Food businesses among finalists for National Enterprise Awards
This is the 25th year of the Local Enterprise Office event, which was won last year by DreamDev Technologies, the Kildare-based company which developed an AI augmented platform.
This year there is a wide variety of finalists competing for the title of National Enterprise of the Year at a ceremony on May 22.
There is a selection of food businesses in the running this year including Naked Bakes from south Dublin, SOS Cookies from Limerick, Fused by Fiona Uyema from Kildare, jam maker Mór Taste from Wexford, and WONDR Jellies from Mayo, the world's first high-protein, low-sugar jellies.
Other agri-related businesses which have been shortlisted are online auction platform, MartEye based in Galway and Kerry Woolen Mills.
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.
National Enterprise Awards
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, they export to 22 countries and employ 150 people at their base in north Dublin.
Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, Kieran Comerford said; 'This is the 25th year of the National Enterprise Awards and one thing we see year on year is amazing diversity of businesses from across the country, all excelling in their sectors.
'The 31 finalists have made it to this point and that in itself is validation that these are companies are primed for growth.
'We are 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.'
The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of events that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
‘Outsourcing' RTÉ shows will put licence payers' money in private hands, committee to hear
RTÉ's decision to move the production of programmes like Fair City and the Late Late Show to outside companies is a case of putting more licence payers' money 'into the pockets of private-for-profit entities', an Oireachtas committee is expected to hear, and will lead to fewer long-term careers in Irish television and radio. Representatives from the RTÉ group of trade unions – comprising the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) , Siptu, Connect and Unite – will appear before the joint Oireachtas committee on media on Tuesday. The committee is scrutinising the Government's Broadcasting Amendment Bill, which, among other things, would require RTÉ to spend a quarter of its annual public funding on programming commissioned from the private sector. Trevor Keegan, co-chairman of the RTÉ trade union group, is also expected to tell committee members that unions were not consulted before the State broadcaster's recent decision to shelve its religious affairs programming department. How the wealthy are buying up land to avoid inheritance tax Listen | 22:03 In May, the broadcaster announced plans to switch production of some religious programming – specifically, 'Christian worship content' – to the private sector. Asked about the decision at the committee in May, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst denied that the organisation is phasing out religious programming altogether but said it hoped to get a better quality of product. READ MORE The union group is expected to tell the committee that the department, the 'latest casualty' of cost-cutting at the broadcaster, has 'effectively been shut down'. Meanwhile, the decision to move production of the Late Late Show and Fair City to private companies, which was first mooted last summer, is creating 'worries and fears' among workers in Montrose. Mr Bakhurst has previously denied that this amounts to the privatisation of RTÉ programming and said it would be 'commissioning' the programmes from third parties instead, as it does for other programming. He also previously challenged the unions' use of the word 'outsourcing' in this case. Mr Keegan will say that the group of unions does not object to improving the independent sector, but objects to the 'displacement of safe employment with defined career paths and security of tenure'. Aside from some larger firms, much independent programming is created by workers on short-term contracts with 'fragile protections' and this model is not 'conducive to long-term careers in TV and radio production'. The 'farming out' of programming 'is simply putting more licence payers' money into the pockets of private for-profit entities', the committee is expected to hear. The union group will also express disappointment with the Government's decision to 'ignore' the Future of Media Commission's recommendation to abolish the licence fee and fund public service broadcasting through the exchequer. Siptu, meanwhile, will tell the committee that the Bill is an important opportunity to protect the future of public service broadcasting in the State. However, mandating RTÉ to spend at least 25 per cent of its public funding on privately produced programming 'could become a mechanism for outsourcing RTÉ production', Adrian Kane, Siptu services divisional organiser, will tell committee members, unless 'properly safeguarded'. The union's position is that increased funding should support new content and employment, 'not a reallocation of work' done by RTÉ workers, Mr Kane will say.
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
First Home Scheme: Almost 3,700 homes bought using State's shared equity scheme since its launch three years ago
Close to 3,700 homes have been bought using the First Home Scheme since it was launched this month three years ago, and thousands more have been approved to use the scheme. The First Home Scheme is a €740m fund set up to help first-time buyers bridge the gap between their mortgage, deposit and the price of a new home. It is part of the Government's Housing for All strategy. Scheme bosses said €240m in support was provided for the purchase of 3,691 homes since it launched in July 2022. There was a 22pc increase in homes bought using the scheme in its third year compared with the previous year, latest figures show. Buyers in Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Meath and Wicklow represent the biggest proportion of users of the scheme. It only applies to new properties, including self-builds and apartments. Under the scheme, the State provides an interest-free equity for a six-year period for a stake of up to 30pc in the home. There are maximum property-price ceilings for each local authority area. The scheme is a joint venture between the State and three banks – currently AIB (including subsidiaries EBS and Haven), Bank of Ireland and PTSB – and remains open to other authorised mortgage lenders in the Irish market joining it. The latest update shows continued strong interest in the scheme, with 7,605 buyers approved to use it. More than 17,300 potential buyers or self-builders have registered their interest in it. The average price for homes purchased or built using the scheme is €386,000. The average support being provided by the First Home Scheme in these cases is around €66,000. This works out at 17pc of the average purchase price. We're encouraged by the level of appetite among first-time buyers More than six out of 10 of those using the shared equity arrangement are also availing of the Help to Buy scheme, an initiative that gives prospective house buyers a tax rebate of up to €30,000 when buying new-build properties. Most of the live approvals have been for buyers in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, with the remaining 28pc spread across the other 21 counties. Chief executive of the First Home Scheme, Michael Broderick said: 'As we enter our fourth year in business, we're encouraged by the level of appetite among first-time buyers who can see how the scheme can make home ownership possible for them.' He said there was capacity to help more first-time buyers, as well as people who want to build their own homes and tenants who want to buy their current homes from their landlords. 'We'd encourage anyone looking to buy or build their first home to check out what we offer,' he said. Earlier this month, the price ceilings that apply in 16 local authority areas were increased. Mr Broderick said this was to reflect local market conditions and that these changes will allow even more buyers to qualify for the scheme. The raising of the price ceiling for the First Home Scheme will mean every new house valued at €500,000 or less in a private development in Dublin city or county, or in Wicklow, will now be eligible for the scheme.
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
PHP eyesinvestment of €75m in three new medical facilities
The UK stock market-listed business has 22 properties including in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Cork. Leases to the HSE and other government bodies account for around 75pc of income in Ireland but tenants also include Laya, after the business made a €22m acquisition of the property housing the Laya Health & Wellbeing Clinic, in Cork, earlier this year. In a trading update yesterday, PHP said it continues to see significant growth opportunities in Ireland driven by sustained Government investment, including the three potential 'forward funded' developments, a model where developers build with an end customer locked in as funder. 'We continue to monitor a number of potential opportunities in Ireland and in particular three forward funded developments with an expected cost of approximately €75m being progressed by our development partner in Ireland,' the trading update said. PHP CEO Mark Davies has previously said he would like to double the size of the Irish portfolio in the next three to five years. As of June 30, the portfolio in Ireland comprised 22 standing and fully let properties, valued at €340.9m. Meanwhile, the same trading update showed rent reviews covering 14 of the Irish properties resulted in significant increases of 16pc and an annualised increase of 3.4pc – adding a combined £400,000 (€465,000) to a rent role that had been £2.7m. PHP had previously argued that the HSE needed to increase the rents it was willing to pay by 'about 20pc' in order for new build projects to be investible. Mr Davies said PHP's strong operational and financial performance was driven by rental growth across the portfolio, a value-accretive acquisition in Ireland, valuation gains and another period of dividend growth. 'The improving rental growth outlook and a stabilisation of our property yields at 5.25pc signal that we've moved through a key inflexion point in the property cycle with a very encouraging outlook ahead,' he said. Meanwhile, PHP is pushing ahead with a proposed merger with sector rival Assura. The combination will create a UK REIT with a £6bn portfolio of long-leased, government-backed healthcare assets.
