Washington—In recognition of his work to foster the growth of small businesses in Indiana and across the country, Sen. Evan Bayh was presented the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) during a ceremony at the United States Capitol.

Sen. Bayh was selected by the NFIB for supporting efforts to provide small businesses with tax relief, bring down energy costs for small businesses and simplify the regulatory and paperwork burdens faced by small firms.

“Small businesses are the engine that powers American economic growth,” said Bayh, a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. “It is an honor to receive this award and I thank the NFIB for their work to build entrepreneurship, foster independent business development and strengthen our national economy.”

The National Federation of Independent Business is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing small and independent businesses in Washington and all 50 state capitals. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses. NFIB President & CEO Todd Stottlemyer presented the award to Sen. Bayh on Thursday.

“The record shows that Sen. Bayh is a true champion of small business,” said Stottlemyer. “This award reflects our members’ appreciation for supporting the NFIB pro-growth agenda for small business.”

Bayh has long worked to foster the growth of small business in Indiana and nationally. In the Senate, Bayh has fought to secure funding for small business growth through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. He has also worked to ease the costs of health care for small business owners seeking to provide coverage for their employees.

His annual Job Fair and Small Business Summits across the state provide training and networking opportunities to small business owners and put local job seekers in touch with potential employers. This year’s job fairs will be held from Oct. 14-17 across Indiana.

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