Welcome to the
LAMA All Ireland Community
& Council Awards

Best Irish Festival

Open to any festival or event staged in a local community or county. The Best Irish Festival of the Year award recognises the huge effort made by both residents and organisers to make an event happen and the sense of community such an endeavour creates. The winning festival/event will also have boosted tourism and attracted business to the area, thereby raising the community’s profile and cementing the area’s commitment to building a healthy and whole neighbourhood.

• Describe your Festival and outline any unique features. (40%)
• Describe the successes of your Festival – include figures and any PR received, describe how it boosted tourism and attracted business to the local area. (30%)
• Describe the objectives/goals and outcomes of the Festival. (30%)

Best Inclusive Community Wellbeing Initiative Award sponsored by Re-turn

This category recognises community-based initiatives which were put in place to develop and deliver services within communities to meet local needs. These may range from justice to child care initiatives, to cultural or environmental projects. They must have impacted upon the community or improved lives of those in the surrounding area

• Tell us about the initiative – the quality of it, what it entailed etc. (40%)
• Tell us about how efficiently it was executed – was there a time frame, was it for particular members of the community etc? (30%)
• Tell us how this community-based initiative contributes to the community – who does it benefit and how? (30%)

Sponsored by Re-turn

Community Volunteer of the Year

This category is for those who go above and beyond for their community and create a positive impact in their community. They also inspire and motivate others.

• Tell us about your community volunteer’s work in either a community group or local charity which has made a significant change to community life. Outline their level of involvement in the community and describe the impact their commitment has had on the locality. (100%)

Best Community Transport Initiative

Best Green Sustainable Initiative

Sponsored by Electric Ireland Superhomes

Best Business working with the Community
sponsored by An Post

This category aims to find the best Irish business working in the community who has recognised a wider responsibility to their people and the communities in which they work. This can be by helping communities by having a positive impact on the people and community around them and working with integrity and responsibility. The business may be involved in charitable and community activities by for example supporting a local club through sponsorship or raising money for a local charity group.

• Tell us about the business, and specifically how it engages with the three pillars of ‘People, Planet, Profit’: In regards to ‘People’, how does the business interact with the community in a social respect, and what is the business’ relationship with the local council? (40%)
• Planet’: Does the business endorse environmental responsibility, and adopt third-party certifications, such as Fair Trade? Refer to any reductions of resources, and levels of energy use and waste. (30%)
• ‘Profit’: How has the business assisted the local community in economic terms? Has the business create new jobs, or ensured job security? (30%)

Sponsored by An Post

Best Enterprise & Start-up Hub

Best Community-Scale Enhancements

Celebrating small-to-medium infrastructure projects that enrich everyday life—like upgraded playgrounds, greenways, local heritage restorations, or improved public amenities. These initiatives should reflect community needs, foster inclusion, and enhance wellbeing. Judges will look for creative use of resources, strong local partnerships, and visible impact on quality of life.

Best Irish Language Initiative

Best Inclusive Public Realm & Accessibility Project

This category celebrates infrastructure that prioritises universal access, dignity, and social inclusion. Eligible projects include accessible streetscapes, sensory gardens, inclusive sports facilities, or disability-friendly transport upgrades. Entries must demonstrate co-design with diverse communities and a commitment to removing barriers in the built environment.

Best Housing Regeneration & Urban Planning

Best Transformative Capital Projects

This category honours large-scale infrastructure initiatives that redefine local landscapes—such as civic hubs, transport interchanges, or regional regeneration schemes. Projects should demonstrate strategic vision, long-term sustainability, and measurable community benefit. Entries must showcase excellence in planning, stakeholder engagement, and delivery, with emphasis on innovation, accessibility, and environmental stewardship.

Sponsored by TII

Reimagining Public Places Award

Sponsored by Southern Regional Assembly, Northern & Western Regional Assembly and Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly

Excellence in Sustainable Major Infrastructure Delivery

Sponsored by Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Local Authority Energy Decarbonisation Award

Sponsored by BDO

Best Sustainable Infrastructure & Climate Action

This category recognises infrastructure projects—large or small—that advance environmental goals. Eligible entries include renewable energy installations, flood mitigation systems, green building retrofits, or biodiversity corridors. Projects must demonstrate climate resilience, carbon reduction, and alignment with national sustainability targets, while engaging communities in environmental stewardship.

Best Tourism Initiative
sponsored by Fáilte Ireland

Specifically aimed at rewarding an initiative which directly increases visitor numbers to an area or to Ireland overall, this category will recognise an initiative or project that has helped improve the way we care for our visitors. The impact this initiative has had or is having on visitor numbers and on communities will be taken into consideration, as will the effect it is having on businesses, both new and existing.

• Describe this Tourism Initiative and outline the objectives set. (30%)
• Detail your Tourism Initiative marketing campaign. Include details of both online and offline campaigns and any international reach. (30%)
• Outline the success of the Tourism Initiative. Describe the benefits to the community, Business and how visitor numbers increased. (40%)

Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland

Best Use of Technology & Innovation in Local Government

This award recognises outstanding achievement in the use of technology or innovation to enhance operational efficiency, improve public service delivery, and create meaningful impact for both local authorities and the communities they serve. 

Sponsored by Submit.com, this category highlights the teams leading the way in making local government smarter, faster, and more effective. In particular it honours initiatives that reflect a commitment to modernisation, and long-term public value.

Sponsored by Submit.com

Best Social Enterprise of the Year
sponsored by Rethink Ireland

(Not open for public entry)

Social enterprises are organisations whose mission is to have a positive effect on society. They generate revenue through their products or services and reinvest their profits back into their social mission. Social enterprises develop solutions to Ireland’s most pressing social issues by creating jobs, tackling disadvantage and supporting community development.

In January 2018, Social Innovation Fund of Ireland launched the Social Enterprise Development Fund to find and back the best social enterprises in Ireland. The fund is run in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland, with the support IPB insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Sponsored by Rethink Ireland

Best CSR Project in a Community

A CSR community programme should represent a sustained effort by a business to strengthen its links within its local community and to have a positive impact on the area. The programme should respond to a specific need in the community and should focus on the measures taken by a business to engage with the community and all relevant stakeholders involved.

• Outline the project and describe the objectives, giving reasons as to why this project was established. (40%)
• Tell us about how efficiently the project was executed and who was involved in the execution. (30%)
• Describe the success and outcomes of the CSR Community Project, who it benefited and if it will continue to be implemented. (30%)

Community Wellbeing Initiative

Sponsored by Healthy Ireland

National Impact Award
sponsored by IPB Insurance

This category recognises a project which has had a positive effect upon the nation as a whole, enhancing the environment, cultural or social activities, transport links or the economic stability or growth of the local and national communities who use it.

• Tell us about the overall concept – why the end result was decided upon and with what result in mind – cultural, social, economic? (40%)
• Tell us about how the project was received by the public, press or foreign visitors? (20%)
• Tell us how the project benefitted the public, or impacted the lives of the community members through social, cultural, economic or business use. (40%)

Sponsored by IPB Insurance

Council of the year
sponsored by IPB Insurance

Council of the Year recognises a local council which has gone above and beyond for the people of the community. It must have developed and be continuing to develop a range of innovative projects and initiatives which improve and enhance the social, environmental, cultural and economic aspects of community lives. This category is not open for entry; instead County Councils with the highest number of finalists over all the categories will be invited to submit a 600 word entry outlining the criteria below.

• Tell us about the key projects that were undertaken by the council and how they were implemented? (50%)
• Tell us about the success of each project and how the success of each project was measured? (50%)

Sponsored by IPB Insurance

Grand Prix
sponsored by IPB Insurance

(Not open for public entry)
Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Grand Prix Award is a special commendation for outstanding excellence. This prestigious award goes to the project/initiative that received the highest average mark from our esteemed judging panel.

Sponsored by IPB Insurance