Digital Business Ireland, the country’s leading representative body for the digital commerce sector, and permanent tsb, Ireland’s leading provider of SME and retail banking announced the winners and runners-up of the annual National Digital Awards at a Luncheon ceremony last week.
Spanning 22 categories, rewarding businesses, organisations and individuals who demonstrated digital excellence in 2022, the Awards ceremony saw three Galway businesses take home four awards, with Ireland’s furniture market leaders, EZ Living Furniture taking home the prestigious National Website of the Year Award, along with the Medium Business Website of the Year Award.
Evergreen Healthfoods were the winners of the Most Trusted Website of the Year Award, and Shopbox AI were the winners of the Digital Impact of the Year Award.
The sold-out event was held in The Gibson Hotel, Dublin, with guest speaker, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD commending the strength and resilience of the digital commerce sector throughout 2022, where many members of the SME community were faced with new challenges to overcome. Broadcaster and journalist, Galway native Meghann Scully was the Master of Ceremonies for the afternoon.
This year’s Award series featured over 500 entries from the digital commerce community across Ireland, with new categories such as the Excellence in Digital Accessibility Award recognising businesses who have prioritised inclusivity as a tenet of their digital service offering.
The event would not have been possible without Digital Business Ireland’s long-standing partnership with permanent tsb. The bank has supported the Awards series since the body’s establishment in 2020.
Chairperson of Digital Business Ireland, Ashley McDonnell said: “This year’s National Digital Awards series has been the most impressive yet, highlighting the tremendous growth and development of the Irish digital commerce sector throughout 2022. We are deeply encouraged by the dynamism, ingenuity, innovation and talent of the businesses, organisations and people who got involved with the process this year. The National Digital Awards highlights the very best in digital throughout Ireland, and it is clear to see that level of talent in the sector is growing from strength to strength each year.
With over 500 entries submitted to this year’s series, our judging panel of digital commerce experts were faced with a mammoth task in selecting the winners and runners-up. I would like to congratulate the winners and runners-up in each of the 22 categories this year, but I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to all who entered this year’s programme, and I encourage those who not have been successful this year, to take the key learnings on-board from this year’s process and get involved once again in 2023.
Our programme partner permanent tsb has continued to champion SMEs and businesses across every town in every county throughout Ireland, and we would like to thank them for their continued support as the National Digital Awards concludes its third year.”
Tom Leahy, Head of Business Banking at Permanent TSB, said: “2022 was another year of extraordinary challenges for businesses throughout Ireland. In responding to evolving consumer trends, as well as a cost of living crisis and an uncertain economic outlook, many have had to transform their operations and embrace digitalisation and all that it brings. The resilience, determination and entrepreneurial spirit that has been shown by businesses over the last number of years has been nothing short of remarkable.
“I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to EZ Living Furniture, Evergreen Healthfoods and Shopbox AI and to all of this year’s winners, while offering a sincere thank you to the 500 businesses who took the time to enter across the various award categories. Permanent TSB is honoured to support the National Digital Awards in celebrating your achievements, while acknowledging everything that you have achieved over the last year,” he said.
