Projects Delivered 2025/26
The Skills Programme is managed by Avencera, commissioning employer-led training with colleges and specialist providers across construction, logistics, clean energy, digital and employability. The 2025/26 programme is largely delivered, and procurement of the new Skills Programme Framework has now been completed to support the next phase of delivery.
Alongside this, AI Unlocked is supporting AI adoption and capability across the Freeport area through targeted programmes for businesses, leaders and young people. The £349k Community Skills Fund, supported by DP World London Gateway and the Port of Tilbury, is also funding six community projects focused on improving access to skills, training and employment opportunities for local residents.
The SEED Fund is the £25m capital allocation from the UK Government, given to each Freeport and with match funding, unlocked an additional £40.1 million, totalling £65.1 million. It backs the infrastructure and innovation that unlocks growth: EV charging and green hydrogen demonstrator, Europe’s largest private 5G network across the three tax sites, and the Connectivity Lab, regional retrofit, and AI adoption in primary care.
Healthcare sits alongside both; poor health is one of the biggest barriers to work locally. Official updates confirm the Mobile Health Innovation Platform; CarePort, an 18-month programme backed by £500,000; and the £3.3m Health AI Mobilisation Centre, focused on deploying NHS-ready AI in primary care.
These strands deliver against our five pillars: job creation, infrastructure, improving public services, supporting local businesses, and employability, skills and training.
What are we doing, and why?
Skills and career development in Barking & Dagenham
Skills Fund
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
About
A vocational programme supporting the hospitality, food and drink sector, developing skills, employability and clear career pathways for young people in Barking and Dagenham.
Delivered in schools across the 2025/26 academic year with specialist training providers and renowned professional chefs, including teacher engagement workshops and work experience in the sector.
Impact
800 young people engaged through masterclasses with professional chefs.
Exceeded the target by 100%, reaching 800 participants against an original target of 400.
Supported the development of culinary skills, confidence, and career awareness within the hospitality sector.
800
young people engaged
400+
in vocational skills activities
2025–26
academic year delivery
Partner
Developing the next generation of entrepreneurs,
with Young Enterprise
About
A schools-based programme delivered in partnership with educational institutions to build work readiness among young people, developing employability skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience and career planning through interactive workshops.
Impact
Equipped 700 young people aged under 16 with essential work-readiness skills and positive workplace mindsets.
Delivered interactive workshops in schools, helping participants build confidence and employability skills.
Prepared young people for future education and career opportunities through practical workplace-focused learning.
Skills Fund
Freeport-wide
700
young people equipped
Under 16
target age group
2025–26
academic year delivery
Partner
Career training
& support
Skills Fund
London Borough of Havering
About
Tailored volunteering opportunities aligned to participants’ career interests, building practical experience and confidence, with targeted training and ongoing support to close skills gaps and improve employability.
Impact
Delivered 100 structured volunteering placements, providing participants with valuable practical experience and personal development opportunities.
Provided training and tailored support to help individuals build employment-relevant skills and confidence.
Enabled 70 participants to progress into employment, training, or further skills development opportunities.
100
volunteering placements
70
gained skills or work
2025–26
programme delivery
Partner
Helping people
into employment
Skills Fund
Thurrock Council
About
Tailored support helping individuals overcome barriers to employment, combining targeted training, one-to-one guidance and practical development so participants can upskill and progress into work or further qualifications.
Impact
Provided barrier-removal support to at least 30 participants, helping them overcome challenges to employment and learning.
Achieved 12 job outcomes, supporting participants into sustainable employment opportunities.
Enabled the completion of 12 Level 2 and 12 Level 3 qualifications, improving skills and career prospects.
30
participants supported
12
job outcomes targeted
L2 & L3
qualifications delivered
Partner
Engineering skills
and development
Skills Fund
Freeport-wide
About
Funding to train primary school teachers to deliver construction and engineering programmes at Key Stage 2, engaging pupils in practical, curriculum-linked STEM activities that build problem-solving, creativity and teamwork.
Impact
28 teachers successfully completed the implementation of the Primary Engineer Construction and Early Years Engineer programmes.
Enhanced STEM and engineering education by equipping teachers with the skills and resources to deliver the programmes effectively.
Supported the development of engineering awareness and problem-solving skills among primary and early years pupils.
28
teachers trained
KS2
curriculum focus
STEM
construction & engineering
Partner
Thames Freeport Health Bus, bringing free healthcare to
the community
RBR Fund
Freeport-wide
About
A technology-enabled health-check service bringing preventative care directly into local communities, developing a scalable “health check in a box” model that partners can operate and expand into new clinical areas.
Impact
Conducted an eight-week pilot, screening 687 patients and engaging 211 additional people who could not be accommodated, helping to reach individuals often missed by primary care services.
Identified significant unmet health needs, with 78% of participants not having received an NHS Health Check in the previous five years and 21% showing elevated cardiovascular risk.
Demonstrated strong impact and public support, achieving a 98% recommendation rate and a 1.83x social return on investment, leading to the model being productised for delivery and scaling by a partner organisation.
687
patients screened
78%
no check in 5 years
1.83x
return on investment
Partners
Thames Freeport Retrofit Programme – upgrading homes
RBR Fund
Freeport-wide
About
A scalable, neighbourhood-wide model for making homes warmer and cheaper to run, establishing a single delivery body across three boroughs supported by institutional capital, accredited suppliers and data-led targeting.
Impact
Projected to generate £86.8 million in social value over 35 years, delivering an estimated £1.50 return for every £1 invested.
Aims to attract around £200 million in private investment, with more than 5,000 homes already in the delivery pipeline.
Provides a scalable and repeatable model to help address a regional backlog of over 150,000 homes requiring upgrades.
£86.8m
social value, 35 years
1.5:1
return per £1
5,000+
homes in pipeline
Partners
EV Charging at the Port of Tilbury
About
SEED contribution towards a shared high-power EV charging facility at the Port of Tilbury, helping overcome barriers to commercial fleet electrification. Site opening held March 2026, with the lease entered on 31 March.
Impact
Successfully completed the project, with the official site opening taking place in March 2026 and the Port of Tilbury lease signed on 31 March 2026.
Expected to support around 54 vehicle charging sessions per day, delivering an estimated 4,956 tonnes of CO₂ emissions reduction annually.
Forecast to generate wider economic and environmental benefits, including approximately £18,000 per year in air quality and NHS benefits and support for around 35 jobs, subject to confirmation through operational performance data.
SEED Fund
Thurrock Council
54
vehicles charged per day
4,956t
CO₂ saved per year
35
jobs supported
Partner
Remote health-monitoring technology in Barking & Dagenham
About
A new programme called CarePort is exploring how digital tools can help carers spot early signs that someone’s health is starting to decline, and step in before a small issue turns into an emergency.
Impact
Trained 100 care staff and supported 2,000 residents, improving care delivery and resident wellbeing across the programme.
Achieved a 25% reduction in A&E attendance, demonstrating a significant positive impact on health outcomes and demand for acute services.
SEED Fund
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
100
care staff trained
2,000
residents supported
25%
fewer A&E attendances
Partners
AI adoption in
primary care
SEED Fund
Freeport-wide
About
A proof-of-concept programme testing AI adoption in primary care, funding the infrastructure, AI solutions and workforce capability needed to embed AI tools across primary care settings.
Impact
Piloted six AI tools across 18 GP practices, with three solutions successfully progressing into long-term operational use.
Trained more than 250 staff, building confidence and capability in adopting AI-enabled ways of working across primary care.
Generated £2.66 of value for every £1 invested,
demonstrating both a strong economic return and sustainable impact beyond the pilot phase, with further benefits expected as deployment continues.
18
GP practices piloted
250+
staff trained
£2.66
value per £1 invested
Partners
The Connectivity Lab: 5G Enabled Solutions
About
An innovation programme translating 5G and connectivity investment into operational trials, identifying and validating 5G-enabled solutions across DP World London Gateway, Port of Tilbury and Ford Dagenham.
Impact
816 start-ups scouted; 18 presented to anchor sites.
Eight progressed to live trials; six continued beyond the programme.
£20.6m projected benefit over three years, delivering a 6.1:1 return.
Accelerated adoption of private 5G, robotics, sensing and edge technologies.
SEED Fund
Freeport-wide
816
start-ups scouted
8
live trials run
6.1:1
projected return
Partners
Hydrogen Demonstrator at the Port of Tilbury
SEED Fund
About
Development of a green hydrogen production facility at the Port of Tilbury, funding the core infrastructure including the electrolyser and compression equipment to support port decarbonisation trials and wider hydrogen use.
Impact
Successfully completed the SEED-funded project, culminating in a hydrogen showcase event at the Port of Tilbury on 30 April 2026.
Established local green hydrogen production capability, with the facility designed to produce approximately 99 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.
Supports port decarbonisation and wider industrial innovation, providing a demonstrator for future applications in construction, mobility, and industry, while helping to advance a broader Thames hydrogen ecosystem.
1MW
electrolyser installed
99t
hydrogen per year
Apr ‘26
showcase held
Partner
Explore the Thames Freeport impact report
Overview
Get to know Thames Freeport - the three tax sites, the region it serves and the growth it's built to unlock. Read more >
Vision
Looks ahead to 2045, summarising impact delivered so far and the long-term Growth Plan for jobs, homes, health and investment. Read more >
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 >
Social value
Find out how local residents are helping shape the Growth Plan, and what the RSA Social Value Commission recommends. Read more >
