Local Enterprise Office Waterford, together with Waterford City and County Council have opened the 2026 Digital Award entries portal.

The awards, now in their 5th year, recognise and reward SMEs from County Waterford who have excelled in the development of their ecommerce and digital platforms as part of their product offering. The awards are open to all businesses with fewer than 50 full time employees based in County Waterford. They highlight businesses that have successfully integrated digital tools and strategies to drive success. The categories celebrate businesses of all industries that have demonstrated excellence in digital adoption, creative problem-solving, and customer engagement.

The categories for this year are:

Best Digital Transformation – Recognising businesses that have significantly improved efficiency, productivity, or customer experience through digital innovation.

Best E-Commerce Business – Rewarding businesses that excel in online retail, showcasing seamless shopping experiences and strong digital sales strategies.

Best Use of Social Media – Celebrating businesses that engage their audience, grow their brand, and drive success through creative and strategic social media marketing.

Best Digital Marketing Campaign – Honouring innovative and effective digital marketing strategies that have successfully reached and converted customers.

Best SEO Strategy – Showcasing businesses that have mastered search engine optimization to increase visibility and attract customers online.

& Overall Winner – Digital Awards 2026

The awards aim to recognise and celebrate local businesses (1-50 employees) that have embraced digital innovation to enhance their operations, customer experience, and overall success. These awards showcase how small businesses can leverage technology to stay competitive, grow, and serve their communities more effectively. Each category will have up to four shortlisted entrants who will be selected after an evaluation of their website/social media activity by independent expert judges. 

The winner of each category will receive €1,000 towards technical advice, photography, videography and marketing. The overall winner will receive €2,500 in cash.

Gareth Evans, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Waterford commented at the launch of the awards, “We were so impressed with the volume and quantity of entries in last year’s competition.  The Digital for Business Initiative from the Local Enterprise Office, which supports many of these businesses in strengthening their digital capabilities, has played an important role in raising standards across the board. Through this initiative, expert digital consultants work closely with clients to identify gaps, uncover opportunities, and support the implementation of practical digital solutions that drive growth. By opening the competition up to more businesses across Waterford, we saw not only an increase in applications but also a higher calibre of entries as a result.

“So, we heartily encourage businesses to enter by completing an online application form, sharing their digital success story, and providing supporting materials to demonstrate their achievements.”

Rody Keighery from Antiques Ireland, the overall winner last year, explained the importance of digital marketing and these awards, “Social media has changed our business dramatically, when we showcase new items they now sometimes sell in minutes. It has driven huge growth across our business. The content has really driven foot traffic to our auction viewing too, where people have built a real rapport with us. Most people assume we are in Dublin but we’re proud to fly the flag here in Waterford.

“We’ve put so much time and effort into this area of the business over the past few years, it’s great to get it recognised by the Local Enterprise Office, who helped us so much along the way.”

The entry portal is now open and remains so until Sunday May 24th. Shortlisted finalists will receive two free tickets to the Waterford Digital Awards which will be held in Dooleys Hotel on June 26th, 2026.

For further information follow this link, https://bit.ly/DigitalAwards2026, contact LEO Waterford at 051 849905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie

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