the Micro-business category, please refer to the Micro-business Nomination Kit and submit your application via the Nominee Registration Form for Micro-business category.
Simply sign in to your Google account to access and submit your application. Nominations for the SOE Awards 2026 will close on 20 March 2026 – your chance to join a legacy of remarkable entrepreneurship and local success stories.