WESTMEATH BUSINESS SET FOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE AWARDS FINAL
A digital company from Westmeath are set to compete with the country’s best small businesses as one of the Finalists for the National Enterprise Award taking place next week.
MAIVJO Ltd T/a TAPiTAG will represent Local Enterprise Office Westmeath at the prestigious awards that take place on Thursday 22nd May in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin.
MAIVJO Ltd T/a TAPiTAG a forward-thinking Athlone based company is making waves in the digital space with its innovative range of products, including digital business cards, proximity marketing tags, and other NFC-enabled solutions. Designed, manufactured, and distributed by TAPiTAG, these products are transforming the way individuals and businesses connect in a fast-paced, digital-first world. By offering cutting-edge alternatives to traditional paper business cards, the company is helping reduce paper waste and promoting environmentally responsible practices.
This is the 25th year of the Local Enterprise Office initiative, which was won last year by DreamDev Technologies, supported by Local Enterprise Office Kildare. Set up in 2019 by Eoin Barry and Douglas Augiar, the AI augmented platform helps companies to significantly increase their product’s time to market
This year there is a wide variety of finalists competing for the title of National Enterprise of the Year. Those include MAIVJO Ltd T/a TAPiTAG from Westmeath who develop NFC-powered digital solutions, including business cards, marketing tags, and donation platforms and have over 45,000 users in 75 countries.
Another finalist is Spellings for Me from Tipperary who have developed an AI-powered personalised spelling programme, designed for primary schools and home learning.
There is a selection of food businesses in the running this year including Naked Bakes from South Dublin, SOS Cookies from Limerick, Fused by Fiona Uyema from Kildare and WONDR Jellies from Mayo, the world’s first high protein, low sugar jellies.
Other finalists include SPRYT from Monaghan, an AI-powered virtual receptionist that helps healthcare providers significantly improve patient engagement, Slick+ from Sligo, a knowledge sharing system for remote and hybrid teams and Seabound Engineering from Donegal, Ireland’s only SCMS-certified aluminium shipyard, specialising in custom-built vessels for the aquaculture, inshore and offshore fishing, and marine sectors.
Tracey Tallon, Head of Enterprise (A), LEO Westmeath said “The National Enterprise Awards serve to highlight the very best businesses that the Local Enterprise Offices are working with across the country. The diversity of sectors and innovation shown again this year is outstanding and the winners will no doubt produce businesses destined for international success. These businesses have excelled in their areas and have the potential to follow in the footsteps of previous winners to become successful global companies”.
Local Enterprise Office Westmeath have had previous success at the awards. Mullingar-based Watt Footprint Ltd was named Regional Winner for the Mid East Region at last year’s National Enterprise Awards. The company is transforming the energy sector with its cutting-edge software, providing remote energy management solutions that set new standards in efficiency and cost control. Another Westmeath success story, Bevcraft Ltd, received the Outstanding Achievement Award. The company began with the support of the Local Enterprise Office and has since scaled globally with assistance from Enterprise Ireland.
The Finalists compete for a prize fund of €50,000 and along with an overall National Enterprise of the Year winner there are categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, an Innovation Award, a One-to-Watch Award, and a Sustainability Award. There is also an Outstanding Achievement award for a business that started with their Local Enterprise Office and has gone on to achieve international growth with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland.
Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards include the likes of Irish Yoghurts (1998), Obelisk (2000), Simtech Aviation (2008), Digiweb (2004) and Design Pro (2013), Terra NutriTech (2018), Pestle & Mortar (2019), Bevcraft (2021), Aqualicence in 2022 and Advanced Cosmetics in 2023.
The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day, and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 75,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice, and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie
