NI’S TOP BUSINESS AWARDS LAUNCHED FOR 2025
Northern Ireland’s premier celebration of business excellence, the AIB Business Eye Awards, has officially launched for its 19th year at a high-profile networking event hosted at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast.
The launch was led by Richard Buckley, Editor of Business Eye, and Roisin Keenan, Head of Business Banking NI, AIB, with category sponsors and senior representatives from across the business landscape in attendance.
For 2025, the awards will once again honour outstanding achievement across a diverse range of sectors and disciplines. Headline categories include the prestigious Company of the Year, Business Personality of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside new and returning categories that reflect the evolving business landscape in Northern Ireland.
AIB continues its valued partnership with Business Eye as title sponsor, reinforcing its long-standing support for Northern Ireland’s business community.
Entries for the 2025 AIB Business Eye Awards are now open. The deadline for submissions is Friday 24th October 2025, with judging to follow soon after. The gala awards evening will be held at ICC Belfast on Thursday 20th November 2025, promising another memorable night of celebration, recognition, and inspiration.
AWARDS CATEGORIES
Company of the Year
Northern Ireland’s overall company of the year in the opinion of the judging panel. Companies can be of any size/scale, number of employees, and must be able to exhibit exceptional performance, especially but not exclusively during the 12 month period to 30th May 2025.
Sponsored by: AIB
Young Business Personality of the Year
The category is open to senior managers and leaders in businesses and organisations across the private, public and voluntary sectors under the age of 35, whose leadership and achievement can be clearly demonstrated.
Sponsored by: Ulster University
Tourism & Hospitality Award
The company or organisation making the most valuable contribution to the continued development of tourism & hospitality here in Northern Ireland. Possible entrants might include hotels/hotel groups, other forms of accommodation, tourism development organisations, restaurants, travel facilities, etc.
Employer of the Year
This category sets out to recognise those local organisations exhibiting best practice in terms of people management. The judging panel will look for clear evidence of class-leading initiatives designed to make the organisation a better and more caring employer.
Medium/Mid-Sized Business of the Year
This category will recognise a leading player in the 50-250 employee sector of the Northern Ireland economy, a key sector which includes a number of our leading private sector companies. As with Company of the Year, entrants must demonstrate exceptional performance across the board.
Innovative Company of The Year
Open to any Northern Ireland-based company of any size able to demonstrate evidence of significant innovation in products, services or processes resulting in demonstrable gains for the business as a whole.
Sponsored by: Queen’s University Business School
Family Business of the Year
The Northern Ireland economy includes a high proportion of family-owned enterprises. This category sets out to recognise the very best. Open to all family-owned enterprises based in Northern Ireland, irrespective of size, scale or sector of operation.
Sponsored by: Harbinson Mulholland
Community (CSR) Award
Corporate social responsibility plays an important role for NI companies and this specialist category sets out to recognise an organisation from the private, public or voluntary sectors making a clear and impactful contribution to its local community as a whole.
Employee of the Year
Every organisation values its people. This new award category gives employers and organisations the opportunity to nominate their key employees for special recognition. The award is open to any employee of a Northern Ireland-based organisation in any sector as nominated by a direct or senior manager within the organisation.
Manufacturer of the Year
A very important category, this one is open to all manufacturing organisations, of any size and scale, operating in Northern Ireland. The judging panel will look for evidence of innovation, attention to detail, state of the art engineering and product market success.
Green/Sustainable Company of the Year
Once again open to a Northern Ireland-based organisation of any size, this award will recognise an organisation which has made significant and demonstrable progress towards becoming more sustainable and contributing to the wider environmental goal.
Business Personality of the Year
The keynote award will honour Northern Ireland’s outstanding business personality over the past 12 months, an individual whose leadership achievements have contributed to business success and to the wider local economy.
Sponsored by: Ardmore Group
Lifetime of Achievement Award
A premier award on the night, this special award will be presented to an individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution not just to their own business or sector, but also to the Northern Ireland business community and economy as a whole.
Fast Growth Business of the Year
This award will be presented to the local company able to demonstrate significant growth – in terms of turnover and/or employment – over the last 12 to 18 months dating back from the closing date for entries.
Sponsored by: Bauer Media Group
Outstanding Leadership & Management Award
This award is aimed at individuals in senior management and leadership positions who have achieved significant results for their organisation as a result of their leadcership.
Sponsored by: UpStream
Diversity & inclusion Award
With diversity and inclusion firmly on the corporate agenda today, this new award will identify a local company which has diversity and inclusion at the heart of its recruitment and human resource management policies.
Sponsored by: AIB
Small Business of The Year
The organisation with 50 employees or less which, in the opinion of the judges, exemplifies best practice and achievement across the board. Evidence of growth and development, clear vision and strategy to deliver growth, commitment to superior customer service, demonstration of innovation across the business.
Sponsored by: Go Succeed
Professional Services Firm of the Year
This category sets out to honour Northern Ireland’s leading accountancy, legal or other professional services firm working with and providing key advice to clients in the local business community.
Sponsored by: Lockton
Marketing Campaign of the Year
This award recognises an outstanding marketing campaign delivered by a Northern Ireland-based organisation within the past 12 months. The winning campaign will demonstrate creativity, strategic thinking, effective execution, and measurable results.
Sponsored by: Fleet Financial
Construction & Property Company of the Year
The construction or property organisation making the most significant contribution to the wider economy through the development of innovative, sustainable and relevant project(s) across any sector, including both residential and commercial development.