[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"authority-braintree":3},{"authority":4,"scoredCount":14,"pillars":15,"ranks":53,"averages":61,"peers":64,"rankLine":101,"countyIsDistinct":21,"content":102,"contentMeta":134,"dataFrom":137,"dataTo":138,"dataChangedAt":139},{"slug":5,"name":6,"county":7,"regionName":8,"region":9,"councilName":10,"activeCompanies":11,"score":12,"halfRange":13},"braintree","Braintree","Essex","East of England","east-of-england","Braintree Council",8988,972,13,361,[16,27,37,44],{"key":17,"name":18,"colourVar":19,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":22,"halfRange":23,"rank":24,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":25,"topPercent":26},"innovation","Innovation","--pillar-innovation",0.3,true,965,17,205,43.2,75,{"key":28,"name":29,"colourVar":30,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":31,"halfRange":32,"rank":33,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":35,"topPercent":36},"scaling","Scaling","--pillar-scaling",1009,26,125,360,65.3,50,{"key":38,"name":39,"colourVar":40,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":41,"halfRange":32,"rank":42,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":43,"topPercent":26},"investment","Investment","--pillar-investment",938,202,43.9,{"key":45,"name":46,"colourVar":47,"compositeWeight":48,"shown":21,"score":49,"halfRange":50,"rank":51,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":52,"topPercent":26},"esg","ESG","--pillar-esg",0.1,989,18,251,30.5,{"national":54,"region":55,"county":58},199,{"rank":56,"of":57},23,45,{"rank":59,"of":60},3,14,{"county":62,"region":63},956,991,[65,70,74,75,78,82,86,89,93,97],{"slug":66,"name":67,"score":68,"isCurrent":69},"uttlesford","Uttlesford",1013,false,{"slug":71,"name":72,"score":73,"isCurrent":69},"chelmsford","Chelmsford",979,{"slug":5,"name":6,"score":12,"isCurrent":21},{"slug":76,"name":77,"score":12,"isCurrent":69},"colchester","Colchester",{"slug":79,"name":80,"score":81,"isCurrent":69},"brentwood","Brentwood",964,{"slug":83,"name":84,"score":85,"isCurrent":69},"maldon","Maldon",957,{"slug":87,"name":88,"score":62,"isCurrent":69},"tendring","Tendring",{"slug":90,"name":91,"score":92,"isCurrent":69},"basildon","Basildon",953,{"slug":94,"name":95,"score":96,"isCurrent":69},"rochford","Rochford",950,{"slug":98,"name":99,"score":100,"isCurrent":69},"harlow","Harlow",948,"199th of 361 authorities nationally",{"heroSummary":103,"intro":104,"pillarCommentary":108,"compareSummary":113,"faqs":114,"metaDescription":133},"Braintree scores 972 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 199th of 361 local authorities and 28 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000. It ranks 3rd of 14 authorities in Essex, sitting 16 points above the county score of 956. Scaling is its strongest pillar, where it edges above the UK average.",[105,106,107],"Braintree's composite score of 972 is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.","Each score is an average across the district's 8,988 active companies, with corporate groups counted once. That averaging means a place with fewer but highly active companies can score as well as a larger economy, making this a fair comparison between authorities of different sizes.","The UK as a whole scores 1,000 by design, so Braintree's 972 sits just below that national reference point. Every score also carries a likely range, which shows how much the result could move with a slightly different mix of companies; Braintree's composite range of 959 to 985 is narrow enough to rely on, as are all four of its pillar scores.",{"innovation":109,"scaling":110,"investment":111,"esg":112},"Innovation captures patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector membership. Braintree scores 965 on this pillar, 35 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 205th of 361 authorities and outperforming 43.2% of them. Companies in the district show below-average engagement with the innovation signals the index tracks.","Scaling measures whether companies qualify as scaleups, their headcount growth over a rolling four-year period, and accelerator attendance. At 1,009, Braintree's Scaling score sits 9 points above the UK benchmark, ranking 125th of 360 authorities and outperforming 65.3% of them. This is the district's strongest result and indicates companies here are adding staff at a pace broadly in line with, and marginally ahead of, the national average.","Investment covers whether companies raised equity in the last five years, how much they raised, and whether a deal was a company's first equity raise ever. Braintree's Investment score of 938 is 62 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 202nd of 360 authorities. That gap suggests equity activity among local companies is noticeably below typical UK levels.","ESG reflects company-level signals across clean energy, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance indicators, and a not-for-profit proxy. Braintree ranks 251st of 361 on this pillar with a score of 989, 11 points below the UK benchmark, outperforming 30.5% of authorities. While this is the district's lowest-ranked pillar, the score itself sits close to the national reference point.","The chart below places Braintree's composite score alongside its neighbours in Essex, showing where it sits within the county.",[115,118,121,124,127,130],{"question":116,"answer":117},"What is Braintree's score on the UK Local Growth Index?","Braintree scores 972, placing it 199th of 361 local authorities and 28 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"question":119,"answer":120},"How does Braintree compare to other councils in Essex?","Braintree ranks 3rd of 14 authorities in Essex, scoring 16 points above the county average of 956. The next highest in Essex is Uttlesford, which scores 1,013.",{"question":122,"answer":123},"Which pillar is Braintree's strongest?","Scaling is Braintree's top-performing pillar, with a score of 1,009, placing it 125th of 360 authorities and 9 points above the UK benchmark.",{"question":125,"answer":126},"How does Braintree perform on Investment?","Braintree's Investment score is 938, which is 62 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 202nd of 360 authorities. This is the largest gap to the UK average across Braintree's four pillars.",{"question":128,"answer":129},"How many companies are counted in Braintree's score?","The index covers 8,988 active companies in Braintree, with corporate groups counted once rather than as separate registered entities.",{"question":131,"answer":132},"What does a score of 1,000 mean on the UK Local Growth Index?","The UK as a whole is set to 1,000 as a fixed benchmark, so any authority above 1,000 is performing above the national average and any below it is performing under. Braintree's 972 puts it just below that benchmark.","Braintree scores 972 on the UK Local Growth Index, ranking 199th of 361 authorities. See how it performs across Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG.",{"source":135,"cached":21,"generatedAt":136},"claude:claude-sonnet-4-6","2026-10-20 10:38:42",2021,2026,"2026-10-20"]