Minister Hackett congratulates Offaly business on winning prestigious award

Minister Pippa Hackett has congratulated an Offaly print business on being crowned one of the winners of the Irish Business Design Challenge.

Fivealley based print business The FACTORY won the Small Category of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Irish Business Design Challenge 2023.

Minister Hackett said: "I send my heartiest congratulations to The Factory team on winning their category in the Irish Business Design Challenge 2023. With a total of 107 entries, this is no small feat, but it is no surprise that their enterprise outshone the competition.

"I encourage all small businesses with an interest in sustainability to check out The Factory’s new Eco School courses. They are sharing their experience with other businesses to help them on their journey and there couldn’t be a nicer setting or more encouraging bunch of people to learn from. I hope this award, and financial boost, provides extra encouragement to them to keep progressing along the sustainability path and communicate the many benefits as they go.”

The winners of the IBDC were announced this morning at an awards ceremony in Trinity College Dublin by Minister for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, Neale Richmond.

The FACTORY along with the other two category winners will each receive a prize of €15,000. Three runners-up prizes of €2,000 each were also awarded, and two entries were highly commended by judges.

Minister Richmond said: "Programmes such as the Irish Business Design Challenge shine a light on the innate creativity and innovation of Irish MSMEs. The last few years have taught businesses to be flexible and adapt quickly, which has been proven through this year’s Irish Business Design Challenge winners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank DCCI for their commitment to championing Irish design and the entrants for proving that smaller businesses can do big things when given the platform."

Head of Digital & Communications at Design & Crafts Council Ireland Suzy O'Keefe said: "Each of these companies highlighted a deep understanding of how design thinking can be used to increase a business’s efficiency and the impact this can have on an economic and environmental level. It is incredible to see the ingenuity and innovation behind some of Ireland’s MSMEs and it makes us very hopeful for the future of both Irish businesses and Irish design."

IBDC judge and Circular Lead at the National College of Art and Design, Gwen Cunningham said: "Business as usual, is not an option anymore. This year’s Irish Business Design Challenge celebrates SME's that have recognised this reality, and are demonstrating what it means to do things differently. How do we serve and satisfy people’s needs and wants - such as nutrition, mobility, housing, and basic goods - within planetary boundaries? This is the greatest design challenge of our time."

The runners-up in the Small Category were The Natural Sleep Co. from Co. Limerick with Eurotech Renewables, from Co. Monaghan being Highly Commended. The Irish Business Design Challenge was open to micro, small and medium Irish businesses offering a prize fund of over €50,000.

In total 107 businesses entered this year’s Design & Crafts Council Ireland Irish Business Design Challenge, 44 of whom were shortlisted and invited to today’s awards ceremony. The Irish Business Design Challenge is focused on raising awareness of the importance of incorporating design and sustainability into business strategy, and the benefits it brings to those businesses and the wider Irish economy and society.