East Midlands Freeport
East Midlands Freeport is the UK's only inland Freeport, a not-for-profit public-private partnership operating three strategic tax sites (EMAGIC, EMIP, Ratcliffe-on-Soar) across 600+ hectares. It offers multimodal freight connectivity, tax incentives, and skills programmes to attract investors in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLeicester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What East Midlands Freeport does
East Midlands Freeport (EMF) is a not-for-profit public-private partnership and the only inland UK Freeport, designated by the UK Government in March 2021 and fully operational since March 2023. The organisation is governed by a Board combining six local authorities (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire County Councils plus North West Leicestershire, South Derbyshire, and Rushcliffe) and six corporate partners (East Midlands Airport, Goodman, Maritime Transport, SEGRO, Severn Trent, Uniper), with Leicestershire County Council serving as the accountable body. EMF operates across three tax sites spanning over 600 hectares: EMAGIC (160 hectares adjacent to the UK's busiest dedicated airfreight airport), EMIP (173-hectare rail-connected business park in Derbyshire adjacent to Toyota Manufacturing UK), and Ratcliffe-on-Soar (273 hectares, a former coal-fired power station being redeveloped into a zero-carbon hub under Uniper).
The Freeport's core technology centres on multimodal freight infrastructure combining East Midlands Airport (handling 370,000–375,000 tonnes of cargo annually), a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange capable of accommodating 775-metre trains at up to 16 trains per day with direct connections to all UK ports, and motorway adjacency reaching 85% of the UK population within four hours. EMF also anchors the UK's largest inland hydrogen cluster (~70 industrial sites requiring >10TWh by 2040), operates a £5m Zero Carbon Innovation Centre with the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University, and runs a £2m Future Energy Skills Hub with the East Midlands Institute of Technology. A Local Development Order is in place at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, and a Green Freight Corridor MoU with Freeport East links Felixstowe to East Midlands Gateway via green hydrogen, electric charging, and digital twins.
EMF's business model is non-commercial: it reinvests all retained business rates back into regional skills, infrastructure, and community projects, with over £1 billion projected in retained business rates over 25 years. Tax incentives (up to 10 years of business rates relief, zero-rate Employer NIC, Stamp Duty Land Tax relief, 100% Enhanced Capital Allowances, simplified customs) are deployed to attract enterprise investors rather than to generate direct revenue. The Freeport has secured £150m in private investment since March 2023, holds a £25m UK Government seed capital fund, and targets £9bn in regional economic growth and 28,000 new direct jobs over 25 years. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: CEO Tom Newman-Taylor and the team engage domestic and international investors through site visits, UKREiiF, and direct outreach, supported by six local authority and six corporate distribution partners.
East Midlands Freeport firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- East Midlands Freeport
- Legal name
- East Midlands Freeport
- Website
- https://emfreeport.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- East Midlands Freeport is the UK's only inland Freeport, a not-for-profit public-private partnership operating three strategic tax sites (EMAGIC, EMIP, Ratcliffe-on-Soar) across 600+ hectares. It offers multimodal freight connectivity, tax incentives, and skills programmes to attract investors in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
East Midlands Freeport industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freeport economic zone services
- NAICS
- Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Revenue Systems, E-Filing & Digital Tax Administration (BPAIADAO), International Compliance, Duties & Tax (DDP/Customs) Solutions (CRAFAJAG)
Keywords
Where East Midlands Freeport is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leicester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
East Midlands Freeport business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retained Business Rates: As a not-for-profit organisation, East Midlands Freeport reinvests all revenue from retained business rates back into regional community projects, infrastructure, skills, and innovation. The Freeport anticipates generating over £1 billion in additional business rates over 25 years, all of which is reinvested locally.
- Seed Capital Investment Fund: The Freeport has a £25 million Seed Capital Fund invested in skills, technology, and infrastructure projects. Returns on these investments are reinvested into the region.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Business Rate Relief – up to 10 years (extended from 5 years in Autumn Statement 2023) of reduced or zero business rates within freeport tax sites |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Employer National Insurance Contributions Relief – zero rate for qualifying employees |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Stamp Duty Land Tax Relief on land/buildings purchased or leased in tax sites |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enhanced Capital Allowances – up to 100% tax relief on qualifying plant, machinery, and buildings |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Simplified Customs Procedures – streamlined imports/exports with reduced paperwork and duty deferrals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
East Midlands Freeport product offering
Product offeringCore offering
East Midlands Freeport designates and operates tax sites within a UK government-designated Freeport, offering businesses enhanced tax reliefs (including business rates relief and enhanced capital allowances) for locating within the zone. It also delivers skills and innovation programmes (skills hub, innovation centre) and promotes investment in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy, anchored by multimodal infrastructure including East Midlands Airport and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar site.
Product overview
East Midlands Freeport is the UK's only inland freeport offering a portfolio of economic development sites, skills programs, and innovation facilities. The core offering consists of three strategic tax sites: EMAGIC (160 hectares adjacent to the UK's busiest air freight airport), EMIP (173 hectares rail-connected business park for advanced manufacturing), and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station redevelopment (273 hectares zero-carbon hub). Supporting offerings include the Future Energy Skills Hub for technical training in clean energy sectors, the Zero Carbon Innovation Centre for R&D in electrification and hydrogen propulsion, and industry clusters for aerospace, automotive, and advanced logistics. The freeport provides tax incentives including business rates relief, employer NIC relief, stamp duty land tax relief, enhanced capital allowances, and simplified customs procedures to attract investment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- East Midlands Freeport tax sites Designated UK Freeport tax sites providing eligible businesses with business rates relief and enhanced capital allowances for locating within the zone; intended for occupiers, developers and investors in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy.
- Skills hub Skills development and training initiative supporting Freeport occupiers and the wider East Midlands workforce pipeline.
- Innovation centre Innovation facility supporting research, development and collaboration activities among Freeport tenants and regional partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- £9 billion in regional economic growth over 25 years
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use East Midlands Freeport
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
East Midlands Freeport technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
East Midlands Freeport partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- Midlands ConnectsupportingTransport body partnered with EMF on strategic transport assessment for Junction 24 of the M1. Working on solutions to unlock the junction and enable future growth at the Freeport.
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing UKcoreMajor employer adjacent to EMIP tax site. East Midlands Freeport and Toyota agreed to explore future opportunities at EMIP for rail-connected logistics and low-carbon infrastructure supporting Toyota's regional operations and sustainability ambitions.
- East Midlands Institute of Technology (East Midlands IoT)coreLed delivery of the £2m Future Energy Skills Hub (FESH). Partnership includes Derby College Group, Loughborough College, University of Derby, and Loughborough University. Delivers higher technical skills for advanced manufacturing and clean energy sectors from September 2025.
- East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)coreEMCCA, led by Mayor Claire Ward, works with East Midlands Freeport on regional growth strategies. Collaborates on Junction 24 transport improvements and the Trent Arc Growth Corridor. Shared commitment to inclusive growth and infrastructure development.
- University of NottinghamcoreStrategic partner delivering the £5m Zero Carbon Innovation Centre (ZCIC) at Jubilee Campus. Partner in East Midlands Hydrogen cluster. Home to Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC) and upcoming Hydrogen Propulsion Systems Lab. Committed to net zero by 2040.
- Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic partner in Zero Carbon Innovation Centre with a site at the university. Delivers battery-electrolyser demonstration facility. Home to CleanTech cluster at Loughborough Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP).
- Freeport EastsupportingMemorandum of Understanding signed for Green Freight Corridor Initiative. Partnership decarbonises transport flows between Felixstowe (UK's largest container port) and East Midlands Gateway. Emphasises green hydrogen, electric charging, and digital twins for logistics decarbonisation.
- East Midlands HydrogencoreIndustrial partnership making East Midlands the UK's largest inland hydrogen cluster. Partners include D2N2 LEP, Cadent, Uniper, Toyota, Midlands Engine, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership. ~70 industrial sites requiring >10TWh hydrogen by 2040. GW-scale production potential. PWC estimates £10bn GVA and 110,000 jobs by 2050.
- CadentsupportingGas distribution network operator designing a sub-section of its East Coast Hydrogen pipeline network to serve the East Midlands hydrogen cluster. 100% hydrogen pipeline will connect supply and demand.
- Space Park LeicestersupportingWorld-leading space research centre designated as EMF's first customs site operator in March 2023. Generated £89m for the economy in its first year, supported 607 jobs, and landed 5 major FDIs. Forecast to contribute £750m/year to UK space sector over next decade.
- Derbyshire County CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners in the East Midlands Freeport public-private partnership. Derbyshire County Council collaborates on regional governance and investment decisions.
- Leicestershire County CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners and serves as the accountable body for East Midlands Freeport. Provides governance oversight and administrative support for the Freeport's operations.
- Nottinghamshire County CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners in the East Midlands Freeport public-private partnership, contributing to regional governance decisions.
- North West Leicestershire District CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners in the East Midlands Freeport. North West Leicestershire is home to East Midlands Airport and EMAGIC.
- Rushcliffe Borough CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners. Approved the Local Development Order (LDO) for the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site in July 2023.
- South Derbyshire District CouncilcoreOne of six local authority partners. South Derbyshire is home to the East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP) tax site.
- East Midlands AirportcoreOne of six corporate partners. UK's largest dedicated airfreight airport, handling 370,000+ tonnes of freight annually. Home to the EMAGIC tax site within the Freeport.
- GoodmancoreOne of six corporate partners and development partner for EMIP (East Midlands Intermodal Park). Promotes and develops the 173-hectare rail-connected business park in Derbyshire.
- Maritime TransportcoreOne of six corporate partners. Operates the Rail Terminal within the EMAGIC tax site. Rail freight share grew from 6% to 24% since 2019. Key partner in Green Freight Corridor initiative with Freeport East.
- SEGROcoreOne of six corporate partners. Long-term investor in Midlands logistics. Managing Director Andrew Pilsworth cited Freeport designation as accelerating contribution to levelling-up agenda.
- Severn TrentsupportingOne of six corporate partners. Water utility company contributing to infrastructure planning for the Freeport's three sites.
- UnipercoreOne of six corporate partners and owner of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site. Vision to transform the UK's last coal-fired power station into a zero-carbon technology and energy hub. Site has 273 hectares and Local Development Order in place.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
East Midlands Freeport competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Teesside Freeport: UK Freeport centred on the Teesworks site and Teesport, focused on advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and chemicals. Operates under the same UK Freeport tax and customs designation as EMF and serves a comparable mandate of attracting inward investment and creating jobs in a transitioning industrial region.
- Solent Freeport: UK Freeport in the Solent region centred on Southampton, Portsmouth, and Southampton Airport, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, marine, and aerospace. Operates the same UK Freeport tax and customs framework as EMF and competes for similar advanced-manufacturing and logistics tenants.
- Firth of Forth Green Freeport: Scottish Green Freeport spanning the Firth of Forth area including Rosyth, Grangemouth, and Burntisland, focused on advanced manufacturing, renewables, and energy transition. Comparable to EMF as a designated UK Freeport with a similar advanced-manufacturing and clean-energy mandate.
- Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport: Scottish Green Freeport covering the Inverness and Cromarty Firth area, focused on offshore wind, hydrogen, and decarbonisation. Like EMF, it combines a designated tax-site freeport structure with a hydrogen cluster agenda, making it a directly comparable peer in the same UK Freeport programme.
- Freeport East: UK Government-designated Freeport covering the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich plus the Gateway 14 site in Suffolk. Like EMF, it is a tax-site-based economic development zone offering the same Freeport tax and customs incentives; EMF has signed a Green Freight Corridor MoU with Freeport East, underscoring their directly comparable status.
- Humber Freeport: UK Freeport covering the Humber ports complex (Hull, Immingham, Goole), the largest port complex in the UK by tonnage. Shares the same Freeport designation, tax-site incentive structure, and focus on advanced manufacturing and offshore wind, making it a directly comparable inland-coastal peer to EMF.
- Thames Freeport: UK Freeport covering the Thames estuary corridor (London Gateway, Port of Tilbury, Ford Dagenham), with strengths in automotive, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. Directly comparable as a UK Freeport under the same government designation competing for similar advanced-manufacturing and e-commerce logistics investment as EMF.
- Plymouth and South East Devon Freeport: UK Freeport covering Plymouth, South Devon, and Langage, focused on advanced manufacturing, defence, marine, and clean energy. Operates under the same UK Freeport tax and customs designation as EMF, serving a similar economic-development mandate albeit in a different UK region.
Broad incumbents
- Peel Ports Group: Major UK port and logistics infrastructure operator (part of Peel Group) operating the Port of Liverpool, Manchester Ship Canal, and other facilities. Comparable to EMF as an established UK freight and logistics infrastructure platform serving advanced-manufacturing supply chains, though operating coastal rather than inland sites.
- Associated British Ports (ABP): UK's largest ports operator, managing 21 ports and contributing to multi-modal freight. EMF's CEO Tom Newman-Taylor previously led commercial projects at ABP, and the company's port-and-freight expertise overlaps directly with EMF's Strategic Rail Freight Interchange and intermodal park offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
East Midlands Freeport social profiles
Digital presenceEast Midlands Freeport financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
East Midlands Freeport leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
East Midlands Freeport funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
East Midlands Freeport M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about East Midlands Freeport
What does East Midlands Freeport do?
East Midlands Freeport designates and operates tax sites within a UK government-designated Freeport, offering businesses enhanced tax reliefs (including business rates relief and enhanced capital allowances) for locating within the zone. It also delivers skills and innovation programmes (skills hub, innovation centre) and promotes investment in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy, anchored by multimodal infrastructure including East Midlands Airport and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar site.
Is East Midlands Freeport a public or private company?
East Midlands Freeport is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was East Midlands Freeport founded?
East Midlands Freeport was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is East Midlands Freeport based?
East Midlands Freeport is headquartered in Leicester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does East Midlands Freeport make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retained Business Rates are the primary driver. The others are seed Capital Investment Fund.
Who are East Midlands Freeport's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Teesside Freeport, Solent Freeport, Firth of Forth Green Freeport, Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, Freeport East, Humber Freeport, Thames Freeport and Plymouth and South East Devon Freeport. Broad incumbents are Peel Ports Group and Associated British Ports (ABP).
Does East Midlands Freeport have an API?
No public API is recorded for East Midlands Freeport.
What industry is East Midlands Freeport in?
East Midlands Freeport's product category is Freeport economic zone services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAN, Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local), with a secondary code of BPAIADAO, Revenue Systems, E-Filing & Digital Tax Administration. Its NAICS code is 48831 and its SIC code is 6552.