European Franchise Awards 2026: gold for Fortidia

Fortidia won gold in the International Brand of the Year category at the European Franchise Awards 2026, while silver went to French brand 5àsec. The awards took place on 17 September in Brussels, according to Poslovni FM’s report in a GIA announcement dated 23 September. Croatia did not win a European franchise award this year, but it was represented in the final of this category.

Fortidia and 5àsec lead the award-winning brands

The International Brand of the Year results identify two standout winners at this year’s awards: Fortidia took gold and 5àsec silver. It is important to retain the category’s full name. This is an award for international brand of the year, not an overall ranking of all franchises or business models in Europe.

For Croatia’s franchise community, that distinction matters when interpreting and presenting the results. Winning an award in a particular category and reaching its final are not the same level of recognition. Nor should a competition result be presented as evidence of a brand’s market share, revenue or number of new partners.

The news report confirms the gold and silver winners, the venue and date of the awards, and Croatia’s participation. It does not include the judges’ reasoning or comparative business performance figures for the winning brands. It therefore offers no basis for determining which specific business strengths decided the ranking or how large the gap between entrants was.

Croatia’s route to the European awards

Croatia was represented in the International Brand of the Year final by Friendly Fire, a Croatian gaming and esports franchise concept. According to the announcement, it qualified for the European awards by winning at Croatia’s Franchise Brand Leader Award competition, where it was named Franchise of the Year and Croatia’s largest franchise exporter.

This link between the national and European competitions is an important part of the story for brands considering entering awards. In this case, national recognition preceded participation at European level. However, the published information is not a general guide to entry: it does not set out eligibility criteria for future editions, deadlines, required documentation or selection procedures for each category.

Brands interested in following a similar route should therefore check the organisers’ current rules separately. This year’s example illustrates the Croatian representative’s path to the awards, but it should not be taken to mean that all future entrants will face the same process or entry requirements.

Croatia’s franchise community maintains its presence

Poslovni FM reports that Croatian representatives have regularly reached European finals in recent years, with some also returning with awards. This year’s participation was therefore presented as a continuation of Croatian franchises’ presence at the European Franchise Awards, even though no award went to Croatia this time.

To understand that continuity, it is important to distinguish between entering, reaching a final and winning an award. These are different achievements and should be described precisely in public communications. Fortidia’s gold and 5àsec’s silver are results in the category named above, while Croatia’s result should be described as reaching that category’s final.

The announcement is not an overview of Croatia’s franchise market. It contains no data from which to calculate growth in the number of domestic brands, new outlets or investment. European recognition provides news of the community’s international participation, but should not be used as a substitute for market statistics.

How to use awards when assessing a business opportunity

For a prospective franchisee, an award may be a reason to explore a concept in more detail. However, an announcement of competition results does not answer questions about initial investment, fees, contractual obligations or the support a partner receives. That information needs to be obtained separately for the specific brand and the market in which the business would operate.

The same applies to Croatian franchisors. When presenting international recognition to potential partners, it is helpful to state the year, category and exact result. This approach clearly distinguishes an award win from a place in the final and allows readers to understand what has actually been confirmed.

This year’s gold and silver winners should therefore be viewed in the context of the published results, without assumptions about their entry into or expansion in Croatia. The news report announces no such plans.

Practical takeaway: treat European recognition as a starting point, not a substitute for due diligence on a franchise opportunity. Before making a business decision, request the terms of the partnership, financial information and an explanation of the support available to franchisees.