Franchising Awards 2026 honour brands in Porto

Zome Real Estate, Remax and Nata Lisboa were among the brands recognised at the Franchising Awards 2026, presented at a gala at the Sheraton Hotel in Porto, Portugal. Organised by the Portuguese Franchise Association, the ceremony brought together industry representatives, entrepreneurs and brands, with awards covering network management, franchisee performance, international expansion and support services.

Zome and Remax win franchisor categories

According to a report published by Start Franchising on 29 October, Zome Real Estate took first place in the Franchisor of the Year – Full category. Coldwell Banker Portugal came second and Nata Lisboa third.

Remax won the Master Franchisor of the Year category, followed by Max Finance. The results therefore recognised several brands across different categories, rather than naming a single overall winner.

The Franchisee of the Year award went to Portugal iA, with School of Rock in second place. This category highlighted the performance of those running franchise operations on the ground, complementing the awards for franchisors.

Midas received the Emerging Category award for relaunching its concept. In this case, the recognition focused on the renewal of an existing brand, rather than simply the arrival of a new concept in the franchising community.

For anyone researching franchise networks operating in Portugal, these distinctions matter: an award for a franchisor, recognition of a franchisee and an award for a relaunch relate to different aspects of a business.

Nata Lisboa leads in international expansion

Nata Lisboa won the International Expansion category, adding this award to its third-place finish in Franchisor of the Year – Full. Viva Fit came second and Fitness Factory third.

Fitness Factory was highlighted for its investment in markets such as India. International growth featured both in the awards results and in speeches during the gala.

Cristina Franco, chair of the board of the Brazilian Franchising Association, expressed confidence in Portuguese franchising and highlighted opportunities for joint expansion, including into the Chinese market. Her address brought a perspective of cross-border cooperation to the ceremony.

The report also states that first-place winners will be able to apply for the Ibero-American franchising awards in May and, subsequently, the European Franchise Federation awards in September. This is an opportunity to enter further awards, not an automatic entitlement to additional honours.

Marketing and support services also recognised

Max Finance took first prize in the Expansion Marketing category. Remax came second and Zome Real Estate third. All three brands therefore featured in more than one of the categories announced.

In the Services to Franchising category, the work of More, led by Ana Correia, was recognised. This broadened the gala’s focus to include organisations supporting the franchising community, alongside the networks and their franchisees.

The range of categories highlights different elements of the franchise model: network organisation, franchisee operations, marketing to support expansion and business support services. Prospective franchisees should establish exactly what an award recognises before using it to compare opportunities.

Scaling up and finance feature in speeches

Manuel Alvarez, president of the Portuguese Franchise Association, emphasised the model’s ability to transform lives and create entrepreneurs. Nuno Gonçalves, vice-president of IAPMEI, Portugal’s agency for competitiveness and innovation, focused on franchising’s contribution to helping businesses scale up through brands and replicable models.

Nuno Gonçalves also referred to the availability of support for SME financing through Banco de Fomento, Portugal’s development bank, and public guarantee schemes. This should not be taken to mean that funding is automatically secured for any particular project.

In practice: the awards offer a starting point for researching brands and comparing the areas in which they have been recognised. Before investing, prospective franchisees should assess the contract, costs, training and support available, and speak to existing franchisees in the network. An award is no substitute for business due diligence.