Why can't council run its own business awards?

ELECTED reps have asked why the council cannot run its own business awards.

At the Economic Development Committee last week, members were told that Mallusk Enterprise Park has submitted a proposal to lead on the delivery of Antrim and Newtownabbey Business Awards 2026 - the first such ceremony since 2019.

A report said: “The Business Awards will give local companies the opportunity to be recognised for their hard work and commitment to business excellence. The event will recognise all the great work that is going on a, especially as the businesses play such a key role in our local economy.

“The aim of the awards is to highlight the achievements of some truly remarkable companies in our area, which boasts an incredibly diverse range of skills and industries from artisan producers and hospitality providers to leading manufacturing and technology businesses.”

There are 14 individual awards categories.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Dunadry Hotel, Antrim on Thursday 1 October and will attract over 200 guests.

The Council has been offered the opportunity to be the only title sponsor for the event at a cost of £8,000.

For this the council would receive the council name and logo included in the awards title – Antrim and Newtownabbey Business Awards 2026 in association with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

It will also include an opportunity to speak at the awards event prior to awards presentation, a ‘company representative’ will make the presentation to the winner of the final award on the night, the ‘company name’ will be engraved on the award.

There will also be ten complimentary tickets to the awards dinner, promotion as the title sponsor in the extensive publicity programme for the event, a company logo on all print material such as brochures, flyers, tickets, menus and the sponsors’ wall.

The logo will also be prominently promoted on the night on stage throughout the evening as well as during the awards presentation itself.

The cost of the title sponsorship would be £8,000, which the report said ‘can be accommodated within the 2026/2027 Economic Development budget’.

But Independent Councillor Michael Stewart asked: “Are these the Mallusk’s awards and we are sponsorship?

“Councils should be running this, supported by others rather than Mallusk doing something and we are the sponsor.

“The report also talks about regional business awards. We have Ballyclare, Randalstown, so I am not sure where this sits.”

Director of Economic Development and Planning Majella McAlister said: “I appreciate the report is coming quite late.”

She said that post-covid, council had agreed to host up to three awards in a term, one a year, covering business, sport and community groups, but added: “This hasn’t got back into full swing. We haven’t run business awards.”

She said that Antrim Enterprise Agency has hosted its own awards, but Mallusk had not on a full scale.

“We have previously not sponsored any other business awards. If we were to run our own it would need a significant budget and if we were to recommence, we would have to factor in that budget. They are organising a borough-wide awards.”

Councillor Stewart replied: “It is kind of screaming out for council to run business awards as an organiser for something on that scale, as opposed to sponsoring another organisation. It is a missed opportunity, in light of the current economic climate. I would like to hear other opinions. Why aren’t we doing business awards? Why are we sponsoring someone else’s? Why are we not taking the lead? If it is a financial consideration, we did say we were going to run it, I don't know why we have not. We should be taking the lead and not being a sponsor, especially of an event entitled Antrim and Newtownabbey business awards.”

Alliance Antrim Town Councillor Neil Kelly said he understood there would be a different awards for each year of a four year term, and if that was the case, then there should be a budget.

Ms McAlister said that there were different funding priorities and recovery from covid, and said that there was no provision made for 2026/27.

She said she was not sure if the agencies had ever organised a borough-wide business awards before and that if council hosted, it would cost ‘£30-40,000’,

“Depending on the model, tickets, off-setting costs, if we would have sought sponsorship, it is a big resource challenge.”

Councillor Kelly said: “It is once within four years. It is something the business community wants. In this difficult financial climate, one event across the borough would be helpful for businesses and give them something to aim at, if we were minded to bring that forward we could have it before the next election in May 2027. We did have the sports one earlier in term.

“Antrim Chamber and Antrim Enterprise Agency might see this and we could be getting more requests (to sponsor), it is hard to turn more down if this is accepte. I propose we look at organising through the Economic Development Committee, some sort of awards scheme, organised and facilitated by council, with a report and costings. I am not asking for a decision this evening.”

Alderman Mark Cosgrove put forward ‘a slightly different proposal’.

“I feel as though sponsorship is going half way towards having our own event, so I wouldn't be supportive of that. If there are lower packages, if we are not going to run our own event, we should support it. We can ask what else is available at a lot less money. I agree about bringing a report back on our own event for information.

“If they are charging 100 a head for participants in addition to sponsorship, we could consider both ordinary businesses, social enterprises, use a broader theme and give officers authority to ask if we can make a lower investment in this event, while we can be a genuine supporter, I would like to put ivestment into our own event. Is there other packages further down the food chain we could consider as an alternative?”

Sinn Féin Airport Councillor Maighréad Ní Chonghaile said: “I appreciate council ownership and council lead in the eyes of business people.

“It wasn’t in our reckoning and we are being told it will cost £30k at least in terms of manpower and hours.

“Mallusk Enterprise Park are going to do it anyway. Should we not have lead sponsorship so we are branded and ahead of other sponsors. How does it look if we don't? If we are not doing our own, then we should be at heart of, the core of those who are.

“If Mallusk is going to do it, we should be seen to be in it as widely as possible.”

Councillor Kelly also asked if the awards would be truly Borough-wide - and enquired if Antrim Enterprise Agency was involved.

“At the Old Courthouse we had a business awards which was council organised, it could be sponsored for more than £8,0000, rest assured. I know of two, possibly three businesses happy to do that. If we own it and have it and make sure we have something special in a years time in the spring we have time to look at it in the estimates, if we put our heads together.

“Yes, Covid got in the way, but we did say we would do this. We can do something before end of council term in four years and lead on it and involve so many businesses.

“I am minded to stay with the proposal that we take a serious look at this around leading on a business awards across the borough and look at where we can bring a budget in and keep it as tight as possible.”

Ms McAlister said there were options for two associate sponsors at £3,000 each and 14 category sponsors at £2k each, and council could offer to sponsor one of those.

Sinn Fein Councillor Eamon McLaughlin said that he understood ‘where we want to go’ but suggested committing the £8,000 and write to Mallusk Enterprise Agency for assurances that the awards would be borough-wide.

“It is being held in the Dunadry, so I am assuming they have to accept Antrim,” he said.

“A £30-40,000 spend in a post-covid catch-up as a priority spend, to throw that in a 12-month turnaround and to have two full sets of business awards, it doesn't matter to the recipient who organises rewards, as long as it is for the full borough, with a good, fair, sound make-up from right across borough. We are getting a lot of credit for our buck. There is a team starting to pull something together, it is uncalled for within a 12-18 months period, to have two big sets of business awards.”

Alderman Cosgrove, said he had been ‘persuaded by my colleagues’.

“We stopped them annually as it was becoming difficult. We agreed to have them more infrequently. We haven't followed through on that, so I propose we accept the recommendation that we sponsor it for the key sponsor, with the instruction that we will expect to see full representation across borough.We can view how it goes.

“We can give it full support, and work to make sure the pool is as broad as possible. It won’t be easy to get 250 in a room at 150 a head.”

This proposal was seconded by Councillor Chonghaile.

Councillor Kelly said he was ‘happy to withdraw’ his proposal but added: “I still have concerns that the enterprise agencies at either end of the borough don’t seem to be working together on an awards scheme.

“I don’t know if whether there are options around that. I wonder if Mallusk has reached out to Antrim, to make it better or stronger, but it is really down to the organisations to do that.”