Scottish firms vying for awards

Six businesses from across Scotland have scooped seven shortlist nominations for this year’s Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.

The group ranges from fledgling entrepreneurs to established enterprises, from Edinburgh, Blairgowrie, Livingston and Bladnoch, near Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway.

They include the 200-yearold Bladnoch Distillery that pivoted online during lockdown to sell whisky overseas, and Tvsquared, which helps businesses measure returns from TV advertising and has become a global operation. Both are nominated for

Exporter of the Year Award. Brie Read, who launched inclusive tights brand Snag, is a finalist in the Inflexion Entrepreneur of the Year category, and healthy pet food business Bella & Duke is up for the Castle Corporate Finance Scaleup Award.

Also in the running for the latter is cyber security consultant Adarma, which is also a contender for the Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award. Additionally, Leigh Fell, chief executive of Caritas Neuro Solutions, which says it is the only contract clinical research organisation in the world specialising in neurology and mental health, is a finalist for the New Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The Scotsman is a media partner of the awards, with previous winners including fitness star Joe Wicks, Timpson chief executive James Timpson, DPD UK, Hotel Chocolat, dementia newspaper Daily Sparkle and fashion firm Missguided.

National Business Awards director Sarah Austin said the awards recognise the “very best” of British business. “Scotland is renowned as a hotbed of entrepreneurship and a successful incubator for talent across multiple sectors. This is reflected perfectly in the businesses that have made it on to this year’s shortlist.”

This year’s winners will be unveiled on 10 November.