Public Voting is Now Open

The Irish Business Design Challenge is proud to announce that the public voting is now open for the 2026 finalists.

The Irish Business Design Challenge celebrates and honours innovation, creativity, and sustainability initiatives by Irish businesses that benefit both the environment and society.

From a wide range of outstanding entries, our jurors have selected finalists in two categories (Micro-Sized & Small-Sized) based on their exceptional design-led solutions to modern challenges.

We have now entered the next phase of the competition where the public will help decide which companies will be the 2026 winners.

The 2026 Irish Business Design Challenge winners will be announced during DCCI Irish Design Week on Monday – 9th November – 2026. Tickets for the IBDC awards ceremony are now available — book your tickets here.

2026 Micro-Sized Business Finalists 

Badly Made Books / Agus Arís

Badly Made Books was founded in 2015 and for the past ten years has been making recycled paper notebooks in Ireland using innovative methods of bookbinding that prioritise circular economy design alongside product quality & tactile user experience. The studio has won numerous product awards at Showcase Ireland and supplied independent shops and major retailers all over Ireland and internationally.

In 2025 the studio chose to remove its bestselling designs from the catalogue and in 2026 released its first catalogue to shops that featured reusable notebooks only. This decision elevated the most circular and innovative product from a potential commercial failure to the centre of operations, a move which has brought the idea of reusability into the hands of creatives and thinkers all over Ireland. Founded by designer, writer & illustrator Seán O Sullivan, badly made books has continued to expand it’s design remit, developing constantly in order to best meet the challenges of environmental design.

Islander Architects

The climate crisis demands a rewriting of architectural practice. Islander Architects draws its ethos from island communities to the west of Ireland, where resource scarcity inspires creativity and materials are cherished as finite. Established in 2020, the studio has evolved its practice to challenge the conventions of architectural practice, placing climate advocacy and material stewardship at the heart of every project.

Their shopfront studio in Balbriggan makes the craft and process of architecture visible to the public, inviting their community into an ongoing dialogue about their shared built environment. They operate at the intersection of design, research, and engagement, turning abstract climate data into visible, public conversations. As creative leads on the national research project ‘Demolition Take Down: Assemblages’, they prove that architecture is about more than just altering buildings – it is about shaping policy, building carbon literacy, and securing a sustainable future.

Ponc.Design

Ponc.Design is a collaboration between Knut Klimmek of Klimmek Furniture and Brian Tyrrell of Bear Creation.Before the project began Brian and Knut had at various times discussed the lack of Irish designed and manufactured furniture products that had gained international representation and focused on sustainability. The big question was why and what would be the key factors in correcting this.

Brian felt strongly that to build a scalable furniture brand it would need to develop products that were freestanding and required only minimal assembly and fixing. Knut knew from experience that that without a strong sales and marketing strategy after the product was created, the hoped for sales would not materialise. By collaborating the two workshops were able to address these key factors comprehensively and build on the strengths of each workshop.

Fermoyle Pottery

Fermoyle Pottery is a ceramic design studio run by husband and wife team Stephen O’Connell and Alexis Bowman. Working from their home studio in Co. Kerry, they design and make ceramic tableware for some of the most exciting chefs in Ireland and abroad.

Their process draws on local materials like slate and wood ash, allowing their pieces to speak the language of the surrounding landscape. Each piece is designed to be interpreted and expanded by the chefs who use them, becoming part of a wider creative world.

2026 Small-Sized Business Finalists

We Make Good

We Make Good is a Dublin based social enterprise, run by the charity Quality Matters CLG. They make and mend quality textiles, helping to extend the life of clothing and reduce waste. Alongside this, they provide meaningful jobs and training for people from marginalised backgrounds, including people recovering from addiction, people leaving prison, refugees rebuilding their lives, and people living with a disability.

Everything they earn goes back into the work. Their income comes from alterations and repairs, textile manufacturing (Cut Make Trim), and wholesale and gift products, alongside community training programmes. They believe social enterprise offers a better way of doing business, one where people are cared for and waste becomes valued. For people and businesses who want their choices to make a real difference, We Make Good is the Irish social enterprise where doing good is just how they do business.

Celtic Tweed

Celtic Tweed is a Dublin-based luxury fashion house making tweed and linen clothing and accessories for both men and women. They design and manufacture themselves at their own purpose built facility in Balbriggan, North County Dublin, a town with textile roots stretching back to the 1830s which is something they hope to revive. Using a team of skilled tailors, cutters, machinists and designers they set out to reimagine traditional Irish fabrics for the modern wardrobe.

They are proudly the opposite of fast fashion: every garment is made in small batches, built to be worn and repaired for a lifetime rather than discarded after a season, using natural, durable fabrics sourced with sustainability in mind. Their lifetime repairs service and digital product passports let customers trace and extend the life of their garment. They are Guaranteed Irish certified, members of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, and Fashion Category Winner at the Irish Made Awards 2025.

O’Flaherty Stone

O’Flaherty Stone is a specialist stonemasonry and sculpture company based in County Wicklow. Their team has extensive experience in traditional stonemasonry, stone carving, and sculpture. Over the years, they have had the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting and significant projects, including: Collaboration with artist Liz OKane – The Spirit of Kerry Women sculpture.

The carved stone urns at Russborough House Collaboration with artist Els Dievorst – Carved boulders for the Belgian Monastery. Hand-carved keystones currently being produced for a studio in Dublin. As well as international and local stone sculptures. At O’Flaherty Stone, they combine traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques, while retaining the importance of skilled hand-carving and attention to detail.