Belfast is the number one city in the UK to start a new business

Wednesday 26th January 2022

A new study into the best places to start a new business has revealed that Belfast is the number one city in the UK.

The research, which was carried out by Novuna Business Cash Flow, analysed 25 major UK cities, looking at factors including average salary, cost of office space, number of grants available and even the price of a coffee, to determine which cities are the best for new businesses.

Belfast scored a total of 153 out of 200, taking the top spot on the list, mainly thanks to its cheap utility bills and fast broadband speeds. It also boasts one of the cheapest office space costs per square foot in the country, and also has more grants available for businesses than any other city in the UK - 118 in total.

Leicester was the English city that ranked highest in the index with a score of 130, placing it second overall. The East Midlands city also has a high number of business grants available from the local council as well as one of the lowest average salaries in the UK, providing cheap access to labour for many startups.

Brighton and Norwich also ranked highly as two more of the best cities in England to start a new business, while Edinburgh and Cardiff also featured in the top 10.

Top 10 UK cities to start a new business

Rank

City

Index score

1

Belfast

153

2

Leicester

130

3

Brighton

127

4

Norwich

125

5

Portsmouth

122

6

Edinburgh

120

7

Southampton

115

8

Plymouth

112

9

Cardiff

110

10

Derby

108