ENERGY STAR’s annual awards for small businesses and congregations recognize outstanding upgrades to the facilities of competitively judged applicants. In addition to this category, ENERGY STAR also designates a small number of “special awards” each year for which there is no application process. These special awards do not recognize the winners’ own facility upgrades, but rather recognize associations, utilities and other organizations for providing outstanding support and/or programs for energy efficiency upgrades by small businesses or congregations.