Perth and Kinross has been named the UK’s top local authority for business growth potential for the second consecutive year, cementing its reputation as one of Scotland’s leading destinations for investment and enterprise.
The recognition highlights areas with the highest proportion of businesses expected to deliver substantial growth over the coming three years, drawing on independent analysis of company performance and future projections.
According to the findings, Perth and Kinross leads the UK ranking, with 11 percent of local businesses forecast to achieve high growth in 2026. Robust performance across the food and drink, tourism, energy transition, and advanced manufacturing sectors has positioned the region well ahead of the national average.
The findings form part of the Growth Outlook 26 report, produced by Growth Flag, a business intelligence platform boasting over 90% accuracy in predicting which companies will achieve 20% growth within a year. The tool is widely used across the UK to track emerging business trends and inform interventions that support local economic growth.
Perth and Kinross Council leader Councillor Eric Drysdale attributed the achievement to the resilience and innovation of the local business community, along with the strength and diversity of the wider economy. He said the council remains committed to helping businesses thrive and to building a stronger, more sustainable local economy, adding that the goal is to keep Perth and Kinross among the best places to live, work, and run a business.
Richard Jeffery, co-founder of Growth Flag, described Scotland as home to some of the UK’s most compelling growth stories, noting that Perth and Kinross’s continued strong showing in this year’s report — topping the UK rankings for business growth potential in 2026 — reflects the diverse strengths underpinning the local economy and driving business expansion.
The latest recognition builds on the momentum generated by Perth and Kinross Council’s £530 million Investment Prospectus, launched in summer 2025, which sets out a long-term vision for sustainable growth across the region.
The prospectus outlines eight transformative projects supporting the region’s ambitions around sustainability and clean economic growth, building on an established track record of public-private collaboration with industry, education, and investors. Spanning 2025 to 2040, it covers a mix of market-ready opportunities and longer-term, investor-led partnerships across energy and net zero, the circular economy, food and drink, light industrial, travel and logistics, leisure and retail, tourism accommodation, and residential development.
Councillor Ian Massie, vice-convener of the council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said the Investment Prospectus makes a compelling case for doing business in Perth and Kinross, demonstrating a clear commitment to sustainable growth that benefits both residents and businesses. He noted that the prospectus offers a clear, ambitious pipeline of opportunities for domestic and international investor and developer partnerships, spanning net zero energy and circular economy schemes through to major regeneration projects in central Perth. He added that the council wants investors, entrepreneurs, and growing companies to see Perth and Kinross as a place where ideas can scale and long-term success is achievable, summing up the message simply: Perth and Kinross is open for business.
Perth and Kinross regularly ranks among the UK’s top places to live and work, and forms a key part of the wider Tay Cities regional economy. In recent years, the area has seen substantial investment in transport infrastructure, digital connectivity, cultural assets, and low-carbon initiatives, helping to create favourable conditions for high-value business growth.
The council’s Investment Prospectus targets UK and international investors, developers, and operators interested in opportunities across renewable energy, low-carbon heat networks, advanced recycling, logistics, and life sciences.
