LAHORE: Payoneer, a financial platform for cross-border business and global payments, has opened nominations for the sixth edition of Payoneer Pakistan Cross-Border Excellence Awards.
The awards recognise the Pakistani businesses, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are winning clients, customers and markets abroad, said Payoneer on Wednesday. The awards arrive at a defining moment for the country’s digital economy. Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services exports reached a record USD 4.6 billion in FY2025-26, up nearly 21 percent from USD 3.8 billion a year earlier, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
It continued that the momentum has carried into the new fiscal year: IT exports in September 2026 stood at USD 435 million, 19 percent higher than a year earlier. With the government targeting USD 10 billion in IT exports by FY2028-29 under its Uraan Pakistan plan, the awards aim to give the businesses driving that ambition a stage that matches their contribution. Nominations are free and close on November 15, 2026. Entries can be submitted at https://payoneerevents.com/.
Commenting on the launch, Nagesh Devata, Senior Vice President and Head of APAC at Payoneer, said, “Pakistan’s export growth is being driven by businesses that win global clients every day: software houses, AI start-ups, gaming studios and consumer brands, many based well beyond the major cities. These awards recognise the innovation and resilience it takes to compete in global markets.”
The award structure reflects the diversity of Pakistan’s cross-border economy, recognising distinct business models on their own terms rather than folding them into a single catch-all prize. The awards are open to businesses of every size, from established exporters with hundreds of employees to independent professionals working alone.
Technology and services exporters are recognised across four categories: Software Development Company, AI Innovation, Gaming Studio, and Digital Marketing Agency. Commerce exporters are recognised in two categories: E-Commerce Seller and Direct-to-Consumer Brand. Meanwhile, two categories celebrate individual achievement: Freelancer and Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
The awards ceremony will take place in Lahore on November 27, bringing together service exporters, founders, industry bodies, and global partners for an evening dedicated to the people building Pakistan’s presence in world markets.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026