Inventive food producers, tech entrepreneurs, and a host of other business minds make up the 31 finalists for this year’s National Enterprise Awards hosted at Dublin’s Mansion House on May 23rd. The awards, now in its 24th year, and tenth under the supervision of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), annually celebrate Ireland’s finest small businesses.
John Magee, chair of the LEOs network, emphasises the importance of the event in acknowledging and celebrating small businesses in the country. He highlights how the awards highlight the excellent performance of LEOs’ clients across the nation. The individual LEOs manage their own competitions and the winners proceed to the national finals.
Magee speaks of the business diversity represented at the awards – a testament to the thriving small enterprise sector in Ireland. The range of industries covered include food and beverages, distilleries, bakeries, film production, furniture making, cybersecurity and customer relationship management systems, among others.
The spectrum of businesses among the 2024 finalists is impressive. Among them is Grá Chocolates, a Galway-based company churning out handcrafted chocolates known for their artistic appeal.
On the other side of the culinary scale, South Cork winner – the Feed Ducks Initiative, an international environmental project pairing with government bodies to facilitate a more sustainable method of feeding ducks in public parks. They supply solar-powered, contactless, duck food dispensers to parks free of charge, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to potentially harmful food like bread.
Watt Footprint, the innovative champion from Westmeath, has pioneered cutting-edge, AI-incorporated technology in the field of energy management and sophisticated sustainability. Their platform applies machine learning and integrates meter and bill data that allows companies to regulate their energy consumption and expenses.
The statement from Magee pointed towards the reflection of the local enterprise community during a certain period through the National Enterprise Awards. Participants are those who have approached their Local Enterprise Office (LEO) armed with innovative ideas and solutions. Their support assists these activists through the process of evolving and potentially transforming into high potential start-ups (HPSU), with Enterprise Ireland’s support. The provided aids embody varied facets like technology, training, and finances that help them expand, scale-up their visions, and accomplish their targets.
Emphasising the support towards small-scale businesses, Magee elaborates that approximately 95% of the Irish businesses involve a workforce of fewer than 10 individuals. The LEOs are acting pillars, supporting small firms in every Irish community, town, and village. These enterprises significantly contribute to the socio-economics by creating jobs, paying local authority rates, injecting life to rural areas, nourishing local economies, and reinfusing their revenues into these.
Apart from these noticeable boons, business founders emerge as idols for future entrepreneurs. As Magee mentions, many of the local enterprises initially work on resolving local issues. With their help, these entities expand their horizons from a local to a national and then to an international frame. Consequently, it increments employment, boosts local revenue, inspires neighbouring businesses, and even instills entrepreneurial culture locally. Moreover, it occasionally leads to the creation of fresh start-ups by individuals leaving these successful ventures, learning what it takes to thrive. All these benefits signify the utmost importance of the contribution of these successful enterprises towards the country, thereby also enhancing the essentiality of the work done by the LEOs. Their ability to fulfil market needs is incomparable.
Commenting on the upcoming year’s awards, Magee points out that successful finalists typically embody typical entrepreneurial traits. They usually have a deep understanding of how to address a market need. “Their success lies in spotting and understanding a market gap and proving that there’s a market within this gap,” he clarifies. Important to their success is their ambition, comprehension of the business opportunity and consideration of expansion from an early stage. They are offered a platform to aid growth and manifest their ambitions.
“What the adjudicators seek is that distinctive blend of an individual with robust entrepreneurial attitudes who has not only identified a market void but has also capitalised on it, invested and turned it into a successful business with scalability,” he elaborates.
Victory at the National Enterprise Award carries numerous benefits, one prime example being a reputational and marketing push. Magee highlights how “being recognised on the county level benefits the business by enhancing local awareness,” and emphasises an often overlooked advantage – confidence. This comes from the act of submitting the business for consideration, which in turn develops communication and other essential abilities. Magee adds that, “Every successful business needs to know how to sell itself, and the submission process assist entrepreneurs in this. Networking opportunities with peers also prove invaluable. Finalists can converse with fellow business owners, sharing successes and how they conquer obstacles.”
Identifying the National Enterprise Awards as a key event in the small business and enterprise calendar, Magee extols, “It’s always an exhilarating day. We’re thrilled to have Brian Dobson, the recently retired anchor from RTÉ news, resume his role as master of ceremonies. His consistent support has been invaluable over the years. We look forward to welcoming Minister Peter Burke to the festivities. The Local Enterprise Offices hold this event in high regard. There’s a profound honour in engaging with such incredible local entrepreneurs and listening to their inspiring stories.”