Entries open for the 2027 CIPD in Ireland HR Awards

Entries for the CIPD in Ireland HR Awards 2027 are now open. The awards recognise the organisations, teams and individuals across Ireland whose people practices are delivering a real, measurable difference for their people and their organisation. This year's awards are once again supported by headline sponsor Sanderson. 

Why the awards matter 

The CIPD in Ireland HR Awards recognise evidence-based initiatives, strategies and leadership making a measurable difference to people and organisations across Ireland. Being named a finalist is widely regarded as a mark of excellence among peers, reflecting the rigour and independence of the judging process. Entries are judged against the CIPD's professional principles that work matters, people matter and professionalism matters. 

For many entrants, the process itself has value. It's a chance to benchmark an approach against other leading employers, and to give visibility to work that often goes unrecognised outside a single team or function. 

Winners can also take that recognition further, progressing to the CIPD People Management Awards 2027. 

The 2027 categories 

There are 14 categories this year, covering the full breadth of people practice: 

• AI, technology and workforce transformation 

• Consultancy or strategic partnership 

• Equality, diversity and inclusion initiative 

• Excellence in collective bargaining (new for 2027) 

• Future workforce strategy 

• HR excellence in a small business (SME) 

• Learning and development initiative 

• Most inspirational and impactful leader 

• Organisational change and transformation initiative 

• People and culture initiative 

• People team of the year 

• Reward and recognition strategy 

• Rising star of the people profession 

• Talent management strategy 

Excellence in collective bargaining is new for 2027. It recognises organisations, employer representatives and trade union partners who've used bargaining to solve real workplace challenges and build agreements that last. The category is sponsored by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. 

What a winning entry looks like 

Last year's Organisational change and transformation initiative award went to the people and culture team at Tayto Snacks, for Project Nest, a major relocation and upgrade of the company's production site in County Meath. A CIPD case study on the project explains how the team planned the move, engaged staff throughout, and kept production running without disruption.  

Those preparing an entry can hear more about what makes a winning entry by watching back the CIPD in Ireland's launch event and downloading the entry pack.

How to enter 

Entry is free and open to organisations of any size, to HR, L&D and OD professionals, to consultants entering with client sign-off, and to those early in their career through the Rising star category. Two categories are open to individual nominations rather than organisational entries. 

Before starting, entrants should download the entry pack for full guidance on category criteria, entry questions and key dates. Entries must be submitted through the online platform, Submit, by 23:59 on Wednesday 21 October 2026. 

Judging runs in two stages: an initial review against the published criteria, followed by virtual interviews with finalists. Professor Bill Roche, Chair of Industrial Relations and Human Resources at UCD College of Business, oversees the process, supported by a panel of senior HR leaders and past winners. It's this rigour that gives a shortlisting, and a win, real weight within the profession. 

Finalists are announced on 1 December 2026, with the awards ceremony taking place on Friday 5 March 2027, at the Round Room in Dublin's Mansion House. The event regularly sells out, drawing more than 500 HR, people and business leaders from across Ireland, with finalists given priority access to book tickets before they go on public sale.