Fenland

Fenland scores 931 on the Local Growth Index, placing it 347th of 361 UK local authorities and 69 points below the UK benchmark. All four pillars sit below or near the UK level, with Scaling the weakest area and ESG the relative strength. The composite likely range of 911 to 951 gives a clear picture of where Fenland's business economy stands.

  • Top pillar: ESG
  • Biggest opportunity: Scaling
  • 4,085 active companies

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

The index measures the characteristics of active companies in an area, with corporate groups counted once. Because each score is averaged across those companies rather than summed, a smaller authority like Fenland can be compared fairly with much larger ones: the score reflects how active local companies are, not how big the local economy is.

The UK as a whole scores 1,000, so Fenland's 931 sits 69 points below that benchmark. Each score also comes with a likely range showing how much the result could shift with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on, and Fenland's range of 911 to 951 meets that bar.

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%934Well below average nationally
  • Scaling 30%902Well below average nationally
  • Investment 30%927Below average nationally
  • ESG 10%1,023Above average nationally

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Pillar breakdown

How Fenland's composite score of 931 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

934

Well below average nationally

−66 points against the UK · Likely range 908–960 · 30% of the composite

Innovation captures patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector presence. Fenland ranks 309th of 361 authorities on this pillar, scoring 934 and sitting 66 points below the UK benchmark, outperforming only 14.4% of authorities. Companies in Fenland show relatively limited activity across the patent, spinout and R&D grant measures that drive this score.

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

902

Well below average nationally

−98 points against the UK · Likely range 863–941 · 30% of the composite

Scaling measures whether companies are high-growth scaleups, their annualised headcount growth, and accelerator attendance. At 902, Fenland ranks 359th of 360 authorities with a score 98 points below the UK, the district's weakest pillar by some margin. Fenland outperforms just 0.3% of authorities on this dimension, pointing to very low rates of rapid employment growth among its companies.

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

927

Below average nationally

−73 points against the UK · Likely range 889–965 · 30% of the composite

Investment covers equity raisers, the value of equity raised and first-time equity raisers, all within the last five years. Fenland ranks 257th of 360 on this pillar with a score of 927, placing it 73 points below the UK benchmark and ahead of 28.6% of authorities. While still below the national level, this is Fenland's strongest position relative to peers among the three equally weighted pillars.

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

1,023

Above average nationally

+23 points against the UK · Likely range 992–1,054 · 10% of the composite

ESG looks at clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and a not-for-profit proxy. Fenland's ESG score of 1,023 is the one pillar that clears the UK benchmark, sitting 23 points above it and ranking 142nd of 361 authorities. The district outperforms 60.7% of all authorities on ESG, reflecting relatively stronger engagement with environmental and social signals among its companies.

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 Cambridgeshire

The chart below places Fenland's composite score alongside its Cambridgeshire neighbours, where it ranks 6th of 6 authorities and sits 218 points below the county score of 1,149.

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 Fenland's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

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

Fenland scores 931 on the Local Growth Index, which is 69 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000. It ranks 347th of 361 UK local authorities.

How does Fenland compare to the rest of Cambridgeshire?

Fenland ranks 6th of the 6 authorities in Cambridgeshire and scores 218 points below the county average of 1,149. Cambridge, the county's highest-scoring authority, records 1,442.

Which pillar is Fenland strongest on?

ESG is Fenland's strongest pillar, with a score of 1,023, placing it 23 points above the UK benchmark and 142nd of 361 authorities. It is the only pillar where Fenland exceeds the national level.

Where does Fenland rank on Scaling?

Fenland ranks 359th of 360 authorities on Scaling, with a score of 902, some 98 points below the UK benchmark. This is the district's weakest pillar.

How many companies are counted in Fenland's score?

The index covers 4,085 active companies in Fenland, with corporate groups counted once rather than as separate registered entities.

What does the likely range on Fenland's score mean?

The likely range of 911 to 951 shows how much the composite score could shift with a slightly different mix of companies. Fenland's score is published because that range is narrow enough to be relied on.

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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