Local Enterprise Office South Dublin will be paying tribute to local business heroes at the annual County Enterprise Awards, taking place on March 9th, during Local Enterprise Week.

The winning entrepreneur will represent South Dublin at the National Enterprise Awards in May, following in the footsteps of the 2016 winner Dave McGeady from Wyldsson Elite Nutrition, based in Tallaght.

The awards ceremony, hosted by the Local Enterprise Office every year, is taking place on March 9th at County Hall, Tallaght, with the keynote address coming from David and Stephen Flynn of The Happy Pear. The awards breakdown is as follows;

  • Overall Winner (to be sent to the National Finals): €3000, and €2,000 LEO training and mentoring voucher
  • Export Award: €1,500 plus €1,000 LEO training and mentoring voucher
  • Best Start-Up: €1,500 plus €1,000 LEO training and mentoring voucher
  • Innovation Award: €1,500 plus €1,000 LEO training and mentoring voucher

     

    Announcing the awards, Head of Local Enterprise Colm Ward stressed the importance of celebrating local success stories. He said: “As the LEO is the first-stop-shop for start-ups and small businesses in the region, on March 9th we are paying tribute to local heroes who are the entrepreneurs and job-creators behind successful businesses and brands. Through the National Enterprise Awards, innovation and vision are both recognised and rewarded.”

    The awards will be presented by Mayor Guss O’Connell, and he will be joined by the founding brothers of The Happy Pear who will be discussing their journey to becoming the successful business they now are, the highs and lows they faced, the achievements they rate and the lessons they have learned. This will be a great evening for all entrepreneurs whether you are interested in the food industry or not. It will also be great for those who are simply fans of The Happy Pear as they will be giving an insight into their philosophy on food and how to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

    The Enterprise Awards is one of the flagship events taking place during Local Enterprise Week, which runs in the county from March 5th to 11th. All over the country, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices are jointly running over 380 events aimed at start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in their area.

    Further information for all events taking place during Local Enterprise Week, including the County Enterprise Awards, is available through www.localenterprise.ie or by contacting the Local Enterprise Office on 01-414 9000.