2026 TBE Award winners take centre stage
More than 200 business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals gathered at Komedia Bath on Thursday 5th November as The Business Exchange celebrated the achievements of organisations and individuals from across Bath, Wiltshire and Swindon.
Sponsored by Thrings, the third annual TBE Awards recognised excellence across a diverse range of categories, from innovation, sustainability and growth to outstanding leadership, teamwork and emerging talent. This year’s event attracted a record number of entries, reflecting the strength and ambition of the region’s business community.
Guests were welcomed with a VIP drinks reception hosted by N3 Display Graphics before enjoying an evening of networking, entertainment and celebration. There were also some unexpected visitors, as characters from Star Wars series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett joined proceedings to help raise money for BBC Children in Need.
The awards showcased businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and sole traders to established organisations operating on an international stage, highlighting the breadth of talent and innovation across the region.
Anita Jaynes, Founder of The Business Exchange, said, “I would like to thank all of our entrants, sponsors, judges, attendees and supporters for making this the best TBE Awards to date.
“At The Business Exchange we believe strongly that our region, from Swindon to Bath and across Wiltshire, can serve as an example of business excellence. The standard of entries we received this year reinforces this belief, with our finalists and winners demonstrating why this is the place to start, grow and nurture businesses. Congratulations to all of our winners!”
Special thanks to the team at Jooka for providing the on-screen visuals, DJ Asian Hawk for the music and the team at Komedia Bath for helping to bring the event to life.
Here’s the run-down of the winners and runners-up:
Flying the Flag for the South West sponsored by Thrings
Winner: Stonegate Farmers
Runners-up: SDO Associates, Tigerplay Airworks, Urathon
Going for Growth sponsored by Milsted Langdon
Winner: SDO Associates
Runners-up: All3 Consultancy, GEL Studios, PCB People
Going the Extra Mile sponsored by SWIG Finance
Winner: Rocketmakers
Runners-up: All3 Consultancy,Southby & Co, Wealthtime
Innovation Award sponsored by SETsquared Bath
Winner: Seedling
Runners-up: Holler Technologies, Riviam, Web Usability
Leader of the Year sponsored by Chalkhill Blue Ltd
Winner: Richard Forster, Joint Operations
Runners- up: Graeme Leighfield (GEL Studios), Iain Hatt (Wiltshire College & University Centre), Caroline Evans (Right at Home Central Wiltshire)
Positive Business sponsored by Richardson Swift
Winner: Riviam
Runners-up: Right at Home Central Wiltshire, GEL Studios, Southby & Co
Rising Star sponsored by University of Bath School of Management
Winner: Sophie Moore, Nine Feet Tall
Runners-up: Katie Fuller (Purple Lime Accountancy), Lydia Ward (SDO Associates), Mango Reddy (All3 Consultancy)
Sustainable Business of the Year sponsored by Invest in B&NES
Winner: Wiltshire College & University Centre
Runners-up: BELECTRIC UK, Blossom & Beau, Blackmore UK
The Dream Team sponsored by Runway East
Winner: Joint Operations
Runners-up: The Rethink Collective, Social Butterfly Digital, Urathon
Best User Experience sponsored by Tech Adoption for Growth
Winner: Rocketmakers
Runners-up: Cecure Intelligence, Hussey Seatway, Fluff Software
Charity / Not For Profit of the Year
Winner: Bath Community Kitchen CIC
Runners-up: Alabaré, Bath Mind, Voices for Life
Best Start-up
Winner: Something Kind Of Woo
Runners-up: Holler Technologies Ltd, Nook & Huddle, Brightkeel AI
Best Creative Campaign
Winner: Social Butterfly Digital
Runners-up: Eat PR, Floresco
Using Tech to Transform Business sponsored by Fracteura
Winner: Riviam
Runners-up: Digital Wonderlab, PCB People, Rocketmakers
Photo gallery coming soon
