The winners of Design & Crafts Council Ireland's Irish Business Design Challenge 2024 were announced today an awards ceremony in the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.
The category winners, micro and small respectively, were SAMPLA, a sustainable footwear brand from Waterford and BiaSol, a family-owned food start up from Co Offaly.
They each received a prize of €20,000.
Runners-up Brookfield Farm (micro), a mixed organic farm in Co Tipperary and BladeBridge (small), a wind turbine repurposing company from Cork, received prizes of €5,000 each.
The Irish Business Design Challenge awards is the first event taking place in Irish Design Week 2024, a week-long programme of over 40 events nationwide.
This year’s Irish Design Week programme includes keynote speeches, panel discussions, exhibitions and a series of Design Diplomacy talks, hosted at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM).
58 businesses from across Ireland entered and eight companies were shortlisted in this year's awards.
Now in its fourth year, IBDC celebrates businesses that add value, repurpose products, develop circular economy strategies, enhance efficiency, and tackle societal and environmental challenges through sustainable design.
As well as creating awareness and generating support for the shortlisted businesses, DCCI’s IBDC focuses on the value that considering design has on overall business strategy.
Mary Blanchfield, Interim CEO at Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said DCCI is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of these companies, whose commitment to sustainable and circular design is transforming their businesses.
"Thanks to this challenge, four companies are receiving funding to deepen their focus on these principles, setting new benchmarks for the industry," she said.
"This kind of support encourages them to see themselves as the thought leaders and design innovators that they are, and to inspire others on similar journeys," she added.
Tom Watts, Head of Design at Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said that each of the companies here today demonstrated a profound understanding of how design thinking can enhance business efficiency and create meaningful economic and environmental impact.
"It's inspiring to witness the ingenuity and innovation within Ireland’s small and micro businesses, and it reinforces our optimism for the future of both Irish businesses and Irish design," he said.
"The Irish Business Design Challenge continues to go from strength to strength and this is a testament to the ingenuity of businesses in Ireland and their focus on tackling societal and environmental challenges through sustainable design," he added.
Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said that programmes like the Irish Business Design Challenge play a crucial role in highlighting the incredible creativity and innovation within the country's small and micro businesses.
"The past few years have underscored the importance of flexibility and adaptability in business, and this year’s winners truly reflect those qualities," he stated.
