The Fastest 50 list is objectively compiled using data sourced from Companies House and ranked by the largest average annual growth in turnover.
For companies to make the list they must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a trading entity
- Must be a private limited company
- The registered office must have a postcode in the region
- Must have a locally-based decision-making function
- Companies with a UK-based holding company which does not have its registered office in the three regions will be excluded
- Subsidiaries of foreign-controlled companies are included, provided they have a headquarters or decision-making function in the three regions
- Companies will be excluded if there is another entry higher up the list which is owned by the same holding company
- If a company is not eligible for the list then its subsidiaries are also excluded
- Turnover must be in excess of £1 million in each of the last three financial years
- Turnover must have increased across each of the last three years
- There must have been positive pre-tax profit in each of the last three years
- Must have filed new accounts since last year’s awards
- The filing of accounts must be up-to-date as at:
- North East – 1 August
- Yorkshire – 1 December
- North West – 1 March