Amber Valley

Amber Valley scores 967 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 228th of 361 local authorities and 33 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000. Its Scaling score is close to the national benchmark, while Investment is the weakest pillar, sitting 77 points below the UK. The authority ranks 6th of 9 in Derbyshire and 24th of 35 in the East Midlands.

  • Top pillar: Innovation
  • Biggest opportunity: Investment
  • 5,653 active companies

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Amber Valley's composite score is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively, and draws on data from 5,653 active companies, with corporate groups counted once.

Because the score is averaged across all active companies in the area rather than summed, it reflects how active local companies are on each measure, not how large the local economy is. That makes it a fair comparison between authorities of very different sizes.

The UK as a whole scores 1,000 on each measure, so Amber Valley's composite of 967 means its companies are, on balance, slightly less active across these measures than the national average. Each score also comes with a likely range, which shows 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.

East Midlands

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%974Average nationally
  • Scaling 30%997Average nationally
  • Investment 30%923Below average nationally
  • ESG 10%992Below average nationally

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Pillar breakdown

How Amber Valley's composite score of 967 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

974

Average nationally

−26 points against the UK · Likely range 947–1,001 · 30% of the composite

Innovation covers patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector tags. Amber Valley scores 974 on this pillar, 26 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 173rd of 361 authorities. That places it just above the midpoint nationally, suggesting its companies show broadly average levels of patenting, grant activity and presence in innovative sectors.

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

997

Average nationally

−3 points against the UK · Likely range 966–1,028 · 30% of the composite

The Scaling pillar measures whether companies are high-growth scaleups, their headcount growth over recent years, and accelerator participation. At 997, Amber Valley is just 3 points below the UK benchmark and ranks 179th of 360 authorities, meaning its companies are adding staff at a rate very close to 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

923

Below average nationally

−77 points against the UK · Likely range 892–954 · 30% of the composite

Investment captures equity-raising activity over the last five years, the amounts raised and first-time equity raisers. With a score of 923, Amber Valley sits 77 points below the UK benchmark and ranks 275th of 360 authorities, outperforming fewer than a quarter of all authorities. This is the authority's weakest pillar and suggests local companies have relatively limited engagement 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

992

Below average nationally

−8 points against the UK · Likely range 969–1,015 · 10% of the composite

The ESG pillar covers clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxy status. Amber Valley scores 992 here, 8 points below the UK benchmark, and ranks 242nd of 361 authorities. The score is close to the national level, indicating broadly average ESG-related characteristics 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 Derbyshire

The chart below shows how Amber Valley's composite score compares with its neighbours across Derbyshire.

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 Amber Valley's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

Read the methodology
What is Amber Valley's UK Local Growth Index score?

Amber Valley scores 967 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 228th of 361 local authorities and 33 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.

How does Amber Valley compare with the rest of Derbyshire?

Amber Valley ranks 6th of 9 authorities in Derbyshire and scores 1 point below the county average of 968. The highest-scoring authority in Derbyshire is not Amber Valley; Bolsover scores 1,017.

Which pillar is Amber Valley strongest on?

Innovation is Amber Valley's highest-scoring pillar at 974, where it ranks 173rd of 361 authorities and sits just above the national midpoint.

Where does Amber Valley rank for investment activity?

Amber Valley ranks 275th of 360 authorities on Investment with a score of 923, which is 77 points below the UK benchmark. This is its weakest pillar.

How many companies are included in Amber Valley's score?

The score is based on 5,653 active companies in Amber Valley, with corporate groups counted once rather than as separate registered entities.

What does the UK Local Growth Index actually measure?

The index measures the characteristics of a local authority's companies across four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG. It does not measure economic output or GDP; it reflects how active local companies are on each measure.

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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