29 May 2013. The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland’s official Internet address .ie, today announced the 20 winners of its OPTIMSE 2013 Fund. The winning companies include family run businesses, emerging and established companies from the food, travel and tourism, media and publishing, retail and technology sectors (full details below).
IEDR’s OPTIMISE e-Commerce Website Development Fund provides €150,000 worth of professional consultancy and support to help 20 Irish SMEs and micro-enterprises upgrade their online presence and grow their business using the Internet as a sales and marketing channel.
IEDR has increased the value of its OPTIMISE Fund by 50% to €150,000 and doubled the number of winners to 20 since it was first established in 2011. This is in response to strong demand from Ireland’s SME community for practical, hands-on assistance in the area of e-commerce and new technologies. The investment by IEDR is financed entirely from the company’s own resources and is driven by IEDR’s commitment to give more small Irish businesses the opportunity to benefit from a level of professional e-commerce consultancy that might otherwise be beyond their budgets at the present time.
The 20 winning companies were selected from over 350 entries by an independent panel of judges comprising leading Irish business and technology experts.
Each of the 20 winners will receive tailored e-commerce advice, strategies and practical support to begin the process of upgrading their online presence. With greater e-commerce functionality and the addition of new online technologies, the winning companies will be better placed to utilise the Internet’s 24 hour sales and marketing channel and gain greater competitive advantage in today’s online marketplace.
The 20 recipients, who will each receive 10 days’ of professional technical and marketing support with which to plan and carry out their e-commerce upgrades, comprise both start-up and established businesses as follows:
OPTIMISE Fund Winner Details
The Butler’s Pantry
www.thebutlerspantry.ie
Producer and retailer of hand prepared artisan meals, breads and desserts through 10 retail locations in Dublin and Wicklow.
Killowen Farm
www.killowen.ie
Family run business which produces yoghurt and dairy products using traditional methods from the Dunne Family Farm in Wexford.
Business World
www.businessworld.ie
Dublin based online news publisher specialising in business news and information.
Press22
www.press22.ie
Limerick photography company who offer services for a wide range of industries and have experience in providing digital imagery for online purposes.
Java Republic
www.javarepublic.ie
Java Republic supply Irish restaurants, coffee houses, boutique hotels and offices with premium, artisan, hand-roasted, ethically-sourced coffees, speciality teas and hot chocolate.
Rock Farm Slane
www.rockfarmslane.ie
Rock Farm Slane is an ecotourism destination set on a 150 acre organic farm along the banks of the River Boyne opposite Slane Castle in Meath.
Wholesale Directory
www.wholesaledirectory.ie
Limerick based company working to help Irish retailers connect online with genuine wholesalers who deal directly with Irish businesses.
Seavite Bodycare Ltd
www.seavite.ie
Family run business from Galway which develops and sells organic sea-weed based skincare products.
Viking Marine
www.vikingmarine.ie
Dublin based retailer who specialises in chandlery, ropes, electronics, marine, outdoor and casual clothing and accessories.
Colmac Robotics Ltd
www.colmac.ie
Educational-technology start-up in the field of robotics. Offering summer camps for children in Castlebar, Dublin and Galway.
Eurocycles
www.eurocycles.ie
An offline and online retail organisation specialising in the import and supply of bicycles and bicycle related products to the general public in Ireland.
Courtlough Shooting Grounds Ltd.
www.courtlough.ie
A clay pigeon shooting facility in North County Dublin which also features a trout fishery, outdoor activity centre and clubhouse.
PuddleDucks
www.puddleducks.ie
Located in Cork, PuddleDucks is a family run online retail business specialising in outdoor clothing for children.
Motive Television Ltd
www.motive.ie
IFTA nominated producer of documentary, lifestyle programming, travel shows and live event coverage.
Manasik Tours Ltd
www.manasik.ie
Travel Agency specialising in Eastern Travel for both corporate and private consumers.
Square Fit Ltd
Fit Ltdwww.tyresdublin.ie
Dublin based family garage business specialising in reliable and quick car servicing and repairs who also offer online quotes and bookings.
Anchor Safety Ltd
www.anchorsafety.ie
Provider of personal protective equipment such as road safety products (traffic cones, barriers, etc.), water safety products (lifebuoys, life jackets) and workwear.
Air Impact
www.airimpact.ie
Tipperary based wholesaler and distributor of pneumatic tools and equipment.
Datascope Ltd
www.datascope.ie
Wexford based printer of newspapers and magazines for 49 publishers in Ireland.
RA Kee & Sons Ltd
www.rkee.ie
Family run retailers operating four stores in the North West of Ireland.
