by Siofra Barry
LIMERICK companies, big and small, must act quickly to be in with a chance of winning the top prize of €150,000 in “The Irish Times Inter Trade Ireland Innovation Awards”.
All you need is a good idea and suitable business model. Businesses from all sectors are encouraged to enter, including : Agri-Food, Bioscience, Energy & the Environment, Manufacturing, Creative Industries and IT & Telecommunications.
Michael McAleer, Innovation editor at The Irish Times said the awards have opened doors for many previous winners.
“Winning an award promotes brand awareness, which helps market penetration. It can also get you recognition from State agencies, which can really help with things like product development, marketing and market development. For smaller companies in particular, the recognition gives them great confidence. It tells them there is real potential in their business because they are getting endorsement from expert judges,” he said.
Each category winner will receive a €10,000 communications package in The Irish Times Business+Innovation supplement and an iPad with an annual subscription to The Irish Times ePaper.
“The Innovation Awards have helped bring companies to the next level. Many of our previous winners have testified to the profile generated from the awards in helping them scale their business” said Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policey Director at InterTradeIreland.
The closing date for applications is 5pm, December 2.
The winners will then be in the running to win the overall Innovation of the Year title and receive a communications package, worth in excess of €150,000, comprising of advertising promotion across The Irish Times Business+Innovation supplement.
UCD Smurfit School will provide the overall winner with a scholarship for an Executive Education programme commencing in 2015 and they will receive a state of the art laptop with a one year subscription to The Irish Times ePaper.
There is also a special recognition award given to the company with the best North/South collaboration project and each winner will receive a prize worth €10,000.
For further details, log on to www.irishtimes.com/innovationawards
