The Australian chamber of commerce movement ran a national campaign in 2013 which had the central message that small business was “too big to ignore”. Now it appears the judges of an international competition for policy advocacy have come to the same conclusion with the campaign being listed as one of four finalists.

The Australian campaign is being presented in a prestigious competition during the World Chambers Congress underway in Torino, Italy.

The Small Business. Too Big to Ignore campaign put the case for two million small businesses on the national political agenda in the 2013 election campaign.

While it was an Australia-wide campaign in which the Canberra-based Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry played the lead role, the state chambers, including Business SA, played a supporting role.

Business SA chief executive, Nigel McBride – who is representing the SA chamber in Italy – said being named a finalist in the competition showed that the issues embodied in the Small Business. Too Big to Ignore campaign resonated anywhere in the world.

“Small businesses are the backbones of all economies but can only make the maximum possible contribution if governments hear their voices and respond accordingly with relevant, well-crafted policies for the sector,” McBride said.

ACCI chief executive Kate Carnell said “we are honoured to be a finalist for this great award – it is a testament to the hard work of the ACCI members and business leaders who helped put together this high-impact campaign”.

The Australian entry for Best Policy Advocacy Project is competing against two projects from Ireland and one from Chile. The winner will be announced on Saturday, Australian time.