Spellings for Me Limited business from Toomevara is this year’s winner of the Tipperary Enterprise Award for 2025, Local Enterprise Office Tipperary has announced. At civic offices Nenagh, Cathaoirleach Declan Burgess and Sinead Carr Chief Executive, Tipperary County Council presented a prize fund of €5,000 to the Owners of Spellings for Me Limited, Paddy Grace & Emma Doherty who commenced trading in 2019 and now employs 6 full time people.
Spellings for Me Limited took the top prize of €5,000 and will now represent Local Enterprise Office Tipperary at the National Enterprise Awards at the Mansion House in Dublin on the 22nd May.
Emma Doherty & Paddy Grace, both Primary School Teachers created Spellings for Me platform to ensure that every child is catered for at their exact ability level when it comes to spelling. Traditional spelling workbooks have been used for generations, but as we know from research that a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work.
After trialing the program in two Dublin schools in 2018–2019, they saw firsthand the need for a more individualised, digital solution. Teachers were eager to move away from outdated methods but lacked the tools to do so effectively. This led to launching Spellings for Me as a digital product in September 2019.
Following a feature on RTÉ’s News Today, demand for the program surged, with 900 schools requesting trials in just a month. Today, the platform serves over 1,800 Irish primary schools, helping teachers reduce their workload while providing students with a personalised, research-backed learning experience.
Spellings for Me Version 2 Launched 2024. Based on continuous feedback from schools, the Promoters launched their most advanced version yet after the February mid-term. New features include a dedicated EAL section, a morphology and etymology suite, a gifted learner’s program and Advanced reporting tools for teachers and students
Following a successful trade show at BETT UK in January 2025, schools from over 25 different countries have signed up to introduce Spellings for Me into their classrooms.
These milestones highlight both Spellings for Me commitment to improving literacy and their ability to scale Nationally and Globally.
Spellings for Me Limited will now be competing against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the €35,000 winner’s prize fund as national judging gets underway in April. Categories this year include ‘Best Export Business,’ ‘Best Start-Up’ and ‘Innovation,’ along with “One to Watch” and a “Sustainability / Green” award in addition to eight regional awards.
The Tipperary Enterprise Awards took place as part of a very successful Local Enterprise Week programme of events. There were over 300 physical events across the country, run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices from March 3rd to 7th March. LEO Tipperary offered 16 events to local business, in person and virtual events including this announcement.
Cathaoirleach Declan Burgess Tipperary County Council wishes Paddy and Emma well at the National Final and continued, “Spellings for Me is an exciting innovative technology providing a clever educational tool to help kids and adults of all ages with their Spelling competency. The National Enterprise Awards is about recognising and celebrating the achievements of small businesses, the contribution these businesses make to their local communities by providing employment and the role they play in the economic vibrancy of our County.”
Mary Ryan Senior Enterprise Development Officer, “it has been a great pleasure to work with both Paddy & Emma since 2019 and seeing how the business has grown over the past 6 years, LEO Tipperary supported the business with a Feasibility Study Grant at concept stage to Business Expansion Grant in 2024. We wish both every success at the final in May.”
Local Enterprise Week is organised every year by the Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland, local authorities and the Government of Ireland with over 300 events taking place nationwide this year. Other high-profile events which took place during Enterprise Week in Tipperary included the Student Enterprise Awards Final, Energy Efficiency Grant workshops in Nenagh and Clonmel. Gary Fox, Entrepreneur & Podcaster sharing his thoughts on “All Marketing is storytelling” in the Cashel Palace. Across all 16 events during this year’s Local Enterprise Week, LEO Tipperary will engage with businesses across the County.
ENDS
