On 15 October 2025, Ireland’s social enterprise community stepped into the spotlight for the National Social Enterprise Awards – a new, nationwide platform recognising organisations that trade for impact and put community results first. Backed by national policy momentum and delivered by leading sector partners, the evening marked a milestone in how Ireland values enterprise with purpose.
Across the room you could feel the breadth of the movement: mental health supports and youth services, circular economy innovators, community hubs, rural and urban job creators – each showing how commercial discipline can serve social goals. The awards are part of a broader effort to showcase the sector’s impact, raise awareness, and build a shared language for outcomes that matter.
What stood out most wasn’t just who won, but how they work: evidence-led, partnership-ready, and rooted in place. It’s a reminder that the social enterprise model – profit deployed for purpose – isn’t niche in Ireland anymore; it’s becoming a credible, investable way to deliver services communities rely on. The initiative is supported by Government under the National Social Enterprise Policy, and delivered through collaboration across the Local Development Companies Network (LDCN) and national partners – proof that when policy and practice align, momentum follows.
Below is a photo story from the night – moments of connection, pride, and possibility. If you’re building or backing social enterprise in 2026, let this gallery double as a to-do list: call someone you meet here, borrow a playbook, start a partnership. The work accelerates when we share it.
Credit: National Social Enterprise Awards 2025 (sector partners & supporters as cited). For official details and sector updates, see LDCN.