Jim Woods , business advisor, Eileen Mc Cabe, Content Plan & Cathaoirloeach of Carlow County Council Brian O’Donoghue

This year’s County Carlow’s Digital Awards have been launched with local small firms being encouraged to enter.

The awards, formerly known as the Carlow Web Awards, acknowledge and recognise the achievements of Carlow businesses in creating their digital offering and promoting their business online. The event will provide local businesses with a great opportunity to showcase their digital offering.

The awards are being organised by Local Enterprise Office Carlow in Carlow County Council together in association with SETU Carlow, The Business Post and Content Plan.

In total there will be six category winners who together with the overall winner will share in the prize fund. The awards will acknowledge and promote businesses based in County Carlow who have developed their digital and web marketing platforms as part of their product offering. The awards are open to recipients of Trading Online Vouchers and businesses with less than 10 full time employees based in County Carlow.

Judging for the County Carlow Digital Awards will take place early in March with an Awards ceremony scheduled for the 23 March 2023.

Shortlisted entrants will benefit from an independent evaluation of their digital offfering by independent expert judges. Valuable feedback to help benchmark their Digital Offering against other businesses will be provided.

The companies will be judged on the criteria of design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, impact & benefit, innovation and content.

Winners of each category will receive €500 cash with the overall winner awarded €1,000 and a profile in the Sunday Business Post.

Brian O’Donoghue, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council said: “Carlow County Council’s commitment to supporting our local businesses plays a crucial role in ensuring a strong local economy. It is fantastic to see that so many Carlow businesses have increased their business through availing of a Trading Online Voucher from our Local Enterprise Office”.

Jim Woods, business advisor with the LEO added 350 Carlow businesses have now availed of over €700k through the LEO’s trading online voucher scheme to improve and promote their business.   

Muirghin Brophy, communications Officer with SETU Carlow noted, said the institution was well aware of the importance of businesses utiling a digital presence in their marketing strategy.

Eileen McCabe, co-founder at Content Plan, said: “Content Plan is delighted to see the efforts and achievements of small businesses being recognised by these Awards. Everyday billions of people across the globe decide on where to spend their money based on businesses’ Digital Offerings. If a business is not effectively using its Digital Offering to engage with its audience, it is missing a real opportunity.”

Entries open from 20 January to 28 February 2023. Enter here.