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A shortlist of finalists for the 2026 Stirling Business Awards has been announced after more than 16,000 votes were cast during the selection process.
Three contenders are shortlisted for each of the 14 honours with a further round of online voting now open to choose the winners via https://independentstirling.co.uk/awards/
The winners of the Business Awards, organised by Go Forth Stirling Business Improvement District (BID), will be revealed during the week beginning Monday March 2 with trophies awarded to the successful business owners during individual presentations at their premises.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Outstanding Woman in Business Award will be announced on International Women’s Day – Sunday March 8.
Go Forth launched the awards four years ago to recognise and reward the city’s business owners.
Project Director Danielle McRorie-Smith said: “Once again we’ve had a great response to our annual business awards. And now, in a change to the usual format, we are inviting the public to pick the business – or person – they believe is the most deserving winner from the shortlist of three finalists in each category.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the winning businesses revealed in March as we celebrate Stirling’s exceptional business owners, the city’s flourishing independent sector and its wide range of national retailers.
“Voters can now go online and select their favourite accommodation, shop, pub, café, charity shop, hair & beauty salon, visitor attraction and more from those listed in each category. Good luck and congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted.”
The awards categories include Charity of the Year with Strathcarron Hospice, Start Up Stirling and Creative Stirling among the finalists while those shortlisted for Charity Shop of the Year are Reclaimers, Something Old Something New and Shelter.
Those shortlisted for Restaurant of the Year are Brea, An Darna and Fletchers with Book Nook, Toast and Janna’s Bakery competing for the title of Café of the Year.
Finalists in the Pub category are Slanj A Va, Nicky-Tams and Molly Malones with Frances Hunter, Simpson & Co and Studio Twenty Two in the running for Hair & Beauty Business of the Year.
Competing for the Independent Retailer of the Year honour areContempo, Ian Gallacher Jewellery and The Scottish Gantry while
Marks & Spencer, Sostrene Grene and Waterstones are finalists for National Retailer of the Year.
Contenders for Most Attractive Shop Front are Tinkerbells Emporium, A’ila Home and Made in Stirling while King Street Aparthotel, Stirling Highland Hotel and the Golden Lion have made the shortlist for
Accommodation of the Year.
The finalists for the Service-Led BusinessAward are Crafted Dental, Kerr Stirling and Computer Division with Old Town Jail, Stirling Castle and Stirling Distillery in the running for Visitor Attraction of the Year.
The New Business Award, for businesses which opened in the past year, will go to either Piotsa, Souperb or Studio King Street while the finalists for Outstanding Woman in Business are Khyra Smith of Safebase, Creative Stirling founder Joe Hall and Sam Reid from Stirling Pride.
Voting for the winning businesses closes onFriday February 13 with the winners announced on social media in early March.
The Stirling Business Awards are one of Go Forth’s many initiatives aimed at highlighting and showcasing Stirling’s wide range of independent and national businesses.
They highlight the entrepreneurial owners and teams behind Stirling’s outstanding business community and are voted for by the public.
Go Forth Stirling BID represents more than 600 business owners with a key objective of increasing visitors to the city and devising initiatives to help make it a more welcoming destination for businesses and shoppers.
For more information, visit www.goforthstirling.co.uk
