As the Mayo Business Awards celebrate business excellence, we’re proud to present this year’s award categories. These awards continue to recognise the innovation, resilience, and contribution of businesses across Mayo.
This award celebrates passionate new entrepreneurs and start-ups that are showing strong potential for long-term success and positive impact.
Who should enter: Businesses that have been trading for less than 3 years and are making exciting progress in their industry. Entrants should be independent businesses (not a franchise or subsidiary).
What the judges are looking for:
Tell us your business story—what inspired you to start, how far you’ve come, and where you’re heading next. Share any successes, innovations, or standout moments that show you’re on the rise!
This award recognises outstanding achievement by a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) in Mayo. It celebrates businesses that demonstrate excellence in customer retention, innovation, growth, customer service or community engagement.
What the judges are looking for:
This award recognises manufacturing businesses that demonstrate exceptional adaptability, innovation, and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving industry. Entrants will be assessed on how effectively they have embraced new technologies, improved production standards, and strengthened their operations to meet modern manufacturing challenges.
Evidence of product innovation, highquality production processes and the ability to excel in national or international markets will also form part of the adjudication process. Applicants should clearly show how their advancements have delivered measurable benefits to their business, customers, and longterm growth.
What the judges are looking for:
Celebrating businesses that have turned challenges into opportunities through bold innovation, digital transformation, agility or forward-thinking strategies resulting in measurable growth and meaningful impact.
What the judges are looking for:
Tell us how your business has introduced a new product, service or approach in recent years that is making a real difference.
This award honours businesses that go above and beyond to create exceptional, consistent, and meaningful customer experiences—building loyalty and lasting relationships through every interaction.
What the judges are looking for:
Tell us about how your business drives a culture of excellence in customer experience and how this fuels the growth of the business.
This award honours outstanding achievement across the hospitality sector. It recognises businesses that deliver exceptional service, innovative experiences, and high levels of guest satisfaction. Open to all businesses within the hospitality industry, including hotels, short-term accommodations, spas, salons, beauty service providers, restaurants, cafes, etc.
What the judges are looking for:
A completed application demonstrating how your business excels in hospitality, supported by evidence such as customer reviews, service innovations, and community initiatives.
Entries should demonstrate:
Open to all Mayo companies that are currently registered as a Social Enterprise.
This award recognises organisations that combine business innovation with a commitment to creating positive social environmental or community impact. This award celebrates enterprises that use sustainable business practices to drive meaningful change while making a difference in their local community.
What the judges are looking for:
Tell us about how your business is meeting the needs of a community, how it actively supports and involves local stakeholders to promote an environment of inclusion, diversity and/or collaboration.
This award recognises organisations that deliver exceptional, memorable, and highquality visitor experiences while contributing positively to the tourism offering of their region. Your application should demonstrate how you create value for visitors, enhance the local tourism ecosystem, and deliver excellence at every stage of the visitor journey.
What the judges are looking for:
This award celebrates businesses leading the way in sustainability—innovating with purpose and making a real difference for the planet and their local communities. It recognises initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that combine environmental impact with smart business strategy.
What the judges are looking for:
Tell us how sustainability is at the heart of what your business does – and how it is central to the success of your business.
Selected by Mayo Chambers & Mayo LEO, this award recognises a business that has shown exceptional commitment to supporting the local business community.
