Merseyside Independent Business Awards

With so many brilliant independent businesses bringing the region’s culture, creativity and hospitality to life, it’s no surprise that the Culture & Tourism Business of the Year category is always a very, very popular one.

Let’s meet the contenders for this year’s award:

🖌️dot-art – independent art gallery
🛏️ Hope Street Hotel – luxury four star hotel
👻 Shiverpool Historic Ghost Walks - theatrical ghost tour experience
🎵Liverpool Sound City - leading festival for new music in the heart of Liverpool
🛥️Daffodil –floating restaurant, cocktail bar and event space

👏🍀Well done to you all and good luck on the night!

The MIB Awards:
⭐Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
⭐Supported by Liverpool BID Company
⭐This category is sponsored by Merseyrail

👏 A big thank you to Everton Football Club for supporting the 2026 Merseyside Independent Business Awards as sponsor of the Professional Services Business of the Year category.

As one of the city’s best-known institutions, Everton has deep roots in the local community and a strong commitment to supporting the region.

We’re delighted to have their support for another year as we celebrate the professional services businesses helping Merseyside’s independent business community thrive.

Thank you, Everton! 💙

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company

👏 A big thank you to DSG Chartered Accountants for their continued support of the Merseyside Independent Business Awards and for sponsoring the Digital & Technology Business of the Year category.

With offices in Liverpool and North Wales, DSG works with businesses from start-ups to long-established companies, offering a relationship-led approach across accounts, tax, audit, corporate finance, payroll, wealth management and more. Find out more about DSG and their services here ⬇️
https://dsg.co.uk/our-services/

As an independent firm themselves, DSG understand the ambition, commitment and challenges that come with building an independent business – making them a fantastic supporter of the awards.

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company

👋🏆👔 Say hello to the shortlist for this year’s Professional Services Business of the Year at the 2026 Merseyside Independent Business Awards!

A huge well done to:

🖥️ MICT Ltd – IT services and IT consulting
📊 Oscar lp & Co - Chartered accountants
🔑 Pali Ltd - Conveyancing searches and software solutions
🏗️ Sutcliffe - Chartered civil and structural engineering consultancy

We’re excited to see who will scoop the title this year. Good luck to all four of them!

The MIB Awards:
⭐Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
⭐Supported by Liverpool BID Company
⭐This category is sponsored by Everton Football Club

You can find out more about the rest of the 2026 shortlist, here
https://mibawards.co.uk/awards/mib-awards-2026-finalists/

bruntwood is one of the UK's largest and most respected landlords and has spent 50 years investing in UK towns and cities, with a focus on supporting the town centres that sit at the heart of them.

We're especially grateful to them for their continued support of the Merseyside Independent Business Awards and for sponsoring this year's Best Start Up category.

You can learn more about Bruntwood and its 6,851,437 sq ft of property and 127 buildings, here ⬇️
https://bruntwood.co.uk/

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company

Trades or Manufacturing Business of the Year is always a hugely popular category – and for good reason! 🙌

Over the years, it’s celebrated some brilliant winners, including Trojan Lighting Solutions (2025) and M&E contractors Kimpton (2024), to name just a couple.

We’re thrilled to see another fantastic line-up of trades and manufacturing businesses shortlisted for the 2026 Merseyside Independent Business Awards! 🏆

👏 A huge well done to:

🦶 Algeos - supplier of podiatry, orthotic and rehabilitation products
🏗️ Clan Contracting - specialist in structural repairs
🐶 Mersey Raw - manufacturer of high-quality raw dog food
🔥 SGD Fire Protection - provider of comprehensive passive fire protection solutions
🎩 Try & Lilly- specialist manufacturer of hats and caps

Good luck to them all!

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company
🌟 This category is sponsored by JEC Business Finance

You can find out more about the rest of the 2026 shortlist, here ⬇️
https://mibawards.co.uk/awards/mib-awards-2026-finalists/

We're delighted to have JEC Business Finance as the sponsor of our Trade or Manufacturing Business of the Year award.

JEC Business Finance is a longstanding sponsor, and we’re hugely grateful to founder and managing director John Clarke for the support.

With more than 25 years in the broker and lending community, JEC Business Finance provides clients with professional commercial finance solutions.

Offering access to multiple lenders and funding terms from three months to 25 years, JEC can help find the right finance solution, whether managing VAT and tax liabilities, financing insurance premiums, acquiring assets, securing working capital, or funding acquisitions and commercial properties.

To find out more, visit ⬇️
https://www.jecbusinessfinance.co.uk/about/

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company

🚨 The wait is over... the Merseyside Independent Business Awards 2026 shortlist is officially here!

🎉🏆 A huge congratulations to every incredible independent business that's made this year's shortlist.

Your passion, innovation and hard work are what make our region such an amazing place to live, work and shop.

Now it's time to celebrate the very best of Merseyside's independent business community... as the countdown to the awards begins!

✨Check out the full shortlist and join us in cheering on this year's finalists! 👏

🏆Trades or Manufacturing Business of the Year
Algeos
Clan Contracting
Mersey Raw
SGD Fire Protection
Try & Lilly

🏆Professional Services Business of the Year
MICT
Oscar lp and Co. Chartered Accountants
PALI
Sutcliffe

🏆Culture & Tourism Business of the Year
dot-art
Hope Street Hotel
Shiverpool
Sound City
The Daffodil

🏆Creative Business of the Year
K2 Architects
LoveLossDiscoBalls
New Brighton Creative Futures CIC
Palm House Studio
Wild Thang

🏆Children-focussed Business of the Year
Freedom to Flourish CIC
Little Foxes
Safe Hands CIC
Select Training CIC
Talk the Talk the Education CIC

🏆Retailer of the Year
Equip2Clean
Liverpool Art Fair
Solo Car Sales
Taskers
The Wild Loaf Bakery

🏆Best Start Up
Charmingo Sews Academy
Freedom to Flourish CIC
GoodShip*
Ujima Ice Cream
Wild Pantry

🏆CIC of the Year
Baltic Creative CIC
Evolving Mindset CIC
PoWEr Collective CIC
Safe Hands CIC
Talk the Talk the Education CIC

🏆Food Venue of the Year
Luca Small Plates and Cocktails
Maray
NORD
Parliament Square Coffee
Spitroast Kitchen

🏆Health and Wellbeing Business of the Year
Just 4 Men Barbershop
Laugh For Life Comedy CIC
Talk the Talk Education CIC
Your Voice Your Choice

🏆Employer of the Year
Algeos
Structec (N.W)
The Forshaw Group

🏆Digital & Technology Business of the Year
GoodShip*
MICT
PALI
Viper Productions

🏆Business Person of the Year
Adele Hollywood - Unity Lives
Amy Gwynn - Hospitality Entrepreneur
James McConville - Solo Car Sales
Sean Keyes – Sutcliffe
Simone Roche - We Are PoWEr

🏆The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company

A little to one of our favourite nights of the year. ✨🏆

The room was full of incredible businesses, inspiring stories and well-deserved celebrations.
We can't wait to do it all again this year.

Who's planning to join us? 👀

We're delighted to have the inimitable what’s-on platform The Guide Liverpool as sponsor of this year's Retailer of the Year award. 🛍️

No one champions Liverpool quite like The Guide. From shining a spotlight on the city's brilliant independent businesses to knowing exactly what's happening on our high streets, in our nightlife, and across music, culture and the arts - they're passionate advocates for everything that makes Liverpool so brilliant.

The Guide is the perfect partner to help us celebrate the Merseyside independent retailers who are going above and beyond for their customers.

You can find out ‘what’s on’ in Liverpool, here ⬇️
https://theguideliverpool.com/about-us/

Special thanks to everyone at The Guide for their continued support of the MIB Awards!

The MIB Awards:
🌟Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
🌟Supported by Liverpool BID Company