The Irish Times has become title sponsor of the Living Dublin Awards which have been running for 12 years and are organised in partnership with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Dublin City Council.
The awards , which were established to "celebrate groups, individuals and businesses working to improve the quality of life in Dublin city and county", are in five categories: community development, business in the community, culture and tourism, education, and Dublin city neighbourhoods.
Winners are selected in each category, with an overall winner chosen from the five category winners. A prize fund of €26,000 will be divided among the winners, as well as a number of non-cash prizes.
Announcing the sponsorship, the managing director of The Irish Times, Maeve Donovan, said that during the 12 years of the awards they had supported more than 4,000 community initiatives.
"The aim of the awards is to recognise and reward those who work towards improving the quality of life in their communities," she said.
Chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce Gina Quin welcomed the decision by The Irish Times to take on title sponsorship of the awards, which will be announced in December, with a closing date of October 27th for entries in all categories.
The community development award is open to individuals, groups and organisations involved in projects to improve their local areas and benefit local communities. The business in the community award is for businesses involved in community projects, and local groups can nominate any company that has worked with them
The culture and tourism category is for arts initiatives, such as festivals and exhibitions, and tourism projects that have developed attractions for visitors. The education category is open to students and classes in primary and post-primary and student groups in third-level institutes.
For further details and forms contact Tania Maitra, The Irish Times Living Dublin Awards, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 3rd Floor, Exchequer Chambers, 19-23 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 (Tel.: 01-6447200 ). To apply online: www.dublinchamber.ie/itlda