Forge Female Fitness named Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year
Ballymoney-based business Forge Female Fitness has been named as the Health & Wellbeing winner at the 2025 Northern Ireland StartUp Awards.
Founded in 2016, but relaunched and rebranded in July 2023, Forge Female Fitness has quickly officially become Northern Ireland’s No.1 ladies health and wellness studio, designed exclusively for women aged 30 and over.
With over 110 active members, the studio delivers a holistic, science-backed approach to women’s health through personal and small group coaching, expert-led training, and mental health support, delivering life changing results.
In just two years, Forge has earned multiple national awards including Gym of the Year Northern Ireland, Best Female Coach, Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year, and Best Small Business of the Year.
Grace Smith, founder of Forge Female Fitness, said: “Winning Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year means the world to us. This award recognises the incredible impact we’ve had on women’s lives, helping them feel stronger, more confident, and truly seen.
"We’ve built Forge from the ground up to be a safe, empowering space for women to put themselves first. It’s not just about fitness, it’s about education, empowerment, friendships and changing lives. And we’re only just getting started.”
The UK StartUp Awards were established to highlight the success of start-ups across ten UK nations and regions and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy.
As a regional winner in their category, Forge Female Fitness will now progress to the UK StartUp Awards final, taking place on September 11th, along with the finalists from nine other nations and regions.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, entrepreneurial activity in Northern Ireland was recently recorded at its highest level, and according to Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, creator of the UK StartUp Awards, this surge in start-up ambition reflects a new generation of founders who are not only identifying opportunities but are also building innovative, resilient businesses that are shaping the future of the Northern Irish economy.
“When we launched the StartUp Awards, the goal was simple: to shine a spotlight on the incredible people building new businesses across the UK. While the headlines are often dominated by big corporations, it’s the start-ups – the risk-takers, the problem-solvers, the doers – who are quietly transforming our economy from the ground up.
"Nowhere is that more true than here in Northern Ireland, where new businesses across this region are showing remarkable resilience and ambition. From tech innovators and creative pioneers to manufacturers and social enterprises, they’re creating jobs, driving innovation, and breathing new life into both urban and rural communities.
“All of the winners have demonstrated that they deserve to win their categories, and I’m looking forward to having the ‘best of the best’ from Northern Ireland competing at the UK final later this year.”