Three Louth businesses take part in the Irish Business Design Challenge

Public voting for this year’s Irish Business Design Challenge open now on www.dcci.ie/ibdc-2023 until Tuesday, 7th March, 2023. 

Three Louth businesses, Farrell Furniture by Katisha Kieran, Soilse by Karen Lavelle and Omuu pets by Frank Clarke, have entered this year’s challenge, which focuses on sustainable design solutions and innovation.

Now in its third year, the Irish Business Design Challenge (IBDC) supports companies applying design thinking to future proof their business and support customer needs. Over 100 businesses across Ireland entered this year’s challenge.

The competition for micro, small and medium Irish businesses has a prize fund of over €50,000. The judging panel, comprising of Elaine Butler, Circular Design Institute; Gwen Cunningham, Circular Lead, National College of Art and Design; Jamie Maguire, owner and founder of Notions Creative, along with Edwin Jebb, Creative Director at Notions Creative; and Sophie Reynolds, Circular Economy Policy and Innovation Lead, Irish Manufacturing Research will evaluate the entries once public voting has closed on Tuesday, 7th March, and declare the overall winner and runner-up in each category.

Chief Executive, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Rosemary Steen, said: “This is the third year of the Irish Business Design Challenge. It has always highlighted the resilience, ingenuity, and creativity of Ireland’s MSMEs and it is a privilege to shine a light on these businesses. This year’s entries clearly show how a greener outlook and design thinking can come together to ensure a more sustainable outcome for the business and its customers.”

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Adding to this, Head of Design, Design and Craft Council Ireland, Tom Watts, said: “We know that micro, small and medium enterprises are fundamental to Ireland’s economy. The number of high-quality entries this year is testament to how important sustainability has become for Irish businesses.

I am personally delighted that the winners of this year’s competition will not only benefit from the cash prize and associated publicity, but they will also help to create a new benchmark for what we view as genuinely sustainable and circular. We encourage everyone to take part in the public vote to acknowledge these businesses and the eco-friendly design strategies they have used to go above and beyond for the benefit of the environment and our society.”

There are over 248,344 SMEs active in Ireland and they account for more than 70% of employment in the Irish economy. Previous winners of the challenge include GRÁ Chocolates, Bó Steel, Aqueduct, Notions Creative and Benson Clothing. Companies are judged by category, with a winner chosen in each category; micro, small and medium. Winners will receive €15,000 each and runners up will receive an award of €2,000 each.

 Public voting for the Irish Business Design Challenge is open from Monday, 20th February to Tuesday, 7th March, 2023. For further information on the Irish Business Design Challenge, visit www.dcci.ie/ibdc-2023.