Awards countdown is on in search for Stirling's favourite shops and businesses

More than 1,400 nominations have been submitted already across the 11 categories in Go Forth Stirling BID's annual search for the best local retailers

The public has just two weeks left to nominate outstanding independent retailers for Go Forth Stirling BID’s annual Business Awards.

Submissions for the 2025 honours end on Friday October 25 with more than 1,400 nominations across the eleven categories already.

The annual awards recognise and reward the exceptional business owners and teams behind Stirling's flourishing independent scene.

They are voted for by the public and take place on Thursday March 6 next year at the Albert Halls in Stirling.

There are 11 categories and anyone wishing to nominate can submit a local business for each award via a dedicated webpage - www.independentstirling.co.uk/awards

The categories cover the retail, hospitality, hair & beauty, tourism and professional services sectors and so far, there have been 1495 nominations highlighting Stirling restaurants, attractions, shops, bars, charities, cafes and service-led businesses.

Go Forth Stirling’s Community Engagement Manager Jitka Fleglova said: “We’re pleased to see so many people engage in the initial round of the awards selection process by nominating their favourite business for each of the categories on offer.

“And there’s still time to nominate all the fantastic independent shops, pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, charities, attractions and other retailers we have in Stirling before nominations close on October 25.

“After that, we will reveal the longlist and voters will have the chance to vote for their favourite business in each category.”

The annual Stirling Business Awards are one of Go Forth’s many initiatives aimed at supporting and showcasing Stirling’s unique range of independent traders.

There are 11 award categories for the 2025 honours including Café/Coffee Shop of The Year, Hair & Beauty Business of the Year, Retailer of the Year and Visitor Attraction of the Year.

The Go Forth team are also seeking nominations for the Charity of the Year Award, Restaurant of the Year, Pub/Bar/Club of the Year and the special honour of Outstanding Contribution to Stirling.

There is also a New Business of the Year Award – recognising businesses which began trading in 2024 - and a Business Support Service of the Year honour to reward companies which offer services such as graphic design, accountancy and IT consultancy.

Also on the list is an award for Service-led Business of the Year which covers healthcare firms, solicitors, tailors, mortgage advisors, repair shops, estate agents and property letting companies.

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Nominees should be independent businesses or organisations which are based within the city centre BID zone.

Once nominations close, at 5pm on Friday October 25, a longlist of the most deserving businesses will be drawn up and a round of voting will open to choose a shortlist of finalists in each category.

Voting will close just before Christmas with the shortlist announced in January 2025.

Go Forth Stirling are also seeking sponsors for the awards including an overall main sponsor and sponsors for each award category.

Anyone interested in finding out more about sponsorship opportunities and packages should contact admin@goforthstirling.co.uk while more information about the awards is also available via www.goforthstirling.co.uk/business-awards/

Go Forth Stirling is the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) which 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

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