Thetford
A thriving market town on the edge of the picturesque Thetford Forest, a site of special scientific interest and the UK’s largest lowland pine forest, Thetford is home to a fast-growing population and a business community of ambitious companies working on projects across the UK and beyond.
Located at the heart of the Tech Corridor, it boasts a busy town centre, with an array of pubs, restaurants and a cinema, while its proximity to the forest make it the perfect location for those who like to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Thetford benefits from:
- A strategic location at the heart of the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor, offering easy access to Cambridge, Norwich and beyond via road or rail
- A strong community of established, high-growth businesses such as Vanilla Electronics, Warren Services and Centurion Safety, offering opportunities to form collaborations and integrated local supply chains.
- An attractive location for staff, with affordable living costs combined with a lively town centre featuring pubs, restaurants and a cinema
- Planned commercial and residential developments which will further transform the town. Work on a 5,000-home development on the Northern edge of Thetford is now underway
- Outstanding local primary school, Drake Primary School plus 2 further Good schools. Local secondary school options include Thetford Grammar School (Independent, 3-19 years) and The Thetford Academy (Good).
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Vanilla Electronics in Thetford supplies and assembles electronic components and products for some of the most exciting technology firms in the country
Useful networks and support:
If you are considering a move to Thetford or are thinking of setting up or expanding your tech business in Thetford, here are some organisations that can help:
Business Support & Networking
- New Anglia Growth Hub: Offers a range of business support services from hundreds of sources. The hub’s service is free and impartial and can help you access grants, finance, start-up support, international trade support and other specialist advice from a single point of contact.
- Greater Thetford Partnership: The Greater Thetford Partnership (GTP) exists to develop and deliver a strategic vision for Greater Thetford. They engage with a huge range of key stakeholders, from utility companies to community groups, house builders to central government – lobbying to secure the investment and sustainable growth for the Greater Thetford area.
- Norfolk Chamber of Commerce: Provide networking opportunities, share knowledge, offer business services, signpost to business opportunities and inspire innovative thinking to enable companies to do better business.
- NAAME Mid Norfolk Manufacturing Group: The Mid-Norfolk Manufacturing Group encompassing the Tech Corridor and the wider area is a consortium of like-minded organisations who are committed to seeing best practice, business collaboration & economic development prosper locally.
- Thetford Business Forum: The Thetford Business Forum is made up of like-minded local business people and key decision-makers who help to drive the economy of Thetford and the surrounding areas.
Business Investment
- Anglia Capital Group: a group of Angel Investors who invest in start-ups and early growth-stage businesses with innovative and potentially disruptive technology at their core
- Tech Velocity: The first digital accelerator in the East of England. Works with scalable businesses and take them from ideation (through a pre-accelerator programme), to a stage where they’re ready to take on the world (accelerator).
- Invest East: a high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) business support programme for Norfolk and Suffolk, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. In first instance contact New Anglia Growth Hub and they can direct you to the right person for your needs
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Enjoying Thetford:
- Thetford Forest: A patchwork of pines, heathland and broadleaves provide the ideal setting for a great day out, and a welcome refuge for a rich variety of animal and plant life.
- Go Ape, Thetford: This stunning location in Thetford Forest has loads to offer for both the thrill-seekers and the ‘need to get the family out and about seekers’. Includes high ropes adventures and forest segway adventures.
- Dad’s Army Museum: See where the series was filmed and to learn more about one of the most enduring comedy programmes ever produced.
- Thetford Golf Club: A stunning heathland course set in the magnificent Breckland Forest.