Ernst & Young is seeking nominations for its 2009 Entrepreneur of The Year award. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Self-nominations are encouraged, and there is no fee to apply.

Last year, approximately 250 entrepreneurs from across the nation were selected as award winners from more than 1,500 nominations. Past award winners have included Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Wayne Huizenga of Huizenga Holdings, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, and last year's national winner, Matthew Szulik of Red Hat, Inc.

To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must be an owner/manager of a private or public company who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company and an active member of top management. Additionally, the nominee's company must be at least two years old. Application forms must be received by March 16, 2009.

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