[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"authority-dartford":3},{"authority":4,"scoredCount":14,"pillars":15,"ranks":53,"averages":60,"peers":63,"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},"dartford","Dartford","Kent","South East","south-east","Dartford Council",10346,949,11,361,[16,27,37,45],{"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,931,16,321,11.1,100,{"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",982,22,245,360,31.9,75,{"key":38,"name":39,"colourVar":40,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":41,"halfRange":42,"rank":43,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":44,"topPercent":36},"investment","Investment","--pillar-investment",932,24,222,38.3,{"key":46,"name":47,"colourVar":48,"compositeWeight":49,"shown":21,"score":50,"halfRange":23,"rank":51,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":52,"topPercent":26},"esg","ESG","--pillar-esg",0.1,954,323,10.5,{"national":54,"region":55,"county":58},299,{"rank":56,"of":57},59,64,{"rank":13,"of":59},13,{"county":61,"region":62},967,1003,[64,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101],{"slug":65,"name":66,"score":67,"isCurrent":68},"dover","Dover",1023,false,{"slug":70,"name":71,"score":72,"isCurrent":68},"canterbury","Canterbury",994,{"slug":74,"name":75,"score":76,"isCurrent":68},"tunbridge-wells","Tunbridge Wells",991,{"slug":78,"name":79,"score":80,"isCurrent":68},"tonbridge-and-malling","Tonbridge and Malling",981,{"slug":82,"name":83,"score":84,"isCurrent":68},"maidstone","Maidstone",975,{"slug":86,"name":87,"score":88,"isCurrent":68},"sevenoaks","Sevenoaks",974,{"slug":90,"name":91,"score":92,"isCurrent":68},"ashford","Ashford",969,{"slug":94,"name":95,"score":96,"isCurrent":68},"swale","Swale",964,{"slug":98,"name":99,"score":100,"isCurrent":68},"thanet","Thanet",955,{"slug":102,"name":103,"score":104,"isCurrent":68},"folkestone-and-hythe","Folkestone and Hythe",950,"299th of 361 authorities nationally",{"heroSummary":107,"intro":108,"pillarCommentary":112,"compareSummary":117,"faqs":118,"metaDescription":137},"Dartford scores 949 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 299th of 361 local authorities and 51 points below the UK benchmark. It ranks 11th of 13 authorities in Kent and 59th of 64 in the South East. Investment is its strongest pillar relative to its other scores, while Innovation and ESG sit furthest below the national benchmark.",[109,110,111],"Dartford's composite score of 949 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 each area, with corporate groups counted once. Because scores are averaged across those companies rather than summed, a smaller authority with active, high-growth businesses can rank above a larger one, making this a fair comparison between authorities of very different sizes.","The UK as a whole scores 1,000, so Dartford's 949 places it below that national reference point across its 10,346 active companies. Each score also comes with a likely range, which shows how much the figure could move with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on, and Dartford's composite range of 938 to 960 meets that bar.",{"innovation":113,"scaling":114,"investment":115,"esg":116},"Innovation covers patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector membership. Dartford scores 931 on this pillar, 69 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 321st of 361 authorities and outperforming only 11.1% of them. That places it among the lower-scoring authorities nationally for the innovation characteristics captured by these measures.","The Scaling pillar measures scaleup status, headcount growth and accelerator attendance. At 982, Dartford is 18 points below the UK benchmark and ranks 245th of 360 authorities. It outperforms 31.9% of authorities, making this its closest pillar to the national average and the area where its companies are most competitive relative to the UK.","Investment looks at whether companies raised equity in the last five years, how much they raised and whether a raise was a company's first ever. Dartford's Investment score of 932, 68 points below the UK benchmark, is nonetheless its highest-ranking pillar at 222nd of 360 authorities, outperforming 38.3% of them. Relative to its Innovation and ESG scores, equity activity among Dartford's companies is a comparative strength.","The ESG pillar captures clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxy status. Dartford scores 954 on ESG, 46 points below the UK benchmark, and ranks 323rd of 361 authorities, outperforming just 10.5% of them. Despite having the narrowest gap to the benchmark in absolute terms among its lower-ranking pillars, this is Dartford's weakest position in the national rankings.","The chart below shows how Dartford's composite score of 949 compares with neighbouring authorities in Kent, where the county scores 967 and the runner-up authority, Dover, reaches 1,023.",[119,122,125,128,131,134],{"question":120,"answer":121},"What is Dartford's score on the UK Local Growth Index?","Dartford scores 949, placing it 299th of 361 local authorities and 51 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"question":123,"answer":124},"How does Dartford compare with the rest of Kent?","Dartford ranks 11th of 13 authorities in Kent and scores 18 points below the county average of 967. Dover is the strongest-scoring Kent authority in this comparison, reaching 1,023.",{"question":126,"answer":127},"How does Dartford compare with the South East region?","Dartford ranks 59th of 64 authorities in the South East and sits 54 points below the regional score of 1,003.",{"question":129,"answer":130},"Which pillar is Dartford's strongest?","Investment is Dartford's highest-ranking pillar, at 222nd of 360 authorities, outperforming 38.3% of them. It covers equity raised, equity raisers and first-time raisers over the last five years.",{"question":132,"answer":133},"How many active companies does Dartford have in the index?","The index covers 10,346 active companies in Dartford, with corporate groups counted once rather than as individual registered entities.",{"question":135,"answer":136},"What does the likely range on Dartford's score mean?","The likely range of 938 to 960 shows how much the composite score could move with a slightly different mix of companies. Scores are only published when this range is narrow enough to rely on, and Dartford's meets that standard.","Dartford scores 949 on the UK Local Growth Index, ranking 299th of 361 local authorities and 51 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"source":139,"cached":21,"generatedAt":140},"claude:claude-sonnet-4-6","2026-10-20 11:02:05",2021,2026,"2026-10-20"]