The Impact

Report 2026

Thames Freeport is a hugely ambitious place and programme. It aims to do nothing less than to transform the prospects of the almost 700,000 people who live in the East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering and the South Essex borough of Thurrock by connecting local communities to global economic growth.

To realise that ambition the Freeport aims to attract over £4.9 billion of inward investment to the region, supported by over £1bn of planned public funding to deliver the foundational infrastructure businesses needs to grow and prosper.

Ultimately, Thames Freeport aims to translate major investment and business growth into lasting benefits for communities across Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock, connecting local people with global economic opportunities.

Ruth Kelly
Chair, Thames Freeport

Foreword

A middle-aged woman with gray hair, glasses, wearing a white blazer and a green top, smiling outdoors with a cityscape and water in the background.

Value for the
Thames Freeport area

Thames Freeport is shaping a next-generation growth zone where businesses and communities can prosper together. By connecting infrastructure, accelerating investment, creating jobs, building skills and supporting innovation, Thames Freeport is helping to ensure that global trade and advanced industry deliver lasting local benefit.

Thames Freeport works closely with its local authority partners: the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the London Borough of Havering and Thurrock Council. These partners sit at the heart of delivery, helping to align regeneration with local plans, open pathways into jobs and training, and ensure investment translates into better outcomes for health, skills and community benefit.

Together, Thames Freeport and its partners coordinate land, infrastructure, planning, employers and community organisations so that growth is designed around local opportunity rather than left to chance. This partnership approach helps connect residents and businesses to the benefits of investment, while strengthening the places and communities that make the Freeport’s growth possible.

A colorful logo with pink and green elements and black text on a pink background.
Abstract graphic design with red, black, and dark blue shapes and lines.
Ford logo in blue and white
Text reading "Barking & Haddenham" with the ampersand in red and the words in black.
Starbucks logo with green and black text on a white background.
A dark, cloudy sky over an open field with trees in the distance.
Map of Greater London area showing boroughs, main roads, and landmarks such as GATWICK Airport, Thames Enterprise Park, and Ford.

Spanning 38 km along the River Thames to the east of London, Thames Freeport has three Special Economic Zones within a larger regional footprint. With tax incentives and streamlined customs these zones, make up a manufacturing and logistics cluster that enables seamless global trade.

Thames Freeport is a geographical area in the United Kingdom that includes three designated Freeport tax sites, formally designated by the British government on 15 December 2021.

  • Thames Freeport includes the Port of Tilbury, DP World London Gateway, and Ford’s Dagenham plant.

  • Its designated tax sites are legally recognised areas where businesses can benefit from a range of tax reliefs and incentives.

  • These incentives are designed to attract investment, increase trade, and support business growth.

  • The Freeport aims to regenerate communities and stimulate economic development in areas that need it most.

  • Thames Freeport is expected to attract £4.5 billion of new investment.

  • It is also forecast to create approximately 21,000 skilled jobs across the region.

What is Thames Freeport?

An aerial view of a large port with shipping containers, cranes, warehouses, and a ferry docked at the terminal along a river, with a city and farmland in the background.
FDi Free Zones of the Year 2024 award badge with gold star graphic, purple and gold design, awarded to Rising Stars in the global category.
FDI Free Zones of the Year 2024 award badge, purple background with gold and white text, mentioning Europe and sustainability.
FDi Free Zones of the Year 2024 award badge for Europe, Rising Stars category.
Award plaque from the 2026 FDI Insider Awards recognizing Thames Freeport in England as the best freeport development for sustainable economic growth.

Impact at a glance

Since its establishment, Thames Freeport has moved from ambition to delivery, attracting over £2.13bn in private investment and creating more than 1,400 jobs. A further 1,290 people are employed across the tax sites, with 2,548 additional jobs in the confirmed pipeline.

Investment of £7.1m in skills has reached over 4,500 pupils, while 609 apprentices are in training. Community health checks, AI adoption in primary care and 5G-enabled industrial trials are also under way and independently evidenced.

Watch film: SEATS apprentice, Amy, supported by Thames Freeport

£2.13bn

private investment

1,290

employed on tax sites

4,500+

pupils reached

£7.1m

invested in local skills &
community

609

apprentices in training

A group of diverse people smiling and talking at an indoor gathering or event.

Why community is at the heart of Thames Freeport

  • Growth only counts if local people feel it, so community benefit is a requirement of Freeport investment.

  • We tie investment to skills, jobs and social value, and make opportunities locally relevant.

  • We build trust through delivery now: health checks delivered, apprentices in training, residents in work.

  • We shape regeneration around local plans and community priorities.

Delivering opportunity
through innovation and skills

  • Investment is designed to unlock real opportunity for local people.

  • Jobs and apprenticeships span logistics, construction, engineering, manufacturing, clean energy and digital.

  • The Mobile Health Innovation Platform brings AI-enabled preventative care closer to communities.

  • Private 5G and digital pilots support productivity, safer workplaces and workforce upskilling.

  • Employer-led skills and green construction programmes help residents move into good work and progress.

Community at the heart: our five pillars

Thames Freeport delivers value for the community through the innovation and skills programmes it runs across the Freeport region, and through the investments and companies it attracts into the tax sites and wider Freeport area.

A group of four business professionals, three men and one woman, standing outside next to electric vehicle charging stations and a truck, engaging in a discussion while holding documents.
A PowerPoint slide showing community support initiatives in Barking, Dagenham, Havering, and Thurrock. It includes sections on job creation, infrastructure, public services, support for local businesses, and employability skills, with relevant images of workers, technology, community events, and meetings.

Explore the Thames Freeport impact report

Vision

Look ahead to 2045 - the jobs, homes, health and investment the Growth Plan will deliver over the next twenty years. Read more >

A group of women gathered around a table engaged in a craft or science activity, with some holding clear plastic cups and others focusing on their work.

Projects delivered

See what a year of delivery looks like: skills, health and infrastructure on the ground, plus six funded community projects. Read more >

Four diverse young adults sitting at a conference table in a brightly colored room, smiling and engaged in conversation. A large mural with text about compassion and aspiration decorates the wall behind them.

What comes next

Explore what's coming next - low-carbon housing, AI in healthcare, new skills pathways and The Hive at London Gateway. Read more >

A young woman with long, wavy blonde hair wearing a sleeveless, light blue top and jewelry, smiling and sitting by a window with natural light, in an indoor setting.

Social value

Find out how local residents are helping shape the Growth Plan, and what the RSA Social Value Commission recommends. Read more >

A young woman and an older man sit together at a desk, looking at a computer screen and engaging in a discussion in an office setting.