Ulster Bank is calling on SMEs across Connacht to enter the 20th Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards.
Run in association with Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and SmallBusinessCan.com, the awards are now open for entry at businessachieversaward.com until the September 26 deadline.
Entries for the 2014 awards are open to SMEs across all sectors and businesses can enter in any two of the following eight categories:
1. Woman Led Business Award
2. Best Business Start Up Award
3. Small Business Award
4. Established SME Award
5. Food and Drink Award
6. Social Enterprise Award
7. International Business Award
8. Agri-Business Award
Speaking at the Connacht launch of the 2014 awards, Brendan McDermott, regional director of business banking at Ulster Bank, said, “These awards acknowledge and reward business success and provide a platform from which companies can showcase their offerings on a national and local level. I would strongly encourage businesses from all sectors across Connacht to enter.”
Throughout each stage of the awards, companies will be judged on a variety of merits, including company milestones and achievements, future strategy for the business, the development of innovative products and services and financial performance.
Following an initial judging process at the preliminary stage of the awards, competing businesses will be shortlisted for provincial awards. Provincial award winners will then go on to compete in their respective categories at an all-island awards ceremony in December 2014, where one category winner will also be crowned overall Ulster Bank Business Achiever 2014.
The overall winner will receive a comprehensive prize package, including a €50,000 publishing bursary with the Irish Independent, business mentoring from Enterprise Ireland, a full-service communications workshop, as well as national and regional media exposure.
