Mark Kelly (Policy and Communications Manager, An Cosán), Heydi Foster (An Cosán CEO) and Ashling Johnston (Digital Skills Tutor, An Cosán) at the Digital Transformation and AI Awards 2025
Most Innovative Transformation award presented to An Cosán
An Cosán has been awarded the prestigious “Most Innovative Transformation” award at the Digital Transformation and AI Awards 2025.
The organisation received its award recognising its pioneering work in leveraging digital innovation for social impact.
This latest accolade follows the Tallaght-based provider of community-based education success last month, where it also secured the “Most Innovative Digital Transformation” award at the 2025 Education Awards.
These national honours celebrate excellence and innovation within Ireland’s education and technology sectors.
An Cosán – meaning ‘The Path’ in Irish – is renowned for its holistic, person-centred educational approach, committed to empowering women and families within disadvantaged communities. Beyond providing access to learning, An Cosán cultivates an environment where individuals gain confidence, develop meaningful skills, and achieve transformative life changes.
Recognising the critical importance of digital literacy in today’s world, An Cosán delivers targeted digital-skills training to ensure learners can thrive in an increasingly connected society.
The Digital Transformation and AI Awards have recognised the development and impact of An Cosán’s innovative and free digital learning tools: Digital Stepping Stones and the Get Yourself Online e-learning platform.
Judges praised An Cosán’s digital inclusion work as “a powerful example of education as empowerment,” saying: “Digital Stepping Stones and Get Yourself Online stands out for its mission-driven, inclusive approach to digital transformation – combining the DigComp framework, blended learning, and a community-led strategy driving real change for marginalised and at-risk groups in Ireland.”
Ensuring digital inclusion means facilitating individuals and groups to effectively use information and communication technologies.
Possessing even basic digital skills offers significant advantages, including greater access to education and employment prospects, interaction with government services, and enhanced social inclusion.
An Cosán actively works to ensure that no citizen is left behind in the Digital Age, contributing to the EU’s ambitious goal of 80 per cent of adults possessing basic digital skills by 2030.
Commenting on this remarkable achievement, Heydi Foster, CEO of An Cosán, stated, “An Cosán has done it again. I’m so proud that our pioneering work in digital inclusion has won two major national awards in the past six weeks: Most Innovative Transformation at the Digital Transformation & AI Awards 2025, which we won just last week, and Most Innovative Digital Transformation at The Education Awards 2025, which we won last month.
‘It’s great to have An Cosán’s commitment to digital inclusion as a human right recognised nationally in the fields of both education and technology.”
