- The business must be in operation, with filed accounts, for a minimum of one year and no more than six years and state both turnover and profit in the application.
- The business must be trading and registered within the island of Ireland.
- The entrant(s) must meet the criteria to qualify as either a start-up, entrepreneur or an SME.
- A start-up is defined as a company in operation since January 1, 2022, with filed accounts for at least one year.
- An entrepreneur is defined as a person who initiates, operates, and assumes the risk of a new business venture.
- An SME is defined as a Small to Medium Enterprise, where a Small Enterprise (most relevant for this competition) is defined as an independent business operating with fewer than 50 employees, an annual turnover of not exceeding €10m or annual balance sheet not exceeding €10m. A Medium Enterprise is defined as an enterprise with fewer than 250 employees, with an annual turnover of not exceeding €50m or annual balance sheet not exceeding €43m.
- Nominees need to demonstrate a higher propensity for risk, innovation and achievement, along with quantitative evidence of success and growth.
- While judges will take particular note of the challenges that the nominee has overcome to date, applications should also include evidence of the business’s potential growth and long-term viability.
- Entrants are welcome to include a video submission with their entry. If you are submitting a video, please include it as a link to video on a shared video platform.
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