Business
List of Competitions for Irish Businesses to Enter
Last Updated: 30th September 2021
Business Award Competitions are GREAT for exposure, and SEO, even if you are ‘just’ nominated. And one of the best things about winning an award, is that you’re pretty much guaranteed some nice SEO links back to your site.
Here are a list of Irish Business/Company Award Competitions;
If you have a website or blog – or even a Social Media profile – that you think deserves a prize, check out this link, which has a list of website and blog related competitions.
EY Entrepreneur of the Year
There are three categories; Emerging, Industry and International – Judges choose the category most suitable for you. Nominees must own at least 5% of a company. Nominations closed for 2021.
2015 SME Awards
These awards have been running since 2015.
There are ten Categories:
- Emerging New Business
- Exporter of the Year
- Food & Drink
- Innovator of the Year
- Manufacturing
- Outstanding Small Business
- Retail
- Services
- Sustainability
- Workplace Wellbeing
These awards are mainly for businesses and companies established more than 2 years ago, with the exception of the first category – ‘Emerging New Business’.Free Entry. All finalists received the following prize package to the value of €50,000: Nominations currently open for 2022, deadline 20th October 2021, 5pm.
Irish Times Innovation Awards
For businesses in the following sectors:
- Agri Food Industry
- Bioscience Industry
- Energy/Enviroment Industries
- Manufacturing Industry
- Creative Industry
- IT/Telecommuncations Industries
National Enterprise Awards
Currently closed for entries. Ran by the Local Enterprise Offices (by county and then nationally).
Innovation Arena 2021 in association with Enterprise Ireland and the NPA
Currently closed for entries.
There are 14 Categories:
- Overall Winner (Established Company)
- Sustainable Agriculture Award
- Overall Winner (Start-up company)
- Vet Technology Award
- Agricultural Engingeering Award
- ACE Agritech Centre of Excellence Award
- Agritech Start-up Award
- Agritech Established Company Award
- Agri-safety Award:
- One to Watch Award
- Young Innovator of the Year
- Best Newcomer Award: Mooncyst International, Cork
- On Farm Innovation Award
- AgTechUCD Startup Award
Business & Finance Awards
Currently open for entries. Ran in association with KPMG.
Five categories:
- Company of the Year
- Business Person of the Year
- Elevation Award in association with Enterprise Ireland
- FDI of the Year
- Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award
Competitions/Awards not Currently Running
These are included both as an FYI, but also because sometimes you might see these awards run again.
Bash Create Awards
No longer running. Was for wedding related businesses, last ran in 2014.
So, any more? Have you entered your business into a competition before? Please let me know in the comments below!!
IEDR Optimise
If you are a small or micro-business owner, you can apply for one of 15 places on this year’s OPTIMISE Fund worth €150,000. ran from 2011 to 2019.
SFA Awards
No longer running since 2017.
eircom DigitalBoost
No longer running. It was free to enter this competition. The prize included:
- a free app for your business
- a mobile marketing consultation with our expert
- a mobile strategy consultation with our expert
- Sony tablet and smartphone
- unlimited business mobile plan for 18 months
- PR and promotional benefits
. . . and there are six of those prizes for six different businesses.
Selection was by a panel. For full details, check out: Eircom’s Digital Boost.