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).

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

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.