Castle Point

Castle Point scores 926 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 354th of 361 local authorities and 74 points below the UK benchmark. Its score sits 30 points below the Essex average and 65 points below the East of England average. All four pillars are below the UK benchmark, with Innovation the weakest and Investment the least weak.

  • Top pillar: Investment
  • Biggest opportunity: Innovation
  • 6,006 active companies

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The composite score combines four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.

Each score is averaged across a place's active companies, with corporate groups counted once. That means a smaller authority with highly active companies can outrank a larger one, making this a fair comparison between authorities of very different sizes.

The UK as a whole scores 1,000 on the benchmark, so Castle Point's score of 926 places its companies below the national average across the measures the index tracks. The likely range of 912 to 940 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%917Well below average nationally
  • Scaling 30%947Well below average nationally
  • Investment 30%909Well below average nationally
  • ESG 10%944Well below average nationally

Want to learn more about the scores? Speak to an expert

Pillar breakdown

How Castle Point's composite score of 926 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

917

Well below average nationally

−83 points against the UK · Likely range 897–937 · 30% of the composite

Innovation is measured through granted patent families filed in the last 20 years, academic spinout status, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector tags. Castle Point ranks 349th of 361 authorities on this pillar, 83 points below the UK benchmark, making it the area's weakest pillar and suggesting limited activity across these innovation signals among its companies.

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

947

Well below average nationally

−53 points against the UK · Likely range 920–974 · 30% of the composite

The Scaling pillar measures whether companies are 20% scaleups, their annualised three-year headcount growth rate and whether they have attended an accelerator. Castle Point ranks 340th of 360 on Scaling, 53 points below the UK, indicating that employee growth and high-growth activity among its companies trails the national average.

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

909

Well below average nationally

−91 points against the UK · Likely range 881–937 · 30% of the composite

Investment covers whether companies raised equity in the last five years, how much they raised and whether their first equity deal ever was within that window. At 326th of 360, this is Castle Point's strongest-ranked pillar, though it remains 91 points below the UK benchmark, pointing to relatively low equity-raising activity compared with most authorities.

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

944

Well below average nationally

−56 points against the UK · Likely range 924–964 · 10% of the composite

The ESG pillar captures clean energy and other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxy status. Castle Point ranks 343rd of 361 on ESG, 56 points below the UK benchmark, sitting between its Scaling and Innovation scores.

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 Essex

The chart below compares Castle Point's composite score with neighbouring authorities in Essex.

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 Castle Point's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

Read the methodology
What is Castle Point's score on the UK Local Growth Index?

Castle Point scores 926, placing it 354th of 361 local authorities and 74 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.

How does Castle Point compare with the rest of Essex?

Castle Point ranks 14th of 14 authorities in Essex and scores 30 points below the Essex average of 956.

How does Castle Point compare with the East of England region?

Castle Point ranks 44th of 45 authorities in the East of England and scores 65 points below the regional average of 991.

Which pillar is Castle Point's strongest?

Investment is Castle Point's highest-ranked pillar, at 326th of 360 authorities, though it remains 91 points below the UK benchmark.

Which pillar is Castle Point's weakest?

Innovation is the weakest pillar, ranked 349th of 361 authorities and 83 points below the UK benchmark. It covers patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector tags.

How many companies are counted in Castle Point's score?

The index covers 6,006 active companies in Castle Point, 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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