Now entering its seventh year, the National Digital Awards continues to recognise and celebrate digital excellence and innovation across a multitude of sectors in Ireland. Entries are accepted from today (September 29th, 2026), with businesses, individuals, and companies invited to showcase their achievements in the digital space and benchmark themselves against the very best in the business.

Following the success of last year’s programme, which attracted submissions from over 500 businesses and organisations, the 2027 National Digital Awards will once again spotlight Ireland’s top digital performers and innovators, rewarding excellence across three main themes of Websites, Innovation, and People.

Winners of last year’s awards included the Coombe Hospital, which took home the coveted National Website of the Year Award, and household brands such as Musgrave Group, An Post, and EZ Living Furniture. An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, picked up the Digital Changemaker of the Year Award for his contribution to driving the AI agenda at Government level.

This year’s awards reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, with a strengthened focus on artificial intelligence, innovation and customer experience. New categories introduced for 2027 include AI Leader of the Year, recognising individuals making a significant contribution to AI adoption and innovation, and the Consumer Choice Award, which will give the public an opportunity to recognise Ireland’s favourite digital and ecommerce business through a nationwide vote. The Website category has also been expanded for 2027, with dedicated awards recognising excellence in Retail, Professional Services and Public Sector websites, alongside the existing National, Small, Medium and Large Website categories.

Sponsors of the National Digital Awards this year include industry leaders such as Planet, Core Optimisation, Byrne Wallace Shields, .IE, All human, Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and more.

Speaking at the launch of the 2027 iteration of the National Digital Awards, Chairperson Victor Timon said: “The National Digital Awards continue to showcase the ingenuity, creativity and determination that drive Ireland’s digital economy. Each year, we see companies, organisations and individuals raising the bar through innovation, customer experience and digital leadership. We look forward to celebrating those setting new standards and recognising the achievements that are helping to shape our digital future in Ireland”.

Winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony in Dublin in February 2027. Entry is free, and DBI is encouraging businesses and individuals across the country to get involved and mark themselves out against the best in the business.

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Move takes Octopus’ Irish renewables portfolio beyond 300 MW – generating enough clean power for over 82,000 Irish homes.

Investment made on behalf of Octopus Energy Generation’s Sky fund (ORI SCSp), backed by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF)

Announcement comes as Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy is in Dublin to speak with EU Energy Ministers

Octopus Energy’s generation arm is supercharging its clean energy activity in Ireland, investing in three solar farms generating clean power for 10,000 Irish homes.

The three solar farms – two in County Kildare and one in County Cork – are already up and running, with a combined capacity of 43 MW.

One of the Kildare projects has given a disused golf course a new lease of life, swapping fairways for solar rays and turning the land into a source of clean, homegrown energy.

The deal brings Octopus’ portfolio of operational and construction renewables projects in Ireland to more than 300 MW across nine sites. Together, these can generate enough green electricity to power over 82,000 Irish homes a year.

The announcement comes as Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, is in Dublin today to speak at a meeting with Energy Ministers from across the European Union.

Octopus, one of Europe’s largest specialist energy transition investors, has been ramping up its investments in Irish renewables in recent years, backing projects that can help deliver the country’s ambition to generate 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

It has invested in green energy developer Circal, which has a 1 GW pipeline of solar farms; Verde Energy Group, which is rolling out more than 50 on-site solar and storage projects to help businesses go green; and Simply Blue Group, which is helping advance fixed and floating offshore wind projects in Ireland’s windy waters.

Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, said: “This investment from Octopus Energy Generation is hugely welcome as solar growth in Ireland continues to strengthen our energy security and clean electricity capacity.

“Ireland recently marked two major milestones for utility-scale solar, reaching 3 GW of installed solar capacity and setting a new record of 1.3 GW for peak solar generation at a given time on the grid.

“Octopus’ expansion of their generation business in Ireland, supported by the Ireland Strategy Investment Fund, further enhances our renewables capacity, and is another important step in transforming our electricity system for homes, farms and business across Ireland.

“I’m also delighted Greg Jackson is participating in today’s Informal Meeting of EU Energy Ministers. Clean, secure and affordable energy is the focus of our discussions and Octopus brings valuable expertise and perspectives to that agenda.”

Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said: “Ireland has what it takes to become a clean energy powerhouse – and these solar farms will power thousands of Irish homes with green electricity. This is only the beginning, as Octopus is backing solar, wind and battery projects across Ireland to build a cleaner, more resilient energy system – cutting reliance on imported energy and getting more home-grown power into Irish homes and businesses.”

The latest solar investment was made on behalf of the Sky (ORI SCSp), managed by Octopus Energy Generation, which backs renewables and energy transition infrastructure across the globe.

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), the country’s sovereign development fund managed by the National Treasury Management Agency, has committed £80 million to the Sky fund.

As part of its long-term commitment to Ireland, Octopus’s generation arm established a Dublin office in 2023 to support its growing local investment activity.

Rebekah Brady, Interim Director of ISIF, said: “ISIF welcomes the ongoing investment activities of the Octopus Energy Generation Sky fund, in supporting the energy transition in Ireland. In April 2025, under its climate investment theme, ISIF announced that it would commit a further €1bn to climate-related investments by 2029, having previously exceeded the original €1bn target set.

“The investment in the Sky fund, through which ISIF has supported a range of renewable energy technologies across Ireland, is a good example of that programme in action and we welcome today’s announcement that the fund is investing in three solar farms in Kildare and Cork, which will generate clean power for 10,000 Irish homes.”

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Dublin, 29 September 2026 – The representative body for Ireland’s vaping sector has accused Government of penalising legitimate business while failing to do enough to tackle rogue operators flooding main streets across the country.

Responsible Vaping Ireland is warning the Government that it needs to take its head out of the sand and rethink its approach as Ireland’s smoking rate remains stuck at 17%, far above the 5% target by 2025.

An RVI spokesperson said:

“There is no common sense in making things harder for retailers who are doing everything by the book while rogue sellers are undermining both the Government and the legitimate retail sector.

Instead of going after the businesses that break the rules, the Government has made a mission of putting even more pressure retailers at a time when the cost of running a business in Ireland is cripplingly high.

We fully support action to stop young people from accessing vapes. In fact, it is the legitimate retailers who are doing the most to ensure younger people are not accessing these products via proper age checks. But it is time to start enforcing the rules against those who don’t. There is little point in adding more restrictions for legitimate shops if rogue sellers can simply step in and fill the gap.”

RVI said the approach also raises wider questions about Ireland’s efforts to reduce smoking.

The organisation pointed to the 17% smoking rate and the fact that more than 23,000 adults quit smoking with the help of vaping products, according to Healthy Ireland data. Research last month from the UK found that nicotine e-cigarettes were more effective at helping people quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum.

“Ireland has a very clear problem. Smoking rates remain stubbornly high, yet the Government is pursuing restrictions which risk making regulated vaping products less accessible to adults who are trying to quit.

“The question is will a crackdown on these legitimately safe and regulated cessation tools actually help people quit smoking? It makes little sense to talk about a smoke-free Ireland while making it harder for adult smokers to access regulated products that can help them quit.

Government should follow the evidence, as well as international best practice seen in countries like New Zealand and focus on what works, rather than bringing in blanket restrictions that will push people back towards cigarettes.”

RVI warned that the Government’s current approach will drive people to illegal channels, where unregulated vapes are widely available. The organisation has called for increased underage test-purchasing, stronger product inspections and annual monitoring of the illegal vape market as part of its Budget 2027 proposals.

“It is time for rules that actually make sense. The priority should be keeping vapes away from young people, making sure the rules are enforced, taking illegal products off the market and making sure adults who want to quit smoking can still access the products that help them.

If you put more pressure on retailers who follow the rules while allowing rogue sellers to fill the gap, you risk creating a huge black market and unlevel playing field for businesses.”

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Over three days, there were various presentations, site visits and collaborative sessions that provided insights on how retailers are using data to drive smarter decision-making and deliver more personalised customer experiences along with enhanced digital engagement, loyalty, retail media and eCommerce. Discussions also focused on the evolving role of AI in retail operations, from pricing and assortment optimisation to marketing, forecasting and supply chain planning.

John Moane, Group Chief Executive, BWG Group said: “We were delighted to welcome colleagues from around Ireland and across the SPAR global network to join us in Dublin where we could share insights on how technology, local entrepreneurship and strong supplier partnerships are helping to shape the future of convenience retail and foodservice. Retail is undoubtedly becoming more connected than ever before. The various conversations and presentations throughout the week have clearly demonstrated how data, customer insights and AI can help retailers innovate faster and build more resilient supply chains. I’m proud to see how Ireland is playing a leading role in that journey.”

Tobias Wasmuht, Managing Director, SPAR International said: “SPAR Ireland’s continuous innovation across its multi-format retail strategy and investment in its world class supply chain has contributed greatly to the growth and development of SPAR internationally. The SPAR Connected Retail and Supply Chain conference in Ireland creates the ideal platform of exchange between over 150 colleagues of SPAR worldwide to share knowledge and resources for the benefit of all.”

Part of the activity across the week included participants visiting a number of SPAR stores and BWG Foods’ National Distribution Centre, gaining first-hand insight into how innovation is being deployed across the Irish retail network.

Delegates also examined how retailers can build stronger omnichannel experiences by connecting in-store, online and loyalty platforms, while creating new revenue opportunities through retail media and strategic collaboration with FMCG and technology partners.

ENDS

PHOTO CAPTION:

John Moane, Group CEO, BWG Group and Tobias Wasmuht, Managing Director, SPAR International at the SPAR International Connected Retail and Supply Chain Conference 2026, which took place in Dublin with over 150 retail leaders gathering to examine how the SPAR global network and Irish convenience retail is embracing data, technology and innovation.

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• Government has added to business costs by increasing the National Minimum Wage
• No relief for other increasing operating costs including energy
• RGDATA calls for urgent reconvening of Cost of Business Forum

RGDATA has called for the Cost of Business Forum to be urgently reconvened after Budget 2027 added further employment costs while failing to meaningfully address other major operating costs facing independent local food shops.

RGDATA, which represents over 3,000 family-owned independent food/convenience shops across Ireland, has written to the Chair of the Forum asking that it be reconvened urgently to assess what has been achieved since its report was finalised.

RGDATA Director General Roseanne Regan said:

“For over a year, representatives of SMEs, including RGDATA, sat around the table as part of the Cost of Business Forum examining the rising costs facing businesses. The report of that Forum has effectively been ignored, with only one administrative change being made to Enhanced Reporting Requirements.

“We have written to the Chair today calling for the Forum to be urgently reconvened to assess what has actually been delivered, what remains outstanding and what now needs to be done.”

Regan said the Budget Statement was the first formal indication employers received that the National Minimum Wage would increase by an amount far in excess of inflation.

“Thousands of independent shop owners around the country will be deeply disappointed by Budget 2027. The highest business cost increase they have been dealing with – the cost of employment – will go up again as a result of the increase in the National Minimum Wage by an amount in excess of inflation.

“The decision to raise the employer PRSI threshold from €552 to €600 per week is welcome, but in reality it will only cushion some of the considerable additional employment costs associated with the increase in the National Minimum Wage. A reduction in the employer PRSI contribution rate would have had a more meaningful and direct impact on employment costs.

“For an employer with a full-time employee working 39 hours on the minimum wage, the increase will add approximately €1,750 a year in wages and employer PRSI. Multiply that across a workforce and the impact is significant. Where does Government expect these businesses to find this extra money?”

RGDATA also criticised the absence of meaningful measures to address rising electricity costs, which are a significant overhead for independent grocery and convenience shops.

“Energy is one of the biggest costs of running a local shop. Refrigeration, lighting, ovens and other essential equipment have to run regardless of what happens to energy prices. Yet there is no meaningful relief in this Budget from the day-to-day electricity costs facing these businesses.

“Fewer than four in ten of the independent retailers we surveyed expect to make a profit this year. Government cannot continue to add to the costs of businesses operating on tight margins and simply expect them to find the money.

“On the evidence of Budget 2027, Government has not demonstrated any real intent to reduce the overall cost of doing business. On the contrary, independent local shops are being left to foot the bill for another year of rising costs.”

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