"And the finalists are" -The BFA announces the names of the 2026 BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards

The BFA (British Franchise Association) has today announced the names of the finalists in the 37th BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards.

The awards are open to the BFA’s 2,300+ members which includes franchisors, franchisees, advisors and suppliers.

This year there are 58 finalists in 14 categories. There is one new category for 2026, the Advisor and Supplier Award, recognising the efforts of a company or individual who has done the most to support the franchising industry.

About the BFA

Since 1977 the BFA has been the self-regulatory body for franchising in the UK, setting the standards for the sector, based around the Code of Ethics for Franchising.  The association provides an educational platform for those interested in franchising their businesses or wishing to buy a franchise. Franchise brands who wish to demonstrate high standards and their commitment to ethical franchising, do so by their voluntary membership of the association.

The judging

During the week of the 20th  of July 2026, finalists will be invited to deliver a presentation to a panel of judges, followed by a Q&A.

The judges for the 2026 awards will be Pip Wilkins QFP, CEO of the BFA, Gillian Morris, UK Head of Franchise at HSBC UK, Suzie McCafferty, founder and CEO of Platinum Wave, Louise Harris, founder and CEO of Franchise Projects and Damian Humphrey, Partner at Ashtons Legal.

Paul Thompson founder of Water Babies and Ruth Brown, COO of Home Instead will judge the new Advisor and Supplier category.

The finalists in the BFA HSBC UK Awards 2026 are:

Franchisor Finalists

FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR – ESTABLISHED

• Driver Hire
• Speedy Freight
• Stagecoach
• Water Babies
• Signs Express
• Swimtime

FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR – EXPANDING

• Access4Lofts
• Mini First Aid
• Pink Spaghetti
• Radfield Home Care
• Snap Fitness
• Turtle Tots

FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR – EMERGING

• Bike Fitters
• Just Clear
• OVO Solar & Heating

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

• Access4Lofts
• Total Clean
• Water Babies

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

• Anytime Fitness
• McDonald's Restaurants
• Right at Home

FRANCHISE SUPPORT

• Mathnasium
• Pink Spaghetti
• Radfield Homecare
• Snap-on Tools

MARKETING

• Bluebird Care
• Molly Maid
• No Letting Go
• Revive! Auto Innovations

Franchisee Finalists

COMMUNITY IMPACT

• Boots Opticians (Q&K Group)
• ChipsAway (Shawano Crichton)
• Signs Express (Ian Furlong & Louise Sergent)

DYNAMIC DUO

• Bluebird Care (Mehul & Tushar Shah)
• Driver Hire (Anne & Chloe Goodfellow)
• Snap Fitness (Olga and Gurnake Cheema)
• Water Babies (Jenni Whyte & Louise Friseal)

CUSTOMER FOCUS

• ActionCOACH (Anu Khanna)
• Boots Opticians (James Pye)
• Concept Claim Solutions (Paul Cheetham)

BFA STAR PERFORMER

• Home Instead (Karina Brown)
• Pink Spaghetti (Yuki Dennis)
• Puddle Ducks (Sarah Austin)

YOUNG GUNS

• ComputerXplorers (Chris Utulu & Molly O'Shea)
• Smoke & Pepper (Saqib Muhammed)
• Super Star Sport (Keelan Fallows)

HSBC MULTI-UNIT / MULTI-BRAND

• Boots Opticians (Zabir Ali)
• Home Instead (Sunny Singh)
• McDonald's Restaurants (Carel Venter)
• Papa Johns (Harmandeep Kaur & Chan Buller)
• Premier Education (Karl Fox & Danny Boswell)
• QFM Group (Kishan Patel)
• SUR Group (Suhail Rehman)

Advisor & Supplier Finalists

SUPPORT PARTNER OF THE YEAR

• AdSmart from Sky
• Ashtons Franchise Consulting
• Atlas Mapping
• Franscape
• Hamilton Pratt
• Platinum Wave

Gillian Morris, UK Head of Franchise at HSBC UK said: “Congratulations to all the finalists of the British Franchise Awards. Reaching this stage is a real achievement especially after such a tough and competitive shortlist and it speaks volumes about your resilience, ambition and the quality of your businesses. As proud sponsors, HSBC UK has seen first-hand the energy and innovation that franchising brings to communities and the wider UK economy. We’re delighted to recognise your success, and we wish you the very best for the awards.”

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the BFA said: “This is my 10th year judging the awards as CEO and it’s truly one of my favourite times of the year. Franchising is all about people, and it is my honour and privilege to read about the wonderful work brands and individuals are doing in our industry, constantly pushing the needle, stepping out of comfort zones and putting their shoulder behind the wheel of success. From franchisors embracing new technology, to franchisees grasping the mettle and supporting their local areas; the stories have been inspiring, and I can’t wait for us to share them online over the next few weeks. A huge congratulations to everyone who has made this year’s finals and, as ever, my enormous thanks to Gillian and to all our judges, for making these awards possible. Good luck everyone.”