The Finalists for this year’s National Enterprise Awards have been announced. The 31 companies from across Ireland will compete for the top prize at the awards on the 22nd May.
The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country.
This is the 25th year of the Local Enterprise Office initiative, which was won last year by DreamDev Technologies, the Kildare based company who developed an AI augmented platform to help companies to significantly increase their product’s time to market.
This year there is a wide variety of finalists competing for the title of National Enterprise of the Year. Those include TAPiTAG from Westmeath who develop NFC-powered digital solutions, including business cards, marketing tags, and donation platforms and have over 45,000 users in 75 countries. Another finalist is Spellings for Me from Tipperary who have developed an AI-powered personalised spelling programme, designed for primary schools and home learning.
The Finalists compete for a prize fund of €50,000 and along with an overall National Enterprise of the Year winner there are categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, an Innovation Award, a One-to-Watch Award, and a Sustainability Award.
There will also be an Outstanding Achievement Award presented on the night to an Irish business who started with the support of their Local Enterprise Office and has gone on to achieve international success. This year’s Outstanding Achievement Award will go to Keoghs Farm. In 2011, Tom Keogh created the Keoghs Crisp brand and from what was a 200-year-old potato farm, the company now exports to 22 countries and employs 150 people at their base in north county Dublin.
"The 31 finalists have made it to this point and that in itself is validation that these are companies are primed for growth," said Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices.
"We excited to see who takes home the prizes in the final but we’re also excited to see the next steps that these companies make in their areas as they all have the potential to become significant Irish businesses both here and internationally over the coming years."
