Chamber Business Awards 2026 Finalists Announced

The Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalists for the 2026 Business Awards, celebrating the achievement, innovation and resilience of businesses across the regions.

This year’s awards attracted a high standard of entries from businesses of all sizes and sectors, reflecting the strength and determination of the local business community despite ongoing economic challenges. Following a rigorous judging process, finalists have now been selected across all award categories, with judges praising the exceptional quality of submissions received.

Keith Barbour, President of the Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The judging panel faced an incredibly difficult decision this year due to the strength of the entries we received. The quality, innovation and resilience demonstrated by local businesses has been truly inspiring. These awards are an opportunity to recognise the outstanding contribution businesses make to our local economy and community, and we congratulate all of our finalists on their achievement.”

The winners of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber Business Awards 2026 will be revealed at the awards ceremony and dinner on 17 September 2026 at The Venue – Eskmills, Musselburgh.

The event will bring together business leaders, sponsors and guests from across the region for an evening of celebration, networking and recognition of business excellence. More details about the awards ceremony, including ticket information, can be found HERE.

The 2026 Awards Finalists are

 

Anderson Strathern appointed to support major cultural project in capital

Independent Scottish law firm, Anderson Strathern, will provide advice for a landmark project at the historic Royal High School on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill.

The firm’s specialist teams will work closely with the National Centre for Music, the charity that is set to be the future tenant of the site, as it collaborates with the Royal High School Preservation Trust to transform Thomas Hamilton’s Category A-listed building into a world-class hub for music, education, performance and community engagement.

Anderson Strathern will advise the National Centre for Music on various aspects needed to deliver this ambitious cultural project, and to prepare the organisation to become a significant new player in Scotland’s vibrant musical landscape.

Dawn MacPherson, Partner at Anderson Strathern, said: “It’s a privilege to be appointed to support the National Centre for Music on such a significant project that will benefit Edinburgh culturally and economically.

The appointment is testament to the extensive experience of our people when it comes to redevelopment of historic buildings and the depth of resources and range of specialists we have to deliver this work. We’re looking forward to working closely with the team and helping them bring their extraordinary vision to life.”

On completion, the National Centre for Music will provide a home for music in all its forms, with plans including restored performance spaces, community facilities, and landscaped public gardens designed to reconnect the site with the wider city. The initiative builds on the vision to conserve the building and deliver a major cultural legacy for Edinburgh and Scotland.

Gensource sponsoring High Growth Business of the Year

Gensource, the Musselburgh-based renewable energy specialist and winner of the High Growth Business of the Year award at the 2025 MELCC Business Awards, has been announced as the sponsor of the same category at this year’s Awards.

Founded in December 2022 by Josh King and Robert Wilson — two former colleagues who began drafting their business plan in Josh’s spare bedroom in Musselburgh — Gensource has grown from a start-up to a team of around 20 people in just three years, recently moving into a new headquarters at Newhailes Business Centre in Musselburgh, more than double the size of its original home.

The company specialises in full turnkey sustainable energy solutions for commercial and domestic clients — including solar panel systems, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, and energy monitoring. Its clients include the City of Edinburgh Council, the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland, and the Eastern Western Motor Group.

Gensource is deeply rooted in the Midlothian and East Lothian business community. Co-founder Josh King serves as Chair of Solar Energy Scotland and as a Board Member of Solar Energy UK, while the company has delivered community energy projects for organisations including Cycling Without Age and Portobello Community Energy. Earlier this year, Gensource completed its first fully managed commercial EV project at Archerfield Walled Garden in East Lothian.

Having won High Growth Business of the Year at the 2025 MELCC Awards, Gensource’s sponsorship of the same category this year is a powerful statement of what is possible when ambition meets action — and a genuine commitment to inspiring the next generation of fast-growing regional businesses.

Josh King, Managing Director of Gensource said: “It is a real honour for Gensource to support the Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce and sponsor the High Growth Business of the Year Award. Having won the award last year, we know first-hand how valuable that recognition and support can be for a growing business.
The Chamber network has had a real impact on our journey — from helping us find our first customer, to introducing us to fantastic local businesses and people to work with. The nominations this year look excellent, and we are excited to see who wins.”

Keith Barbour, President of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce said:
“Gensource is exactly the kind of success story these Awards exist to tell. From a spare bedroom in Musselburgh to a growing team delivering projects across Scotland in under three years — and now giving back by sponsoring the very category they won. It’s genuinely inspiring.”

ABOUT GENSOURCE
Gensource is a Musselburgh-based sustainable energy company founded in 2022 by Josh King and Robert Wilson. The company specialises in full turnkey sustainable energy solutions including commercial and domestic solar, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, and energy monitoring. Winner of High Growth Business of the Year at the 2025 MELCC Business Awards, Gensource now employs around 20 people and operates across Scotland and the North of England.
For more information, visit: www.gensource.co.uk

Fred. Olsen sponsoring Family Business of the Year

Fred. Olsen Renewables, one of Scotland’s longest-standing renewable energy developers and a family-owned business with three decades of commitment to East Lothian, has been announced as sponsor of the Family Business of the Year category at the MELCC Business Awards.

Fred. Olsen Renewables is part of the Fred. Olsen & Co. group, a Norwegian family business with roots stretching six generations. In Scotland, the company is best known for Crystal Rig — its flagship wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills of East Lothian — which first began generating power in 2003 and now operates with 106 turbines, producing over 26MW of clean, green, renewable electricity, enough to power the equivalent of over 200,000 homes.

The company has spent over £920 million with Scottish businesses across its portfolio and has created 866 jobs in construction, operations, and maintenance in Scotland. In East Lothian, it has long prioritised local contractors and employees, embedding itself genuinely in the regional economy rather than operating at arm’s length.

Fred. Olsen Renewables was also a pioneer of community benefit funding in Scotland — voluntarily distributing funds to local communities long before it became standard practice. Across the lifespan of its Scottish wind farms, over £14.6 million will be distributed to local communities.

As sponsor of the Family Business of the Year category, Fred. Olsen Renewables brings its own family-business values to a category that recognises the unique character, resilience, and long-term thinking that family-owned businesses bring to the regional economy.

“We are proud to support the Family Business of the Year category because, as a family-owned business ourselves, we understand the long-term commitment, resilience, and sense of responsibility that often sit behind successful local enterprises. East Lothian has been central to our story for many years, and sponsoring this award is a meaningful way to recognise the businesses that help communities and local economies thrive.”
— Cris Thacker, Communications Manager, Fred. Olsen Renewables

Keith Barbour, President of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce said:
“Fred. Olsen Renewables is a genuinely rare thing — a global business that has stayed deeply invested in East Lothian for over twenty years. Their support for the Family Business of the Year category perfectly reflects those shared values of commitment, community, and looking beyond the short term.”

About Fred. Olsen Renewables
Fred. Olsen Renewables is a developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy assets, primarily onshore wind farms, with operations in Scotland, Norway, and Sweden and Italy. Part of the family-owned Fred. Olsen & Co. has been active in the onshore wind sector since the mid-1990s and is one of Scotland’s most established renewable energy businesses. Its Crystal Rig Wind Farm in East Lothian is its flagship UK project.

For more information, visit: www.fredolsenrenewables.com 

 

Hargreaves Land as Headline Sponsor

Hargreaves Land, the regeneration and property development specialist behind East Lothian’s landmark Blindwells development, has been confirmed as Headline Sponsor of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Hargreaves Land is a national land and property development company with a strong and lasting presence in East Lothian. As the master developer behind Blindwells — a flagship 1,600-home new community near Tranent, including 480 affordable homes, a new primary school, and future town centre — the company has a deep investment in the long-term growth and success of the region.

The Blindwells project is one of the most significant residential developments in Scotland, transforming a former industrial site into a sustainable, connected community for East Lothian. Hargreaves Land is a principal operating division of Hargreaves Services plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market, with a turnover of over £150 million and a team of more than 1,500 people across the UK.

As Headline Sponsor of the MELCC Business Awards, Hargreaves Land brings with it a commitment to celebrating the ambition and talent driving the regional economy — values that sit at the heart of both the Blindwells vision and the wider Hargreaves Land purpose of connecting people and places.

Niall McLean, Development Director at Hargreaves Land, said: “Blindwells is about much more than delivering new homes; it’s about creating opportunities, supporting economic growth and building a thriving new community for East Lothian. That’s why we’re proud to become Headline Sponsor of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

“These awards shine a spotlight on the businesses, entrepreneurs and organisations that are driving innovation and making a positive difference across the region. We look forward to joining the Chamber in recognising and celebrating their success.”

Keith Barbour, President of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce said:
“We are proud to welcome Hargreaves Land as our Headline Sponsor. Their commitment to East Lothian goes far beyond bricks and mortar — Blindwells is about building a community, and that is exactly the spirit these Awards are designed to celebrate.”

ABOUT HARGREAVES LAND
Hargreaves Land is a regeneration and property development specialist and a principal operating division of Hargreaves Services plc (AIM: HSP). With a pipeline spanning the Midlands, North of England, and Scotland, the company specialises in transforming brownfield sites into sustainable places where people and businesses can thrive. Its flagship Scottish project, Blindwells in East Lothian, will deliver 1,600 homes, employment land, education facilities, and a new town centre.

For more information, visit: www.hargreavesland.com | www.blindwells.co.uk

The Kings Awards for Enterprise 2027

Applications are now open for the King’s Awards for Enterprise 2027 and will remain open until Tue 8th September 2026. In order to encourage more applications for the Award in Scotland, an on-line briefing will be held for Scottish Companies by the Department of Business and Trade KAE team on Tuesday 16th June at 2.00 pm.

The briefing will cover an overview the Awards, highlighting changes for 2027 along with an introduction to the new the Young Founder Award. There will be also an opportunity to hear about the value of the Award from Scottish Companies who are recent winners in each of the categories of:

• innovation
• international trade
• sustainability
• promoting opportunity through social mobility

The briefing will last no more than an hour. Companies who are interested in attending the briefing should register their interest by emailing the Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, regional lead for KAE in Scotland by Thu 11 June 2026 at: petermccarthy554@aol.com

Please provide the following detail:
• Name of company
• Details of who will be joining the briefing
• Contact email address

A Teams link to join the meeting together with an agenda will be circulated to attendees on Fri 12 June.

As a reminder, KAE recipients exemplify the finest talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business.

To be eligible to apply, organisations must be based in the UK with at least two full-time UK employees (or part-time equivalents) and be a self-contained enterprise under its own management arrangements with its own accounts.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter and open to organisations from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Organisations can apply for more than one category of the Award.
Successful organisations are announced on 6 May, Coronation Day each year.

I look forward to welcoming as many Scottish Companies as possible to the briefing on 16 June.

Peter T McCarthy
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire