Two Mayo businesses in National Small Business Awards finals

TWO Mayo businesses have been announced as finalists in the SFA National Small Business Awards 2021.

The aim of the awards is to celebrate the achievements of small business in Ireland, and to recognise the vital contribution of the small business sector to Irish industry.

Forty-three companies have been selected as finalists, from 15 different counties, across nine categories.

In Mayo, the Kiltimagh Park Hotel is a finalist in the Workplace Wellbeing (up to 50 employees) category, sponsored by DeCare Dental, while the Emerging New Businesses (up to 50 employees and under two years in business), sponsored by .IE, features OSENG, an engineering services company based in Claremorris.

The awards prize package for all finalists includes participation in the SFA Business Connect event on February 11, a strategic management masterclass weekend, as well as broad-ranging national and local media coverage, all valued at €50,000.

Category winners will be presented with a trophy and free membership of the Small Firms Association for one year and the overall winner will also receive a bursary of €5,000 to present to a charity of their choice (funded by the 2013 overall winner, Megazyme International Ireland).

Said Sue O’Neill, chair of the judging panel: “The SFA National Small Business Awards are now entering their 17th consecutive year and are a celebration of small business owners who since 2015 have created over 73,000 jobs. The 266,400 small firms in Ireland employ half of the private sector workforce and these awards aim to promote excellence, achievement and innovation amongst these companies in all sectors and parts of the country.

“The companies that have been announced as finalists this year represent all that is good about small business.”