Breckland

Breckland scores 975 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 186th of 361 local authorities and 25 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000. Its strongest result is on ESG, where it sits in the top third of all authorities. Investment is the area where its companies are least active relative to the UK average.

  • Top pillar: ESG
  • Biggest opportunity: Investment
  • 5,443 active companies

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Breckland's composite score is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.

Each score is averaged across the authority's active companies, with corporate groups counted once. That averaging means a smaller authority with highly active companies can score above a larger one where activity is more dispersed, making this a fair comparison across authorities of very different sizes.

The UK benchmark is set at 1,000, so a score of 975 means Breckland's companies are, on the whole, slightly less active than the UK average across the four pillars. The likely range of 957 to 993 shows how much the score could shift with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.

East of England

Each dot shows the pillar score on a scale where the UK as a whole scores 1,000, marked by the line. The paler band is the likely range. The composite weights Innovation, Scaling and Investment 30% each and ESG 10%.

  • Innovation 30%972Average nationally
  • Scaling 30%1,000Average nationally
  • Investment 30%930Below average nationally
  • ESG 10%1,042Above average nationally

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Pillar breakdown

How Breckland's composite score of 975 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

972

Average nationally

−28 points against the UK · Likely range 948–996 · 30% of the composite

Innovation covers patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector tags. Breckland scores 972 on this pillar, 28 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 181st of 361 authorities. Its companies are slightly below the national average on the innovation measures that count.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Patents25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Granted patent families filed in the last 20 years, held anywhere in the corporate group (capped, log scale).

  • Academic spinouts25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a university spinout.

  • R&D grant value25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Value of R&D grants received in the last five years: Innovate UK, EU programmes and other grants for R&D (capped, log scale).

  • Innovative sectors15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any industry or buzzword on a curated list of innovative sectors, for example chips, biotechnology, quantum, AI, data, SaaS, FinTech and CleanTech. About 2.5% of companies.

  • IS-8 sectors10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any of the eight IS-8 sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, professional and business services, and defence. About 18% of companies.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Scaling

1,000

Average nationally

±0 points against the UK · Likely range 967–1,033 · 30% of the composite

Scaling captures whether companies are high-growth scaleups, their three-year headcount growth rates and whether they have attended an accelerator. At 1,000, Breckland's score is level with the UK benchmark, ranking 160th of 360 authorities. Its companies are adding staff and growing at a pace that matches the national picture.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Scaleups45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a 20% scaleup (Beauhurst high-growth signal).

  • Headcount growth45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Annualised three-year employee growth rate over the latest four years of accounts, including group accounts, for companies with five or more employees at the start (capped). All other companies count as zero.

  • Accelerator10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company has attended an accelerator.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Investment

930

Below average nationally

−70 points against the UK · Likely range 898–962 · 30% of the composite

Investment measures equity-raising activity: whether companies have raised equity in the last five years, how much they raised and whether they are first-time raisers. With a score of 930, Breckland ranks 241st of 360 authorities and sits 70 points below the UK benchmark, making this its weakest pillar and the area where its companies are least engaged with equity finance.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Equity raisers40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company raised equity in the last five years.

  • Equity raised40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Amount of equity raised in the last five years (capped, log scale).

  • First-time raisers20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company's first equity deal ever was in the last five years. A first-time raiser always counts as an equity raiser too.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

ESG

1,042

Above average nationally

+42 points against the UK · Likely range 1,013–1,071 · 10% of the composite

ESG covers clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and a not-for-profit proxy. At 1,042, Breckland ranks 108th of 361 authorities and sits 42 points above the UK benchmark, outperforming 70.1% of all authorities. This is Breckland's strongest pillar, with its companies showing notably higher ESG-related activity than the national average.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Clean energy30%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in clean or renewable energy, or clean technology.

  • Other green activity20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in green buildings and infrastructure, green transport, or sustainable farming and food.

  • Environmental accolades20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has an environmental accolade, including completed Innovate UK clean growth grants.

  • Social and governance15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has a gender pay equality signal from a report in the last five years, a director gender equality signal, or a social accolade.

  • Not-for-profit proxy15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Is limited by guarantee without share capital, a rough indicator of non-profit status.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Compared to Norfolk

The chart below compares Breckland's composite score of 975 with neighbouring authorities in Norfolk.

Dots share one axis across the site. The line marks the UK benchmark of 1,000; differences are in points.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Breckland's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

Read the methodology
What is Breckland's Local Growth Index score?

Breckland scores 975 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 186th of 361 local authorities and 25 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.

How does Breckland compare with the rest of Norfolk?

Breckland ranks 5th of 7 authorities in Norfolk and scores 21 points below the county average of 996.

Which pillar is Breckland strongest on?

ESG is Breckland's strongest pillar, with a score of 1,042, ranking 108th of 361 authorities and sitting 42 points above the UK benchmark.

Which pillar is Breckland weakest on?

Investment is Breckland's weakest pillar, scoring 930 and ranking 241st of 360 authorities, 70 points below the UK benchmark. This reflects relatively low equity-raising activity among its companies.

How does Breckland perform on Scaling compared with the UK?

Breckland's Scaling score of 1,000 is level with the UK benchmark, ranking 160th of 360 authorities. Its companies are growing their headcount at a pace that matches the national average.

How many companies are counted in Breckland's score?

The index covers 5,443 active companies in Breckland, with corporate groups counted once rather than as separate registered entities.

Explore the data behind the index

Every score on this page is built from real, named company activity, patent filings, fundraisings, spinouts and scaleups. Book a call to see the data behind any authority's score, and how Beauhurst can support your work.

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