Winners of a new initiative from Design & Crafts Council Ireland will divvy up a prize fund of €100,000 for sharing  the challenges they have faced as a result of Covid-19 and the solutions they designed to adapt to the current environment.

The Irish Business Design Challenge is open to micro, small and medium businesses in all sectors, and it aims to recognise their resilience and innovation in response to the crisis.

The competition will profile a selection of businesses and an expert panel of judges and members of the public will have the chance to vote for their ‘hero business’.

The overall winner will receive €50,000, with a €15,000 prize for the winner of each category and €2,000 for the runner-up in each category. The application deadline is November 13.

DCCI chief executive Rosemary Steen said: “I am delighted to launch the Irish Business Design Challenge alongside Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. Small businesses are of central importance to Ireland’s economy and we want to celebrate those businesses that have overcome so much over the past few months due to Covid-19. 

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“Through the Irish Business Design Challenge, we want to harness the ingenuity of the SME sector, to help other businesses and communities across Ireland.”

Paul McKeown, executive director at Enterprise Ireland, said this year has proven to be a difficult year for Irish business but for many it has consequently become an opportunity to develop and reinvent. "Businesses of all sizes have been taking steps to design new products or services, shift their business model and/or develop new systems of management while also adapting to the new trading environment. We are keen to hear from SMEs about their new approaches to operation and I am encouraging all those who are interested to apply,” he added.

Oisín Geoghegan, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices,said many small businesses have had to redesign their existing products, or pivot to new ones linked to their supply chain.  "The Irish Business Design Challenge is a fantastic way to recognise these businesses and highlight some of the innovative and brilliant design that is out there across the country,” he stated.

There’s more information here.

Photo: Model Noma Odigie, wearing silk taffeta dress by Natalie B Coleman and neckpiece by Séamus Gill, pictured with awards judge Dearbhail McDonald (left), Paul McKeown, Oisín Geoghegan (right) and Rosemary Steen, CEO Design & Crafts Council Ireland. (Pic: Maxwells)