The 2026 Carlow Business Awards is now officially open for nominations.
The local Chamber set up the annual event to celebrate and honour the very best the county has to offer across all sectors whether they’re members of the group or not.
This year Carlow County Council’s come on board as the main sponsor while many others lend their support to the occasion too.
You can now nominate your favourites in 23 categories (see below) until midnight on the 7th of June via their website carlowchamber.com with four other winners to be announced – all will be revealed on the 24th of September.
Carlow Chamber CEO Nicola Doran says her team’s always surprised by what they learn;
Categories You Can Nominate In:
Best Hair & Beauty Business – for businesses in the hair and beauty industry that have built a strong business, with excellent customer service and showing potential for growth and development
Best Health & Wellness Busine s s – for businesses in the health and wellness industry that have built a strong business, with excellent customer service and showing potential for growth and development
Best Hospitality Provider – for hotels, self-catering and hospitality providers that show strong business acumen, excel in customer service and that add to the positive perception of county Carlow as a great place to visit
Best Online Presence – for businesses that have a strong, consistent, engaging presence online, ensuring customers can easily find them and have a great user experience
Best Presented Premises – Bagenalstown / Carlow South – businesses that stand out in their locality for their attractive and appealing premises (both interior and exterior)
Best Presented Premises – Carlow Town – businesses that stand out in their locality for their attractive and appealing premises (both interior and exterior)
Best Presented Premises – Tullow / Carlow North -businesses that stand out in their locality for their attractive and appealing premises (both interior and exterior)
Business Innovation – for proactive and dynamic businesses that have identified and applied innovative ways in which to improve their products, services, systems or marketing
Business Supporting Community – for businesses that take a proactive approach to supporting, promoting or working collaboratively with their local community
Business to Business Champion – for businesses that go that extra mile to source products and services locally, supporting the Carlow economy and facilitating economic growth in the county
Customer Service – businesses that consistently exceed the expectations of customers, and that are open, inclusive, value driven and passionately customer-driven
International Business – businesses successfully operating internationally, exporting goods or services, opening new markets and building relationships abroad
Professional Services – businesses such as accountants, solicitors, consultants, trainers, architects etc in the professional services sector that consistently exceed client or customer expectations
Sustainable Initiatives – business that take a proactive, responsible approach to ensuring that they minimise their impact on the planet, while maximising their positive impacts on people, place and environment
Workplace Health & Wellbeing – businesses that have excelled in putting practical strategies and systems in place to support and promote the health and wellbeing of their employees
Dining – Daytime – businesses that stand out for providing quality, diversity or innovation in their food offering, hospitality and service for breakfast, snacks and lunch
Dining – Nighttime – businesses that stand out for providing quality, diversity or innovation in their food offering, hospitality and service in the evenings
Emerging Business of the Year – under 3 years -businesses that have shown exceptional resilience and growth, exceeding expectations and showing strong potential for further development
Family Business of the Year – family owned and run businesses (that have more than one family members working within the business and / or have more than one generation working within the business). Businesses that have shown exceptional resilience and growth, exceeding expectations and making a positive impact on the local economy and the industry in which they operate
Large Business of the Year – 50+ employees – businesses that have shown exceptional resilience and growth, exceeding expectations and making a positive impact on the local economy and the industry in which they operate
Medium Business of the Year – 11- 49 employees – businesses that have shown exceptional resilience and growth, exceeding expectations and making a positive impact on the local economy and the industry in which they operate
Retail Business of the Year – strong, dynamic, innovative retailers that provide a positive shopping experience to all of their customers
Small Business of the Year – less than 10 employees -businesses that have shown exceptional resilience and growth, exceeding expectations and making a positive impact on the local economy and the industry in which they operate
