Merseyside Independent Business Awards

🥰 A special MIB thank you to creative and digital design studio B&L Creative for sponsoring our Food Business of the Year category.

As well as being one of our sponsors for many years, B&L Creative provides creative support for the awards. The team designed our wonderful MIB logo and are responsible for the signage, seating plan and programmes on the night, among many other things!

Founded in 2003, B&L Creative constantly delivers unique and creative solutions that exceed client expectations. With a highly skilled and committed team of art directors, designers and illustrators, B&L is dedicated to producing inspiring communication solutions for their clients.

They offer a wide range of services including, advertising, marketing & PR, packaging, corporate identities, brochures, photography, art direction, web design, print buying, direct mail, signage, exhibition design & implementation, and copywriting.

You can find out more about them and their work, here ⬇️
https://bollandlowe.co.uk/

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

🤩 We have five fantastic independent businesses setting the bar especially high in this year’s Best Creative Business category.

They are:

🏗️ K2 Architects - strategic and creative design practice committed to social and environmental change.
🪩 Lovelossdiscoballs – creators of vibrant, modern, heartfelt greeting cards that help you say what matters.
🖌️ New Brighton Creative Futures CIC - the team behind the murals, the movement, and the future of art by the sea.
🪴 Palm House Studio – creative print maker focused on plants, places and spaces.
👚 Wild Thang Limited - Merchandise Experts – experts in branded clothing, merchandise and print.

👏Well done to you all – we can’t wait to celebrate with you on the big night!

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

👏👏A big hearty thank you to Butterworth Spengler from the MIB team for sponsoring the CIC Business of the Year category.

🏆We introduced this category last year to give Community Interest Companies their own moment in the spotlight and recognise the brilliant work they do creating social purpose and delivering positive community impact.

Butterworth Spengler has been a long-standing supporter of the MIB Awards, so we’re particularly grateful to them for sponsoring this important category.

For more than 100 years, Butterworth Spengler has provided insurance and risk management advice to help businesses thrive. With offices in Liverpool and Gloucester, its team helps clients understand and manage risk effectively, working with hundreds of insurers – from household names to niche specialists – to find the right support. You can find out more about them, here ⬇️
https://butterworthspengler.co.uk/about/

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

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