Innovator of the Year

Sponsored by:

Applications for the 2023-2024 Awards are now closed and finalists will be announced soon. Best of luck to all applicants!

Why Enter?

Companies who are serious about progressing their business, recognising the efforts of their staff and celebrating their achievements to date should consider entering these awards. Taking part will focus your organisation to think strategically about the future.

Judging Criteria for this category:
This category aims to award outstanding achievement and to recognise one or more individuals within a company who has demonstrated excellence and creativity in the design, development, and introduction into the marketplace of one or more technologically significant products over the past five years.

To be successful in this category, you must have created one or more unique and innovative product(s), process(es), or software (hereafter referred to as "products") that have been introduced into the marketplace and achieved notable commercial success within the past five (5) years. The products developed by the individual must have demonstrated technological significance and solved an outstanding need or problem that other products up to that point in time were not able to effectively solve. The product(s) should be unique, energy-efficient, non-polluting, non-hazardous, and cost-effective to the target audience.

The selection of the Innovator of the Year will be based on relative technological merits of each product, the relative value to society and the marketplace of each product(s), and the success of the product in achieving targeted business objectives within the organisation.

Entry Requirements:
Award entrants must comply with the following entry criteria:

• All small businesses may enter up to a maximum of 50 employees. (This includes staff employed in the company on a fixed-term contract basis in excess of 12 months, and part-time staff who work in excess of 20 hours per week but excluding temporary agency workers).
• Be in operation at least 2 years in the Republic of Ireland.
• Not be a branch of another business.
• Franchises can enter.
• Businesses/individuals can be nominated by other associated professionals (e.g. professional advisers, training providers, accountants etc.).

Entry Process:
Separate applications must be submitted for each category you wish to enter. Once you start your application, you can save and resume it to complete and submit within 14 days. All applications will be reviewed by the Judging Panel once the application window has closed and Finalists will then be announced - all applicants will be notified of their status whether or not they are successful.

2024 Prize Package:

All Finalists

• A comprehensive strategic masterclass weekend sponsored by Skillnet Ireland which will include communications, media and presentation skills training
• An interview/profile in a specially commissioned Irish Independent Awards Supplement
• Free participation in SFA Business Connect Event
• Three complementary tickets to the Gala Awards Ceremony 
• A finalist certificate

Category Winners

• Award trophy - presented at a Gala Awards Ceremony.
• One year free membership of the Small Firms Association

Overall Winner

• The Overall Winner will be presented with a winner trophy at the RDS for the Gala Awards Ceremony on 7 March, 2024