Competition offers £2,000 in gift cards and highlights community impact.
Scottish fintech Miconex has launched its search for the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026, aiming to champion local businesses across Scotland and beyond. The competition seeks to highlight the positive impact businesses have on communities, aligning with increasing support for local enterprises. Nominations are open for retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, health and beauty, and service-based businesses, with the contest closing on 30 November 2026. The winning business and one nominator will share £2,000 in Town & City Gift Cards.
The UK’s Favourite Local Business will be the business with the most nominations submitted via lovelocalwin.co.uk. The winning business will receive a £1,000 Town & City Gift Card or Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, valid in one of over 90 UK towns and cities. Additionally, one person who nominated the winning business will also receive a £1,000 Town & City Gift Card.
Miconex’s local gift card programs include over 27,000 businesses, having sold over £69m in cards to date. Town & City Gift Cards can be spent with both big brands and independent businesses, making them unique in the sector. The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is delivered by Scotland’s Town Partnership in association with Miconex.
Research conducted by Town & City Gift Cards in 2026 with over 1,000 people indicated strong support for local businesses, with 99% of respondents stating that supporting local businesses and their community was important. Furthermore, 73% noted that supporting local businesses had become more important over the past 12 months. The competition last ran in 2024, when Aberdeen independent home furniture retailer Annie Mo’s was named the UK’s Favourite Local Business, receiving the most nominations nationwide. Scottish independent retail businesses in Aberdeen, Falkirk, and Aberdeenshire were among the top five favourite local businesses in the UK that year.
Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, commented on the initiative, stating: “There is a real shift towards supporting local businesses and an understanding of the difference this makes. In our research, 40% of respondents say they support local businesses to help their town or city to thrive, and 33% to keep the businesses they like open. We’re launching the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2026 so we can shine a light on the positive impact our local shops, restaurants, hotels, attractions, salons and services have on our economy, and on the vibrancy of our local communities.”
Businesses and individuals can enter the UK’s Favourite Local Business competition free of charge at www.lovelocalwin.co.uk.
