• BiaSol announced as winners of the fourth Design & Crafts Council Ireland Irish Business Design Challenge (IBDC), receiving €20,000
• IBDC 2024 focuses on design solutions to make businesses more sustainable and efficient

The winners of Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Irish Business Design Challenge 2024 (IBDC) have been announced at an awards ceremony in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. One of the two main awards winners was BiaSol, the family-owned circular food start-up based in Tullamore. BiaSol produce a range of highly nutritious, zero-waste food products created by upcycling leftover grains collected from Irish Breweries, maximising nutrition and minimising food waste – good for you and good for the planet.

The Irish Business Design Challenge awards is the first event taking place in Irish Design Week 2024, a week-long programme of over 40 events nationwide. 58 businesses from across Ireland entered and eight companies were shortlisted in this year’s awards. Now in its fourth year, IBDC celebrates businesses that add value, repurpose products, develop circular economy strategies, enhance efficiency, and tackle societal and environmental challenges through sustainable design. As well as creating awareness and generating support for the shortlisted businesses, DCCI’s IBDC shines a light on the value that considering design has on overall business strategy. This year’s challenge focuses on companies that have identified pressing challenges or opportunities, using design thinking or circular economy strategies to create sustainable solutions.

BiaSol were winners of the small business award, with Waterford-based Sampla taking the micro business category. Runners up were Brookfield Farm in Tipperary, and BladeBridge based in Cork.

Celebrating commitment to sustainable and circular design

Peter Burke, TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, commented on the IBDC Awards: “Programmes like the Irish Business Design Challenge play a crucial role in highlighting the incredible creativity and innovation within Ireland’s small and micro businesses. The past few years have underscored the importance of flexibility and adaptability in business, and this year’s winners truly reflect those qualities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Design & Crafts Council Ireland for its ongoing dedication to supporting Irish design and sustainability, and to commend all the entrants for proving that small and micro businesses can achieve big things when given the right platform.”

Mary Blanchfield, Interim CEO at Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said: “DCCI is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of these companies, whose commitment to sustainable and circular design is transforming their businesses. Thanks to this challenge, four companies are receiving funding to deepen their focus on these principles, setting new benchmarks for the industry. This kind of support encourages them to see themselves as the thought leaders and design innovators that they are, and to inspire others on similar journeys. DCCI is delighted to be able to support such admirable ambition and commitment. We are also looking forward to a fantastic week of design with DCCI Irish Design Week taking place through a variety of events right across the country.”

Ingenuity and innovation in Irish small and micro businesses

Tom Watts, Head of Design at Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said: “Each of the companies here today demonstrated a profound understanding of how design thinking can enhance business efficiency and create meaningful economic and environmental impact. It’s inspiring to witness the ingenuity and innovation within Ireland’s small and micro businesses, and it reinforces our optimism for the future of both Irish businesses and Irish design. The Irish Business Design Challenge continues to go from strength to strength and this is a testament to the ingenuity of businesses in Ireland and their focus on tackling societal and environmental challenges through sustainable design. “

Commenting, IBDC judge, Claire Downey, said: “As Policy and Research Director at the Rediscovery Centre, I am thrilled to be judging this year’s Irish Business Design Challenge. This initiative showcases the growing role of circularity in creative design in Irish businesses. It’s inspiring to see such a wide range of high-quality design approaches and impactful solutions, creating positive change for our communities and environment. Through the IBDC, we’re not only recognising excellence but encouraging a shift toward a more sustainable and circular economy across Ireland.”

Supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the IBDC awards, which has a prize fund of €50,000, is a competition aimed at micro and small Irish businesses from all sectors. Following an initial shortlisting process by an expert jury, the eight finalists were then evaluated through a combination of public vote and a judging panel including Claire Downey, Policy and Research Director at The Rediscovery Centre and Diana Geraghty, Global ESG Lead at Aer Rianta International. The judges evaluated each entry based on the innovation of products or services born from sustainable developments that encompass environmental quality, economic prosperity, and social equity, with sustainable design at its core.