With less than 2 weeks to go before the deadline closes, nominations are flowing in for the Carlow Business Awards 2026, sponsored by Carlow County Council.

‘This is always an exciting time for us as a Chamber – seeing the variety and quality of businesses that are being nominated for the categories of the Carlow Business Awards.’ Explains Norah Ryan, Chamber President.  ‘We currently have 554 nominations in – which is a testament to the variety and diversity of businesses excelling in the county.’

In total there are 23 categories that a business can be nominated for – with some more popular than others.

‘At the moment we are seeing very strong interest in the categories of Customer Service, Best Small Business, Best Health & Wellness Business, Best Hospitality Provider and Daytime Dining.’ Explains Nicola Doran ‘But with 2 weeks to go that can all change quite quickly as more people make their decisions on which businesses they would like to put forward’ 

‘We’re expecting to see more nominations for categories such as Best Innovation, and Best International business – where we know there are some incredible players in the county, but they may not nominate themselves.  So, we are encouraging staff, suppliers or customers of these businesses to nominate them, to ensure that they get recognised for the impact they are making.  We’d also love to see more nominations for some of the new categories like Best Hair & Beauty Business, and Business to Business Champion – for businesses that go the extra mile to support other local businesses.’

One thing is clear – the business community is vibrant, diverse and connected!

Once the nominations close, the process of assessing all entries begins.  Stage 1 is that shortlisted businesses will be invited to submit an online application form.  Stage 2 is that successful applicants will be invited to either present to a panel of independent judges, or (depending on the category type) be visited by a mystery shopper.  Finalists will be announced in early September, with the Awards night taking place in VISUAL Carlow on the 24th of September.

To nominate simply go to the Chamber website www.carlowchamber.com and click on the Nominate Now button.  You can nominate a business in up to 5 categories and the form takes less than 2 minutes to complete.