The 2026 Greater Manchester Business Awards celebrate a varied group of organisations whose achievements extend across professional services, technology, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and the creative industries. From young companies entering the market with a clear purpose to established businesses delivering services around the world, our winners reflect the commercial ambition, specialist expertise and community focus found throughout Greater Manchester.
Our 2026 Greater Manchester Business Award Winners
Providing senior people leadership at crucial stages of business growth, Our HR People Manchester has been named Newcomer Business Consultancy of the Year in the Business Consultancy Awards. Founded by Carla Read in 2025, the consultancy gives founder-led organisations access to fractional Chief People Officer support during investment, expansion and exit planning. Its focused service model, combined with Carla’s experience in high-growth and investor-facing environments, has allowed the business to enter the market with a strong and credible proposition.
Turning LinkedIn visibility into tangible commercial opportunities has earned SA Personal Branding the Rising Star Award in the Business Consultancy Awards. Shoaib Ahmed has advised more than 185 founders, executives and investors across a broad range of industries, developing strategies centred on positioning, demand generation and social selling. With substantial client-attributed revenue, high retention and a consultancy built entirely through organic inbound interest, his progress demonstrates the value of treating personal branding as a commercial discipline.
Relationship-led care and accountable family leadership are central to Home Instead Leigh, winner of Best Home Care Provider in the Care Awards. Co-owned by Georgia and Thomas Pennington, the organisation opened shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and continued providing essential care throughout an exceptionally difficult period. Its person-centred approach, strong governance and commitment to carefully trained Care Professionals have helped it build lasting trust among clients, families and the wider community.
Creating a safe and carefully managed environment for young children has secured Tiny Tots Toddler Play the title of Outstanding Childcare Specialist in the Childcare Services Awards. Designed exclusively for children aged five and under, the centre limits attendance to protect the quality of each session while offering structured play, themed events and private celebrations. Dedicated adoption mornings further reflect its thoughtful approach, giving adoptive families a calm space in which children can play and parents can connect informally.
Combining creative craft with work that communicates complex ideas clearly, Studio AntiGravity receives the Rising Star Award in the Creative and Graphic Design Awards. The Manchester studio has delivered design, web, animation and campaign projects for local organisations and international brands, while its work for the University of Manchester helped make sensitive healthcare information more accessible. Growing industry recognition and the founders’ contribution to mental health and charitable initiatives have added further substance to the studio’s early progress.
Personal service, direct accountability and long-standing community relationships have helped S & S Marquees Ltd become Family Business of the Year in the Family Business Awards. The Salford business provides marquees, seating, lighting, generators and other event essentials through packages tailored to each customer’s space and budget. With its owners closely involved throughout every booking, the company has developed a reputation for honest advice, dependable delivery and genuine care for events of every size.
A family partnership shaped by military values sits behind the success of Brysk Wellness and Recovery Ltd, named Most Innovative Family Business in the Family Business Awards. Founded by Nathan and his father Chris, Brysk brings cryotherapy, red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other technology-led recovery services together within one Manchester studio. Its guided, repeatable approach has attracted professional sports organisations and everyday customers alike, while its free weekly run club supports a growing local wellness community.
Managing a complex national transformation with structured governance and close collaboration earned Phase 3 the award for Best HR Strategy in the HR Awards. The specialist consultancy supported Change Grow Live in replacing outdated HR and payroll technology with an integrated iTrent platform serving more than 4,700 employees. Following implementation, critical payroll errors were eliminated in the first month, employee adoption was strong and automated integrations reduced administrative work, creating more time for strategic workforce support.
Improving access to children’s palliative care across the city-region has secured Kentown Support the title of Outstanding Healthcare Innovation in the Health Care Awards. Working with Greater Manchester’s health and care system, the programme has introduced specialist community nursing provision in boroughs where it was previously unavailable. Families can also access counselling, practical guidance and coordinated support, reducing the burden of navigating complex services at an already difficult time.
Transforming a traditional pub into an inclusive local meeting place has made Howarth Leisure Ltd, operator of The Help Me Thro’, Hospitality Business of the Year in the Hospitality Awards. Since taking over the venue in October 2025, the team has broadened its food, entertainment and events programme while maintaining the welcoming atmosphere valued by regular customers. Strong reviews and growing use by families, community groups and visitors demonstrate the success of its service-led approach.
More than two decades of growth, technical expertise and customer partnership underpin Apex Computing Services Ltd, winner of IT Services Company of the Year in the IT Services Awards. The Salford-based provider delivers managed support, cloud infrastructure, cyber security and strategic technology advice through a 38-person team. Continued revenue growth, high customer satisfaction and investment in employee development show how the company has expanded without losing sight of service quality or workplace culture.
Making legal guidance understandable and accessible has earned Scarsdale Solicitors the title of Boutique Legal Firm of the Year in the Legal Awards. Founded by Shazia Ali, the Rochdale firm has grown from a solo venture into a multilingual specialist team working across areas including immigration, motoring and family law. Its pro bono consultations and support for victims of domestic abuse demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that financial or language barriers do not prevent people from receiving informed representation.
Sustained investment in integrated production, workforce capability and environmentally responsible processes has led Trident Ltd to be recognised as Manufacturer of the Year in the Manufacturing Awards. Operating across textiles, paper, yarn and chemical production, the company exports to more than 100 countries and applies advanced systems to improve quality, efficiency and resource use. Its use of agricultural residues within paper manufacturing is one example of how operational scale can be combined with practical environmental responsibility.
British engineering with substantial international reach has brought Inciner8 Ltd two Greater Manchester honours: Best International Manufacturer in the Manufacturing Awards and the Innovation Award in the Recycling and Waste Management Awards. The company exports specialist incineration systems to more than 190 countries, with international sales accounting for the majority of its revenue. Its i8-1000 system combines high-capacity waste treatment, advanced combustion, automation and remote monitoring, supporting safer waste management in industrial, healthcare and infrastructure-limited environments.
Building a trusted service from a single client into a fully booked operation has made Hayleigh’s Hounds Dog Walking Service of the Year in the Pet and Animal Care Awards. Founder Hayleigh Brooks provides tailored walking and sitting services alongside adventure days and special events, with particular attention given to dogs experiencing anxiety or behavioural challenges. Her patient, structured approach has helped many dogs develop the confidence required to join safe group walks, giving owners reassurance as well as dependable practical support.
A production model informed by two decades of client-side commercial experience has earned Bentley Studios Manchester the title of Photography and Videography Studio of the Year in the Photography and Videography Awards. Ian Bentley Ridgeway acts as a single point of contact across filming, photography, editing, livestreaming and CAA-certified drone work, reducing the risk of a brief becoming diluted through multiple handovers. Fast turnaround times, broad technical capability and a lean operating structure provide clients with both creative range and clear accountability.
Cinematic storytelling and an ability to translate ideas into distinctive visual content have secured MMM the Rising Star in Photography and Videography award. Also known as Multi Moments Media, the studio works across music videos, brand campaigns, lifestyle content and personal projects, combining careful planning with dynamic visual production. Collaborations with established brands and creators, together with an engaged online following, demonstrate growing recognition for its versatile and emotionally aware approach.
Automating processes that many businesses still complete manually has made Open ECX Technology Business of the Year in the Technology Awards. Its integrated invoicing, ordering and statement reconciliation products process both structured and unstructured documents while applying customer-specific validation rules. Proven results for organisations operating across multiple sectors and countries, supported by ISO certifications and certified Peppol Access Point status, show the platform’s capacity to improve accuracy, processing speed and operational efficiency at scale.
Building a commercially focused theatre company with a clear creative proposition has earned Rafia Hussain of Rafia Hussain Productions Ltd the title of Young Businesswoman of the Year in the Women in Business Awards. Within months of restructuring the company as a commercial entity, Rafia secured a co-producing partnership for a major national theatre tour and gained selection for a highly competitive commercial producing programme. Her work combines production, strategic consultancy and technology development, reflecting an ambitious long-term approach rooted in the Greater Manchester community where she began her career.
Addressing a clear gap between awareness and everyday behaviour, Influential on behalf of North West Cancer Research has won Social Impact Initiative of the Year in the Community and Social Impact Awards. The SPF, Even in the North West campaign used behavioural research and regionally relevant creative work to encourage parents to protect themselves from sun exposure as consistently as they protect their children. The results showed tangible impact, with SPF use on cloudy days rising from 18% to 30%, while 66% of parents said the campaign made them more likely to protect both themselves and their children. Its combination of behavioural science, local insight and data-backed results made the initiative a strong example of socially focused communications delivering real-world change.
Celebrating Success Across Greater Manchester
The 2026 Greater Manchester Business Awards demonstrate the breadth of expertise operating across the region. This year’s winners include businesses improving essential care services, modernising established industries, creating valuable community spaces and taking locally developed products and expertise into international markets. Their achievements are varied, but each reflects a clear understanding of the people, organisations or wider challenges their work is intended to serve.
The results also show that meaningful business achievement is not limited to a particular company size or stage of development. New ventures have gained traction through clear positioning and specialist knowledge, while more established organisations continue to progress through investment, responsible growth and practical innovation. Together, these winners provide a strong representation of Greater Manchester’s diverse and capable business community.
Business Awards UK congratulates all our Greater Manchester winners. Their commitment, expertise and continued development make them worthy recipients of recognition in the 2026 Regional Business Awards.
