The Small Firms Association (SFA) National Small Business Awards 2021 have been officially launched by Awards Patron, An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD.
The aim of the awards is to celebrate the achievements of small business in Ireland and to recognise the vital contribution of the small business community to the Irish economy.
The Awards are free to enter and the prize package for ALL finalists is valued at €50,000. It includes a strategic management masterclass weekend, participation in the virtual SFA Business Connect event, a feature in a special awards supplement inserted in the Irish Independent, as well as broad-ranging national and local media coverage.
Finalists also receive five complementary tickets to the gala prize giving ceremony which is scheduled to take place in the RDS in March 2021 when the category winners and overall winner will be announced.
The category winners will be presented with a trophy and free membership of the Small Firms Association. The overall winner will also receive a bursary of €5,000 to present to a charity of their choice (funded by the 2013 Overall Winner, Megazyme International Ireland).
The competition is open to all companies in Ireland with up to 50 employees and the categories are:
Manufacturing - supported by NSAI
Food and Drink – supported by Bord Bia
Services – supported by Ibec Management Training
Outstanding Small Business — up to five employees – supported by One4All
Innovator of the Year –supported by Permanent tsb
Sustainability – supported by SBCI
Workplace Wellbeing – supported by De Care
Small Business Exporter of the Year – supported by Enterprise Ireland
Small firms (employing less than 50 people) have from 14 September until 22 October 2020 to enter free of charge on www.sfa.ie/awards.
Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, "The SFA National Small Business Awards are very important, particularly as we live with Covid-19. These awards acknowledge innovation, resilience, strength and the importance of the small business sector to the Irish economy and, in particular, to the future of the Irish economy. We need agility, flexibility and adaptability in the midst of the global pandemic and there is no better entity than a small business to demonstrate these characteristics."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
