Limerick Chamber Announces the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards 2024 in association with Technological University of the Shannon and AIB as Main Sponsor for President’s Dinner
Limerick Chamber is excited to announce the launch of the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards 2024, sponsored by TUS for the 13th consecutive year. Additionally, AIB will remain as sponsor of the Limerick Chamber President’s Dinner taking place in November.
Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards 2024
The Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of businesses in Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, and North Kerry. The awards are open to businesses of all sizes and sectors, with no requirement to be a Chamber member. The closing date for entries is 15 September 2024.
Award Categories for 2024:
- Sustainability Leadership Award 2024 Sponsored by EY
Criteria: This award honours businesses in the Mid-West Region that excel in environmental sustainability, demonstrating leadership and community impact. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 12 months and show significant integration of sustainability into their core strategies and operations. - Best Emerging Business 2024 Sponsored by Limerick City and County Council
Criteria: This award honours innovative businesses in the Mid-West Region trading for 5 years or less. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 12 months and demonstrate a compelling opportunity with innovation in their model, process, service, or product. Exceptions apply for businesses with long commercialization processes. - Best Not-for-Profit 2024 Sponsored by Northern Trust
Criteria: This award honours not-for-profit organizations in the Mid-West Region with a significant positive community impact in areas like social, economic, environmental, or cultural development. Eligible organizations must have been operating for at least 12 months, be organized, non-profit distributing, independent, voluntary, self-governing, and contribute to the public good. - Best SME Award 2024 Sponsored by AIB
Criteria: This award honours SMEs in the Mid-West Region, trading for more than 3 years, that create world-class products and services while setting high benchmarks. Eligible SMEs must have been operating for at least 5 years and 12 months in the Limerick City Region. They must employ fewer than 250 persons and have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euros. - Best Employer: Champion of Employee Well-being and Development 2024 Sponsored by Shannon Airport Group
Criteria: This award recognizes businesses in the Mid-West Region that excel in employee wellbeing and development. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 24 months and qualify as either an SME or large company. Judges will evaluate work-life balance, employee health programs, career development, diversity and inclusion initiatives, employee engagement, barrier reduction, compliance with labour laws, and continuous improvement in employee benefits. - Innovation Impact Business Award 2024 Sponsored by Holmes
Criteria: This award recognizes businesses in the Mid-West Region that excel in implementing innovative practices, products, services, or business models. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 12 months and qualify as a Micro, SME, or large company. Judges will evaluate the novelty of the innovation, its business impact, collaboration efforts, culture of innovation, and effective use of technology. - Best Contribution to the Community 2024 Sponsored by Limerick Chamber Skillnet
Criteria: This award celebrates businesses in the Mid-West Region that demonstrate exceptional social responsibility and positive community impact. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 12 months and show long-term, innovative, and collaborative CSR efforts with measurable results. - Excellence in Customer Experience Award 2024 Sponsored by BDO
Criteria: This award honours retail and hospitality businesses in the Mid-West Region that excel in customer experience. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least 12 months and demonstrate exceptional customer service, innovation, and positive regional impact. Judges will evaluate customer experience, innovation and adaptability, and contribution to the region.
Note on Application Process:
The application process has been simplified with a new digital form featuring brief questions. This helps our independent judges gain a clear understanding of each company and its operations in the respective categories. The awards are designed to acknowledge all businesses, big and small, indigenous and international, based in the Mid-West region.
Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS, commented: “At TUS we pride ourselves on our strong working relationship with businesses and industry in the region. This relationship ensures highly skilled, work ready graduates are available to the local workforce, and the success of this partnership is evident in the most recent HEA (Higher Education Authority) Graduate Outcomes Survey which shows that we have the highest graduate employability rate in the entire country. Our four innovation centres, such as the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre here in Limerick, continue to deliver incubation and business support for innovative start-ups and other business types. TUS is therefore delighted to continue its support for local business, innovation, and the local economy through our continued sponsorship of the Limerick Chamber Business Awards.”
Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise at TUS, added: “The awards are a fantastic tool to help attract new talent, celebrate staff achievements, and promote companies. We are thrilled to continue this partnership and to hear the wonderful stories from businesses across the region. We look forward to celebrating with the entrants at the pinnacle business event in November. TUS sponsors these awards because we believe in the power of innovation, creativity, and resilience to transform our regional economy.”
John Patrick Shaw, CEO of Carelon and recipient of the 2023 Best Overall Business of the Year and Best Employer Award, shared his thoughts: “Winning these prestigious awards has been an incredible honour for Carelon. They have recognised the hard work and dedication of our staff here in Limerick, highlighting our commitment to excellence. These accolades have also served as a powerful tool in attracting individuals eager to join the Carelon team, helping to cement our reputation as an innovative, growing, and enthusiastic company in the Mid-West region. The straightforward awards process allowed us to effectively showcase our strengths and achievements.”
Limerick Chamber President’s Dinner and Regional Business Awards
AIB will be the main sponsor for the Limerick Chamber President’s Dinner, and TUS will continue as the main sponsor of the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards. The event will take place on Friday, 15 November, at the Limerick Strand Hotel. This black-tie event is the region’s foremost business gathering, attracting over 400 leading businesspeople from across the region, accompanied by special guests and key national stakeholders. Tickets will be on sale from September/October.
The event will begin with the President’s Dinner, where Limerick Chamber President Noel Gavin will announce the recipient of his President’s Award. Later in the evening, the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards ceremony will take place, where all shortlisted companies will have complimentary attendance. The night will culminate with the announcement of the winners of the eight categories, along with the TUS-sponsored award for Best Overall Business of the Year.
Quote from AIB: Damien Garrihy, Business Banking, Limerick: “We are delighted to partner once again with Limerick Chamber as the ‘Official SME Partner’ and sponsor of the President’s Dinner. Our strategic objectives align closely, aiming to support businesses from startups to corporates. This partnership strengthens both organisations’ ability to serve the business community in the Midwest. The positive upward trend in business here is encouraging, and this collaboration will benefit not only Limerick Chamber and AIB but also the wider business community. We are excited to continue the fantastic work under this partnership and are especially looking forward to the preparations for the sold-out, high-demand Limerick Chamber President’s Dinner, the largest business event in the Midwest region.”
Limerick Chamber President Noel Gavin stated: “These awards and the President’s Dinner are vital for recognising and highlighting the tremendous work that takes place all across our region. They provide a platform to celebrate and reflect on the year, reminding us of our past achievements and inspiring hope for the future. We are excited as we gear up for the President’s Dinner and Regional Business Awards, the largest business event in the Midwest. We look forward to seeing everyone there. This flagship event, supported by AIB as Dinner sponsors and TUS as Award sponsors, brings together multinationals, large indigenous companies, and SMEs, ensuring it remains the leading business event in the region. Thanks to the support from our award sponsors TUS and each of our category sponsors, we are able to host these awards each year, providing categories that give everyone a chance to enter, be acknowledged, and celebrated.”
Over 400 guests will attend the event, which promises to be an evening of celebration, networking, and reflection on the past year.
For more information on the Limerick Chamber President’s Dinner and to submit your entry for the awards, visit the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards website.
ENTER THE 2024 REGIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS HERE:
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