The search is on to find Mayo's most enterprising town

BANK of Ireland has announced a new pilot initiative to find the most enterprising town in Mayo.

The bank's Enterprising Town Awards are being run as part of a pilot in four counties this year - Mayo, Roscommon, Laois and Kildare - with the aim of promoting enterprise by bringing business and community groups together to showcase the spirit of enterprise in their town.

The awards are being organised in collaboration with the four county councils and their economic development teams. The judging panel will meet with business, community and public sector groups in the nominated towns and decide who will be selected as the respective county winners and will also decide the overall winner across the four participating counties.

The prize for each county winner is €3,000 with the potential to be awarded an additional €10,000 as overall winner. In addition, the judges will, at their discretion, nominate up to eight specific initiatives for merit award funding from a total prize fund of €8,000.

Alan Durcan, head of the Mayo region for Bank of Ireland, commented: “As Ireland’s enterprise bank, we recognise that SMEs, start-ups and community organisations are a significant driver of the country’s success and spirit.

“Bank of Ireland’s Enterprising Town Awards will shine a light on this and profile towns, businesses and community groups who demonstrate a collaborative and innovative approach to driving success locally. This is a wonderful opportunity for Mayo to showcase the breadth and diversity of enterprise across the county.”

Mayo County Council chief executive, Peter Hynes, added: “Mayo County Council is delighted to be involved with Bank of Ireland in supporting the Enterprising Towns Awards. We are committed to the development of our towns and communities, and this initiative allows a spotlight to shine on the breadth of local enterprise throughout the county.

“Small businesses provide employment, prosperity and vitality to towns everywhere, and we would encourage these towns to engage with this initiative and demonstrate their enterprising nature. Our Local Enterprise Office delivers a range of supports for businesses in Mayo and together we can help to create the enterprising towns of tomorrow.”

Applications from towns are already underway, with the deadline of October 28 fast approaching. All towns that have entered will be invited to attend an awards night where the county, merit and overall winners will be announced. The awards night will be held in Roscommon on December 7.