More than 2,000 new Bedford businesses were started in 2022

New figures show that around 2,028 new businesses were formed in Bedford during 2022.

The highest area was Castle, with 129 new companies launched. De Parys ward saw 105 new companies while there were 71 in Harpur. Kempston did well with 92 new companies across its wards.

Bedfordshire as a whole welcomed more new companies during 2022 than in the previous 12 months – marking the county out as a great place to do business.

A total of 8,495 new companies were registered in the county, an increase of 14.6% on 2021, resulting in a record high of 50,545 businesses in the county.

The statistics are taken from the Inform Direct Review of Company Formations, using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.

John Korchak, Managing Director at Inform Direct said: ““The last few years have been turbulent for businesses, with inflation and a cautious economic outlook following the impact of the pandemic. However, in these figures we see evidence of the ambition, creativity and resilience of entrepreneurs in Bedfordshire, as well as the benefits from the county’s support for a range of enterprises.

“This positivity is mirrored in the overall picture for the UK which saw a record number of new companies established during 2022, exceeding 800,000 for the very first time.”

The UK saw 805,141 new companies, compared to 771,617 in 2021, which represents an increase of 4.3% and brings the total number of companies to 5,236,227.

To see a more detailed picture of company formations in Bedfordshire – including a full local breakdown, the website here.