2025 has been a significant year for Analyse Local, with continued change across the Business Rates landscape and increasing focus on preparation for the 2026 Revaluation. Alongside legislative developments, the year has also seen growth across our team and services, as well as the introduction of a refreshed look for Analyse Local.
The updated branding reflects the breadth of our services and supports a more consistent experience and has been introduced alongside wider internal change. This has included the appointment of Luke Gorham as Managing Director, the expansion of our client management team, and continued investment in our people and products.
Externally, we have continued to engage with the sector, attending IRRV forums and conferences across the country, reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new contacts within local government and the wider ratings community.
This update reflects on key areas of progress during 2025 and outlines where our focus will sit as we move into the year ahead.
Insight Forecast
It’s been an exciting and successful year for our Insight Forecast team, and we’re pleased to share some of the progress we’ve made alongside our clients. Over the past 12 months, we’ve continued to expand our client base and offer clients new reports to help them manage their Business Rates provision. This growth reflects the trust our clients place in us and the value our forecasting insights bring to their decision-making.
Preparing for the 2026 Rating List has been a major focus throughout the year. Our Revaluation Report delivered early, data-driven insight into the potential impacts of the 2026 revaluation, enabling clients to plan proactively rather than react later. Once the draft list was published, our 2026 Draft List Report gave clients an analysis of the implications of the 2026 draft list, including detailed breakdowns of the gross yield figures.
Throughout this process, we have also supported clients with the introduction of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief. By providing comprehensive, data-driven lists of potential RHL properties using special category codes, and by factoring potential RHL losses directly into the Revaluation Report and 2026 Draft List Report, we enabled clients to clearly understand the financial impact of the relief and plan accordingly.
Looking ahead to 2026 and the upcoming NNDR1 deadline, we’ve compiled our latest set of reports, now available to our Insight Forecast clients.
Maximise
The Maximise Business team has delivered another strong year, continuing to support Local Authorities through the identification and referral of hereditaments that warrant review. To date, our work has contributed £72 million in additional rateable value to the 2023 Rating List.
This work plays an important role in supporting income accuracy and retention, while also contributing to the integrity of local rating lists and the wider economy. As we approach the closure of the 2023 Rating List and look ahead to the 2026 Revaluation, the team remains focused on progressing appropriate referrals so that backdated liability is applied where relevant.
Alongside operational delivery, professional development has remained a priority. Earlier this year, five members of the Maximise Business team successfully completed their IRRV Level 3 Certificate. This achievement reflects both individual commitment and our wider focus on maintaining strong technical knowledge across the business.
Our Maximise Domestic service has also continued to develop over the course of the year. The team has supported clients with successful case referrals and delivered system enhancements to strengthen its role as a reliable tool for identifying dwellings missing from the council tax register. Looking ahead, our focus will be on deepening client partnerships, enhancing data matching capabilities and exploring further opportunities within domestic rating.
Verify Validate
Our Verify Validate service has also delivered strong results over the past year. We identified properties with a combined rateable value of more than £1.4 million that were incorrectly claiming Small Business Rates Relief on behalf of our clients, helping to ensure relief is applied accurately and fairly. These outcomes have supported a growing client base, with authorities increasingly using the service to both identify misapplied relief and confidently assess new applications.
In 2025 alone, our SBRR application checker has been used to review more than 900 applications, reinforcing its value as a trusted and efficient tool for verifying SBRR claims from new ratepayers. As we continue to refine and enhance the product, we’re excited to build on this momentum and further develop the Verify Validate service in the year ahead.
Insight Assist
Insight Assist has remained at the forefront of technical support throughout 2025, providing our Local Authority partners with the clarity needed to navigate an increasingly complex Business Rates landscape.
In 2025, our consultancy team focused heavily on the detail of Budget 2025, dedicating significant resource to deconstructing its complexities. This ensured our clients received timely and accurate guidance on the changes expected to impact local revenues and policy decisions.
Beyond research, our team has been active across IRRV forums for Local Authority practitioners. Through detailed analysis of legislative updates and key caselaw, we have supported practitioners in maintaining high standards of compliance and administration across the authorities we work with. We have also continued to expand our rating encyclopaedia and learning resources, now including comprehensive insight into the changes due in April 2026. These are widely expected to be among the most impactful Business Rates reforms in recent history, and Insight Assist is already well positioned to help authorities understand and prepare for the implications.
While 2025 was a year of analysis, 2026 will be a year of innovation. Our focus for the coming year is the first strategic step into the development and integration of AI within the Insight Assist module. While details remain under wraps, 2026 is set to be a landmark year for Insight Assist, significantly enhancing the level of proactive support we provide.
We look forward to sharing more on these developments early in the new year.
Looking ahead
As we move into 2026, the focus across Analyse Local remains on supporting Local Authorities through a period of continued change. With the Revaluation on the horizon, evolving legislation, and increasing pressure on data quality and governance, the need for accurate, transparent and well supported systems has never been greater.
We would like to thank our clients, partners and colleagues for their continued engagement throughout 2025. We look forward to building on the progress made this year and continuing to support the sector with practical, informed and dependable solutions in the year ahead.
If you would like to discuss any of the topics covered in this update, or have questions about your current workflows, please contact us at info@analyselocal.co.uk.