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East Sussex

East Sussex has a Local Growth Score of 987, 13 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000. It is scored on all 56,995 active companies across its 6 local authorities.

  • Top pillar: Investment
  • Biggest opportunity: Scaling
  • 6 local authorities
  • 56,995 active companies

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The East Sussex county profile scores every active company in the county together, on the same four pillars and the same UK benchmark as each local authority.

That works out as the average of its authorities' scores, weighted by their active companies, so a large authority counts for more than a small one. With more companies than any one authority, its likely range is narrower too.

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%990Average county-wide
  • Scaling 30%980Well below average county-wide
  • Investment 30%974Above average county-wide
  • ESG 10%1,034Above average county-wide

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Pillar breakdown

How East Sussex's score of 987 is built up.

Innovation

990

Average county-wide

−10 points against the UK · Likely range 983–997 · 30% of the composite

Innovation scores 990 across East Sussex, ranking 25th of 51 counties.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Patents25%

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

  • Academic spinouts25%

    Whether the company is a university spinout.

  • R&D grant value25%

    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%

    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%

    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.

Scaling

980

Well below average county-wide

−20 points against the UK · Likely range 971–989 · 30% of the composite

Scaling scores 980 across East Sussex, ranking 44th of 51 counties.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Scaleups45%

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

  • Headcount growth45%

    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%

    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.

Investment

974

Above average county-wide

−26 points against the UK · Likely range 963–985 · 30% of the composite

Investment scores 974 across East Sussex, ranking 15th of 51 counties.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Equity raisers40%

    Whether the company raised equity in the last five years.

  • Equity raised40%

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

  • First-time raisers20%

    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.

ESG

1,034

Above average county-wide

+34 points against the UK · Likely range 1,027–1,041 · 10% of the composite

ESG scores 1,034 across East Sussex, ranking 20th of 51 counties.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Clean energy30%

    Active in clean or renewable energy, or clean technology.

  • Other green activity20%

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

  • Environmental accolades20%

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

  • Social and governance15%

    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%

    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.

Compared to the UK counties

East Sussex is ranked 27th of 51 counties by Local Growth Score.

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

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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