Atlantic Scuba Adventures from Carraroe, Co. Galway and Aran Goats Cheese from the Aran Islands have been chosen as two of the 10 winners of the Grants for Small Businesses awards, which will see the companies each receive a portion of the €100,000 bursary.
Funded by Three Ireland and managed by the small business network and support provider, Enterprise Nation, the bursary comprises of €5000 cash, €5000 for device and connectivity solutions, as well as mentoring from Three Ireland’s in-house experts.
Atlantic Scuba Adventures opened in May 2022 and is Ireland’s first solar-powered dive centre. Internationally recognised, the school’s dive training is accredited by Scuba Schools International, with the school proudly offering over 30 different scuba diving qualifications. Additionally, the school offers a range of experiences, including snorkel tours, diving courses, guided dives for underwater adventures as well as educational programmes which are focused on marine conservation.
Aran Goats Cheese is a dairy production company on the Aran Island’s that creates freshly made goats cheese from the milk of their heard of 93 goats and 70 kids. Over 1,000 litres of milk is generated every week to create the flavoursome award-winning cheese. Aran Goats Cheese also provide historical tours of the island and allow visitors to see how the cheese is made.
New to this year’s programme, the top 20 shortlisted applicants will also receive expertise sessions from Three who will provide guidance across business-critical areas including sustainability, procurement, technology, social media, marketing, product development and public relations.
The other selected winners of this year’s Three Grant for Small Business include Beagh Castle, Eco Powered Cabinets, Diffusion Lab, Pumpskynz, Companion Tandems, Beech Van Conversions, Panza Fins and Clever Little Handies, which showcase innovative business ideas from a wide range of industries and sectors including healthcare, sustainability, the arts, education and sports.
The programme, which is now in its third year, has provided Irish SMEs with an investment of over €500,000 by Three since 2021 across products and services, advertising and PR support, as well as access to industry expertise.
Padraig Sheerin, Head of SME, Three Ireland said the Grant for Small Businesses is one of Three Ireland’s flagship initiatives each year and it is a programme that we take great pride in.
"For the third year running, Three has partnered with Enterprise Nation on this programme which will assist these businesses with their continuous growth and development. We are delighted with the volume of applications we received this year which is a testament to the high regard that SME’s have for this initiative and the appetite for growth amongst Ireland’s entrepreneurs.
"While there was strong competition this year, we are delighted to award Atlantic Scuba Adventures from Carraroe, Co. Galway and Aran Goats Cheese from the Aran Islands this prize and we look forward to seeing these businesses achieve continued success in the future," he said.
Sonya Lennon, judge for Three Ireland’s Grant for Small Businesses and Entrepreneur and Advocate for Workplace Equality, said this is a competition that continues to go from strength to strength which highlights business owners’ eagerness to seek supports in the form of cash but also mentorship, which is so valuable to a small business in its growth and development.
