Question 1

What is competitive analysis for UK companies?

Accepted Answer

Competitive analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating companies that operate in the same market or industry as a given business. For UK companies, this typically involves looking at businesses with the same SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes, similar geographic location, and comparable size by turnover or employee count. It helps businesses understand their competitive landscape, spot market gaps, and benchmark performance.

Question 2

How do I find UK competitors for a company?

Accepted Answer

The most reliable way to find UK competitors is to search Companies House data by SIC code — the official classification code assigned to every registered UK company. The Competitor Constellation tool automates this: search for any UK company and it will instantly find active companies sharing the same industry codes, prioritising those in the same town or region and of comparable size.

Question 3

What are SIC codes and why do they matter for competitor research?

Accepted Answer

SIC codes (Standard Industrial Classification codes) are 5-digit numbers assigned by Companies House to describe what a company does. Every UK company must declare at least one SIC code when filing. They are the most systematic way to group companies by industry — making them ideal for competitor identification. A company can have multiple SIC codes if it operates across different activities.

Question 4

How is the similarity score calculated?

Accepted Answer

The similarity score (0–100) is calculated from three factors: location match — companies in the same post town score +40; shared SIC codes — each shared industry code adds +20 (up to +40 maximum); and size similarity — if both companies have filed accounts and their turnovers are within 2× of each other, they score an additional +20. Higher scores indicate closer competitive proximity.

Question 5

What data sources does this tool use?

Accepted Answer

The Competitor Constellation tool uses Companies House bulk data covering over 5.7 million UK registered companies, cross-referenced with iXBRL-parsed financial accounts for turnover and employee data. All data is sourced from official public records and is updated continuously as Companies House publishes new filings.

Question 6

Is the Competitor Constellation tool free?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Competitor Constellation tool is completely free to use. Simply search for any UK company by name or registration number to instantly see its competitive landscape.

Factor	Points	Notes
Same post town	+40	Registered office in the same town
1 shared SIC code	+20	Operates in the same primary industry
2+ shared SIC codes	+40 max	Operates across multiple matching industries
Similar turnover	+20	Filed turnover within 2× of the target company

Competitor Constellation

How Competitor Constellation works

What "similar" means

The similarity score

What are SIC codes?

Who is it for?

Similarity score factors