Rising Brands Awards
Recognition Built for Franchise Brands on the Rise
The Rising Brands Awards is FBR’s newest recognition program, created specifically for emerging franchise systems with 3 to 9 franchisees. If you’ve built a culture your franchisees love, you deserve to show it before the rest of the industry catches up.
Rising Brands Awards
Prospective franchisees are doing their homework long before they ever reach out. They’re researching your brand, reading reviews, and looking for proof that your system delivers on its promises. For most emerging brands, that proof is hard to come by.
The Rising Brands Awards changes that. Powered by FBR’s Snapshot Survey, this program gives brands with 3 to 9 franchisees a way to earn third-party validated recognition based on real franchisee feedback. Whether you’re building your FDD, presenting at a discovery day, or actively recruiting your next wave of franchisees, a Rising Brands Award gives you a credibility marker that most brands your size simply don’t have.
What You Need To Know
3 to 9
Franchisees Required
$795
Snapshot Survey Fee
July 30
Registration Deadline
Payroll Vault | 2026 Top Franchises & 2025 Employee Satisfaction Award Winners
Real Data. Real Recognition. At Exactly the Right Time.
The Rising Brands Awards is powered by the same proven survey methodology FBR has used for over two decades to measure franchisee satisfaction across hundreds of systems. For brands in the 3 to 9 franchisee window, this is your moment to put that data to work.
Every brand that participates receives satisfaction data they can act on, regardless of whether they make the awards list. And for those that do qualify, the recognition puts your brand in front of prospective franchisees, consultants, and industry media at the exact moment they’re evaluating opportunities.
You built a system your franchisees believe in. Now there’s an award to prove it.
Why Choose FBR for the Rising Brands Awards
FBR has been the franchise industry’s most trusted source of franchisee satisfaction research for more than 20 years. Here’s what that means for your brand.
Built for Emerging Brands
Designed specifically for franchise systems with 3 to 9 franchisees. You will never be compared against brands ten times your size.
Trusted Survey Methodology
FBR’s Snapshot Survey uses the same validated approach trusted by hundreds of franchise brands to capture accurate, meaningful franchisee feedback.
Independent, Third-Party Validation
An FBR award carries credibility that internal testimonials and self-reported rankings simply cannot match. Prospective franchisees notice the difference.
National Industry Visibility
Award winners are featured on the Rising Brands Awards landing page on franchisebusinessreview.com, one of the franchise industry’s most visited research destinations.
Actionable Satisfaction Data
Every participating brand receives franchisee satisfaction data they can use, whether they make the awards list or not. Know where you stand and where to focus next.
A Foundation for Long-Term Growth
As your system grows past 10 units, FBR’s full suite of awards, research, and recognition programs is ready for you. The Rising Brands Awards is just the beginning.
The Process
Getting recognized is straightforward. Here’s what to expect from registration to the awards list.
Register by July 30
Complete your registration and pay the $795 Snapshot Survey fee before the deadline. Spots are limited to brands with 3 to 9 franchisees in business for at least 6 months.
Complete Your Survey
FBR deploys the Snapshot Survey directly to your franchisees and manages the entire collection process. Simple for your team, minimal time from your franchisees.
Receive Your Results
Every participating brand receives their franchisee satisfaction data they can act on, whether they make the awards list or not. Know where you stand and where to focus next.
Get Recognized
Qualifying brands are notified and featured on the Rising Brands Awards landing page when the list publishes in December 2026. Award winners may also upgrade with a Brand Spotlight.
Start The Process
Every brand that earns a spot on the Rising Brands Awards list is featured on FBR’s dedicated awards page, a destination actively visited by prospective franchisees, franchise consultants, and industry media. Your listing puts your brand in front of the right audience at the right moment in your growth.
Brand Spotlight upgrades for greater recognition on the site will be available to all Rising Brands Award winners. Your FBR client success manager will be in touch.
Your Win Is Just the Start
Earning Rising Brands recognition is a milestone but it’s also a launchpad. Winners unlock several optional upgrades designed to turn the award into momentum: deeper insight into your franchisee feedback, a physical award to celebrate the win, and prime visibility on the consumer-facing FBR site where prospective franchisees are already looking.
Upgrade to Your Full Survey Report: All participants have the opportunity to upgrade to access the same comprehensive survey results that FBR franchisee satisfaction clients receive. Dig into benchmarks, open-ended comments, and category-level scores so you can act on exactly what your franchisees are telling you.
Order Your Physical Award: Make the recognition tangible. Winners are eligible to order a Rising Brands Award to display in your headquarters, feature at Discovery Days, or hand to founding franchisees who helped make it possible. More details on how to order your award will be provided to winners.
Get a Featured Spot on FranchiseBusinessReview.com: Upgrade to a featured placement on the Rising Brands landing page of our consumer-facing site, the same destination prospective franchisees browse when researching their next investment. More visibility where it matters, in front of the audience actively looking for brands like yours.
Grown beyond 10 franchisees? You have even more options.
If your system has crossed the 10-franchisee threshold, you are no longer in the early-stage category and that is worth celebrating. FBR’s full suite of awards programs, including the Franchisee Satisfaction Awards, is designed for brands at your stage of growth. These programs offer broader recognition, deeper research, and greater visibility to the prospective franchisees actively researching established systems. Explore FBR’s Awards and Research Programs to find the right fit for where your brand is today.
Austin, TX | October 28-30, 2026
FBR Summit is the only conference designed specifically for franchise operations and HR leaders who want to strengthen their systems from the inside out. This one-of-a-kind event brings together franchise pros from across the industry for real talk on what’s working, what’s not, and how to better support franchisees and teams. With a focus on candid conversations, peer-led sessions, and practical takeaways, Summit delivers insights you can actually use. Spots are limited so register today to save yours.
