Merseyside Independent Business Awards

Our sponsors are such an important part of our MIB Awards family and we're hugely grateful to all of them.

😃 Today we're saying a huge MIB thank you to Forresters IP. They've been a supporter of the awards for a number of years, and for 2026 they're the sponsor of our Creative Business of the Year category!

Forresters IP specialises in helping businesses protect, manage and maximise the value of their intellectual property. Renowned for its clear, sensible and practical advice on protecting patents, trade marks and designs, Forresters supports businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and SMEs to established organisations.

See how Forresters can help you safeguard your ideas, innovations and brands, here ⬇️
https://forresters-ip.com/

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

Today, we’re putting our Best Start Up finalists in the spotlight. 🌟

Merseyside has always been a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, and the sheer number and quality of entries we receive for this category each year is testament to that.

From sewing and fermented foods to African-inspired desserts, family wellbeing and purpose-led business, this year’s finalists are a brilliant showcase of the creativity and ambition coming through in the region.

Our 2026 Best Start Up finalists are:

🧵 Charmingo Sews Academy – Charmingo Sews Academy is a Liverpool-based sewing academy where nervous beginners become confident, proud makers.

🌱 Freedom to Flourish CIC – Freedom to Flourish CIC helps families to lead happier, healthier lives through connection, education, exercise and fun.

💡 GoodShip* – Good Ship is a Liverpool-based Purpose & Impact Agency helping people and organisations find the right way forward and turn purpose into action and impact.

🍦 Ujima Ice Cream – Ujima creates innovative, African-inspired desserts.

🥬 Wild Pantry – Wild Pantry are makers of raw, unpasteurised water kefir, sauerkraut and other fermented foods, using organic ingredients and traditional fermentation methods.

A huge congratulations to all five finalists – we can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🥂

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

✨Community Interest Company of the Year is one of our newer MIB categories – introduced to recognise and celebrate the brilliant work being done by CICs across Merseyside and the difference they make in their communities.

And this year’s shortlist is our strongest yet!

Meet our 5️⃣ finalists:

✨Baltic Creative CIC – Baltic Creative CIC provides space for creative and digital businesses in the Baltic Triangle, helping to encourage growth, creativity and innovation.

💚 Evolving Mindset CIC – Evolving Mindset promotes better mental health across communities, schools and businesses through training, education and support.

🚀 PoWEr Collective CIC – Power Collective CIC supports and empowers future talent through mentoring and opportunities to develop.

🤝 Safe Hands CIC – Safe Hands provides accommodation and support for children and young people leaving care.

🗣️Talk the Talk Education CIC – Talk the Talk specialises in training and education designed to build confidence, improve decision-making and develop self-esteem and resilience in young people.

Five brilliant organisations, five very different approaches to making a difference.

We can’t wait to celebrate them all on the night – and find out who takes home the coveted title of Community Interest Company of the Year 2026.

🏆 The MIB Awards
⭐Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
⭐ Supported by Liverpool BID Company
This category is sponsored by Butterworth Spengler

🏆Best Start Up Business🏆

On this year’s shortlist are 5️⃣ fantastic independent businesses.

They are:

🪡Charmingo Sews Academy - teaches practical sewing, dress making and textile skills to ages 24+.

👩‍🍼Freedom to Flourish CIC - provides baby spas, baby & toddler activities, forest school, parenting courses & teen activities.

💻GoodShip* - is a Liverpool based creative, technology and collaboration consultancy that helps organisations turn ideas into action.

🍦Ujima Ice Cream - unlocks new demand by reimagining authentic ice cream flavours inspired by Africa.

🍽️Wild Pantry - make fermented food and drinks for everyday gut health making fermented foods not just a niche but an everyday staple.

🎉 Huge congratulations to you all – we’ll see you on awards night!

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

A big MIB thank you to Merseyrail for sponsoring our Culture and Tourism category at this year’s MIB Awards. They are another of our long-term supporters!

Merseyrail operates one of the most intensively used rail networks in the UK, with more than 600 trains running each weekday across 69 stations and 76 miles of track.

Connecting communities across Merseyside and into Lancashire and Cheshire, Merseyrail plays a huge part in helping thousands of people get around the region every day – whether that’s travelling to work, heading out for a family day, enjoying the region’s culture and attractions, or simply getting from A to B.

You can find out more about their services, and plan your next trip, here ⬇️
https://www.merseyrail.org/

We’re delighted to have Merseyrail helping us celebrate the businesses and organisations that make our region so special.

Thank you, Merseyrail! 🚆

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

Home We operate rail services across Merseyside. Check train times, plan your journey and get the latest travel information and service updates before you travel.

🛍️ Merseyside is home to a brilliant mix of independent retailers, each bringing something different to the local high street and their customers.

Previous winners of the MIB Retailer of the Year title include Wongs Jewellers (2024), MERSEYMADE (2023) and Purple Carrot (2022), so we’re looking forward to seeing who takes the title in 2026.

This year’s 5️⃣ finalists are:

🧽 Equip2Clean – Equip2Clean provide professional and domestic cleaning equipment for every kind of job

🎨 Liverpool Art Fair – Liverpool Art Fair is an annual exhibition showcasing original work by artists from across the region

🚗 Solo Car Sales – SOLO Car Sales is an independent used car dealer based in Liverpool

🛋️ Taskers – Taskers The Home Store is one of the country’s largest and longest-established home furnishing stores

🥖 The Wild Loaf Bakery – The Wild Loaf is an independent bakery known for handcrafted sourdough and artisan pastries

Congratulations to all five finalists. We can’t wait to see who'll be crowned Retailer of the Year 2026!

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

We’re delighted to have the Titanic Hotel Liverpool as the longstanding home of the MIB Awards – as well as one of our valued category sponsors.

A special thank you to the Titanic team for sponsoring the Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year 2026.

Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century warehouse on Stanley Dock, the four-star hotel combines original iron pillars and exposed brickwork with contemporary luxury. Its 153 rooms are all about space and feature original windows, exposed bricks and dramatic high ceilings!

There’s plenty to discover too, including Stanley’s Bar & Grill, with its open kitchen and waterside views; The Rum Bar, with its impressive selection of rums and cocktails; and Maya Blue Wellness, a subterranean spa complete with hydrotherapy pool, thermal suite and treatment rooms. And, of course, the hotel’s impressive event spaces are home to everything from weddings and celebrations to the MIB Awards themselves.

You can find out more about Titanic Hotel Liverpool, here ⬇️
https://www.titanichotelliverpool.com/

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

Children-Focussed Business of the Year is one of our newer MIB award categories – and a very popular one it is too!

On this year’s shortlist are five fantastic independent businesses.

They are:

👩‍🍼Freedom to Flourish CIC - Freedom to Flourish CIC provides baby spas, baby & toddler activities, forest school, parenting courses & teen activities.

🦊Little Foxes - Little Foxes is an EYFS-based nursery in Garston, which cares for children from 0 to 5 years old.

🤝Safe Hands CIC - Safe Hands provides supported housing and supervised family contact services for children and young people leaving care in the Liverpool area.

🧠Select Training CIC - Select Training delivers nationally accredited, inclusive mental health training for all ages, including children and families.

📚Talk the Talk the Education CIC - Talk the Talk Education CIC are specialists in training and education to improve confidence, decision making, self-esteem and resilience for young people.

🎉 Huge congratulations to you all – we’ll see you on awards night!

The MIB Awards:
⭐ Founded by Morecrofts Solicitors
⭐ Supported by Liverpool BID Company
⭐ This category is sponsored by Hatfields Jaguar Hatfields Land Rover

🥰 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.