[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"authority-maidstone":3},{"authority":4,"scoredCount":14,"pillars":15,"ranks":55,"averages":63,"peers":66,"rankLine":105,"countyIsDistinct":21,"content":106,"contentMeta":138,"dataFrom":141,"dataTo":142,"dataChangedAt":143},{"slug":5,"name":6,"county":7,"regionName":8,"region":9,"councilName":10,"activeCompanies":11,"score":12,"halfRange":13},"maidstone","Maidstone","Kent","South East","south-east","Maidstone Council",11621,975,12,361,[16,27,37,46],{"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,951,15,255,29.4,75,{"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",1020,22,77,360,78.6,25,{"key":38,"name":39,"colourVar":40,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":41,"halfRange":42,"rank":43,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":44,"topPercent":45},"investment","Investment","--pillar-investment",948,24,165,54.2,50,{"key":47,"name":48,"colourVar":49,"compositeWeight":50,"shown":21,"score":51,"halfRange":52,"rank":53,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":54,"topPercent":26},"esg","ESG","--pillar-esg",0.1,997,16,230,36.3,{"national":56,"region":57,"county":60},180,{"rank":58,"of":59},42,64,{"rank":61,"of":62},5,13,{"county":64,"region":65},967,1003,[67,72,76,80,84,85,89,93,97,101],{"slug":68,"name":69,"score":70,"isCurrent":71},"dover","Dover",1023,false,{"slug":73,"name":74,"score":75,"isCurrent":71},"canterbury","Canterbury",994,{"slug":77,"name":78,"score":79,"isCurrent":71},"tunbridge-wells","Tunbridge Wells",991,{"slug":81,"name":82,"score":83,"isCurrent":71},"tonbridge-and-malling","Tonbridge and Malling",981,{"slug":5,"name":6,"score":12,"isCurrent":21},{"slug":86,"name":87,"score":88,"isCurrent":71},"sevenoaks","Sevenoaks",974,{"slug":90,"name":91,"score":92,"isCurrent":71},"ashford","Ashford",969,{"slug":94,"name":95,"score":96,"isCurrent":71},"swale","Swale",964,{"slug":98,"name":99,"score":100,"isCurrent":71},"thanet","Thanet",955,{"slug":102,"name":103,"score":104,"isCurrent":71},"folkestone-and-hythe","Folkestone and Hythe",950,"180th of 361 authorities nationally",{"heroSummary":107,"intro":108,"pillarCommentary":112,"compareSummary":117,"faqs":118,"metaDescription":137},"Maidstone scores 975 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 180th of 361 authorities and 25 points below the UK benchmark. Its strongest result is on Scaling, where it ranks in the top quarter nationally. Innovation and Investment sit below the UK benchmark, pulling the composite down.",[109,110,111],"Maidstone's composite score is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.","Each score is an average across the authority's active companies, with corporate groups counted once. That averaging means a smaller authority with highly active companies can rank above a larger one, making this a fair comparison between authorities of very different sizes.","The UK benchmark is set at 1,000, so Maidstone's score of 975 places it just below the national average. The likely range of 963 to 987 shows how much the score could move with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.",{"innovation":113,"scaling":114,"investment":115,"esg":116},"Innovation captures patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector membership. Maidstone scores 951 here, 49 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 255th of 361 authorities. That places it in the bottom quarter nationally on this pillar, suggesting its companies are less active on R&D grants, patents and innovative sector classification than the UK average.","Scaling measures scaleup status, headcount growth and accelerator attendance. At 1,020, Maidstone sits 20 points above the UK benchmark and ranks 77th of 360 authorities, placing it in the top quarter nationally. This is its strongest pillar, indicating that companies in Maidstone are adding staff at a noticeably faster rate than the UK average.","Investment covers whether companies have raised equity, how much they have raised, and whether they raised equity for the first time in the last five years. Maidstone's score of 948 is 52 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 165th of 360 authorities. It sits near the middle of the national distribution, outperforming just over half of authorities, but equity activity remains below the UK average.","ESG reflects clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxy status. Maidstone scores 997, just 3 points below the UK benchmark, and ranks 230th of 361 authorities. This close alignment with the UK average suggests ESG-related characteristics among local companies are broadly in line with national norms.","The chart below shows how Maidstone's composite score compares with neighbouring authorities across Kent and the wider South East.",[119,122,125,128,131,134],{"question":120,"answer":121},"What is Maidstone's score on the UK Local Growth Index?","Maidstone scores 975, placing it 180th of 361 local authorities and 25 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"question":123,"answer":124},"How does Maidstone compare with other authorities in Kent?","Maidstone ranks 5th of 13 authorities in Kent and scores 8 points above the Kent county average of 967.",{"question":126,"answer":127},"How does Maidstone compare with the South East region?","Maidstone ranks 42nd of 64 authorities in the South East, scoring 28 points below the regional average of 1,003.",{"question":129,"answer":130},"Which pillar is Maidstone's strongest?","Scaling is Maidstone's strongest pillar, with a score of 1,020, placing it 77th of 360 authorities and in the top quarter nationally. This reflects faster headcount growth and scaleup activity relative to the UK average.",{"question":132,"answer":133},"Where does Maidstone underperform on the index?","Innovation is Maidstone's weakest pillar at 951, ranking 255th of 361 authorities and sitting 49 points below the UK benchmark. Investment also falls below average at 948, 52 points below the benchmark.",{"question":135,"answer":136},"How many companies are counted in Maidstone's score?","The score is based on 11,621 active companies in Maidstone, with corporate groups counted once rather than as each of their registered entities.","Maidstone scores 975 on the UK Local Growth Index, ranking 180th of 361 authorities. Strong on Scaling; below average on Innovation and Investment.",{"source":139,"cached":21,"generatedAt":140},"claude:claude-sonnet-4-6","2026-10-20 10:52:33",2021,2026,"2026-10-20"]