Innovate with Thames Freeport
Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab is an initiative designed to foster collaboration between Thames Freeport, its key partners (DP World London Gateway, Port of Tilbury, and Ford Motor Company Dagenham), and innovative suppliers. This programme enables Thames Freeport to drive innovation both within its operations and throughout the global business community. By identifying cutting-edge solutions tailored to the challenges and aspirations of all Thames Freeport key partners, the programme marks a pivotal step forward in Thames Freeport’s ongoing innovation journey.
Thames Freeport comprises key partners across various industries. While each partner operates independently, Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab is a joint effort across the Freeport and its key partners to ensure that the latest innovations are seamlessly integrated across their sites.
This 12-week immersive programme offers you the chance to embed yourself in the Freeport ecosystem. You will have the opportunity to work directly with at least one of the key partners, learn from their senior executives, gain insights from a potential future client, and test your innovative ideas in a real-world environment within the Freeport.
Find out more below or head directly to our application portal.
APPLY HERE
Here’s what we’re looking for
Thames Freeport is a leading economic zone, attracting significant investment and engaging numerous businesses and stakeholders each season.
Across the Freeport, we manage complex logistics, deliver essential services, and support community outreach programmes. With this breadth of operations, we have lots of opportunities to collaborate with you.
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Vehicle Logistics Operations
Solutions that replace manual workflows with a connected operations layer, giving real-time visibility of vehicles across the site, removing manual data entry, managing space and capacity constraints, reducing empty vehicle movements, and modelling site flow to plan ahead.
Occupier Engagement & Estate Intelligence
Solutions that elevate the campus experience and strengthen site security, help occupiers discover services and log issues in one place, send targeted site-wide alerts, and automate incident detection, site inspection including blind spots, and maintenance tickets raised from detected issues.
Port Operations Intelligence
Solutions that turn terminal data into real-time insight to drive decision-making and predictive asset management, bring siloed information into a single operational picture, give on-shift teams clear recommendations to act on, forecast equipment failure before it happens across assets, and automate condition monitoring of critical infrastructure and site inspection.
Wildcard
The Wildcard category is open to solutions that fall outside the three challenge areas but have the potential to create operational value for the Freeport, including technologies proven in other sectors or ports globally, or approaches that rethink an established way of working.
How the programme works
If you believe your solution aligns with our focus areas, we encourage you to apply through our online portal. Our Innovation Lab is delivered in partnership with L Marks, whose proven methodology helps corporate partners unlock the power of supplier collaboration.
Through expert guidance and structured programmes, we accelerate the development of transformative solutions that improve efficiency, foster innovation, and keep our partners ahead in competitive markets.
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*L Marks may contact you for additional details before your application is reviewed by the programme committee.
Timeline
Here are the key dates of the programme (all dates are subject to change):
Application Criteria:
Following the application closing date, L Marks will assess all the eligible applications which have been submitted in accordance with the following criteria:
| Evaluation Category | Scoring Criteria |
| Team | Experience & Track record, Expertise, Application Quality/Commitment, Supporting Information |
| Product | Unique Selling Proposition, Product capabilities, Traction, Commercial Viability reflecting ROI with case studies/examples and Cost Structure, Potential to tailor solutions to the needs of the partners |
| Programme Alignment | Alignment with Programme Objectives and Categories, Ease of integration/Piloting, 12-week plan, Market readiness, and Scalability, |
Speak with our scouting team
Reach out to discuss your application, gain deeper insights into the programme, or determine if this Innovation Lab aligns with your business objectives.
Reflecting on the success of our first Innovation Lab
In September 2025, we launched our Thames Freeport Connectivity Lab to drive improvements across four core areas:
- Tracking & Monitoring
- Maintenance & Efficiency
- Health, Safety & Security
- Wildcard
The programme aimed to help key partner sites DP World, Ford, and the Port of Tilbury connect with solution providers to test, validate, and scale innovations that deliver measurable operational impact. The focus was utilising the newly implemented 5G networks across these sites to explore opportunities and solutions for improved connectivity.
Eight suppliers rose to the challenge, each delivering a successful trial within the 10 week programme. The initiative has already delivered results, with several participating businesses successfully securing commercial agreements.
Why partner with Thames Freeport?
Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab is designed to help you scale your solution by guiding you in selecting a specific use case, receiving personalised mentorship from experienced club stakeholders, and showcasing the value of your solution to Thames Freeport and its key partners.
This mentorship is specifically tailored to address the unique needs of your business, ensuring you receive the necessary support to succeed. This will be delivered as part of a 12-week immersive programme.
The programme is divided into four key stages: application, pitch day, programme participation, and demo day. Throughout these phases, you will have the chance to connect with various key partners in Thames Freeport and gain valuable insights from their extensive experience within the Freeport and its operations. This is a unique opportunity to work together with Thames Freeport partners and deploy your solution in a real-world environment.
Our ultimate goal is to build a lasting partnership that extends beyond the programme, fostering innovation and creating long-term change across the Freeport ecosystem.
Who will you be working with?
Our programme proudly features the involvement of key Thames Freeport partners, who represent the diversity of operations across DP World London Gateway, Port of Tilbury, and Ford Motor Company Dagenham.
The participating key partners – DP World London Gateway, Port of Tilbury, and Ford Motor Company Dagenham – will provide mentorship to guide the trials, offering their expertise and valuable insights into the Freeport industry to ensure meaningful outcomes.
APPLY HERE
Thames Freeport’s partner L Marks
To learn more, visit lmarks.com
L Marks is the global leader in corporate innovation, trusted by many of the world’s most well-respected brands and organisations to identify, validate, and implement transformative solutions. Through its global network spanning over 80 countries, L Marks discovers more than 10,000 startups and scaleups annually and has enabled over 500 to pilot with corporate partners, achieving an industry-leading deployment rate of 78%. Its alumni have collectively raised over $9.4 billion in venture funding. With over a decade of experience in delivering 120+ award-winning innovation programmes across Europe, North America, and Asia, L Marks is embedding new structures and technologies, driving an innovative culture, and ultimately fuelling sustainable growth.
To learn more, visit lmarks.com L Marks is the global leader in corporate innovation, trusted by many of the world’s most well-respected brands and organisations to identify, validate, and implement transformative solutions. Through its global network spanning over 80 countries, L Marks discovers more than 10,000 startups and scaleups annually and has enabled over 500 to pilot with corporate partners, achieving an industry-leading deployment rate of 78%. Its alumni have collectively raised over $9.4 billion in venture funding. With over a decade of experience in delivering 120+ award-winning innovation programmes across Europe, North America, and Asia, L Marks is embedding new structures and technologies, driving an innovative culture, and ultimately fuelling sustainable growth.
FAQS
Applying
Through Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab, we support companies to take their business to the next level through collaboration with our organisation. We are interested in all suppliers that can help us, in one or more of the categories described, especially those who can provide ready-to-go solutions that return rapid value to the key partners. Your company does not need to be at the very beginning of its journey, if you feel that your business could benefit from working with us then we’d love to receive your application.
The deadline is the 30th August 2026 11:59 pm (GMT).
You must be at least 18 years old to enter Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab.
Yes. The best innovators can come from anywhere. We utilise virtual collaboration tools such as MS Teams as much as possible during programme live to reduce travel. However, please bear in mind that you may need a visa to participate in the programme and that you will be required to travel to the UK at key points throughout the programme, namely for Pitch Day, Demo Day, and any required site visits.
Participating
We believe we are different. We’ll provide your business with opportunities to:
- Trial your product directly with select Thames Freeport key partners.
- Receive guidance and mentorship from senior executives at the key partners you’re working with.
- Gain valuable knowledge and insights from potential future clients across Thames Freeport.
he programme has 4 key stages:
- Applications
- Pitch Day
- Programme Live
- Demo Day
See our timeline for more information.
Programme Live is scheduled to start the week commencing 16th November 2026, with Demo Day taking place the week commencing 1st March 2027.
The programme is flexible and will be conducted primarily online. However, in some instances, physical spaces may be offered within the Thames Freeport area depending on each participating Freeport partner’s wants and needs.
While the day-to-day activities will be held remotely, both Pitch Day and Demo Day will be in-person in the UK, providing a great opportunity to network and build relationships with key programme stakeholders, board members, and the wider Thames Freeport group.
Mentors will include senior executives from the three involved Thames Freeport partners: DP World London Gateway, Fourth Ports Port of Tilbury, and Ford Motor Sport Dagenham. It is likely that those participating in the programme will work closely with one of the Freeport partners.
The programme is designed to help you develop your solution, starting with deciding on a specific use case, receiving essential guidance from your mentors, and demonstrating the value of your solution to Thames Freeport and the key partners that you will work with. Each participant’s experience on the programme will be unique – we tailor the programmes to meet your business’s specific needs.
No, we do not ask for equity for participating in this programme. However, we may ask you to keep us notified about future funding.
Thames Freeport and L Marks will decide if we want to invest in any of the suppliers at the end of the programme.
No, we’re not asking you to sign an exclusivity agreement during the programme, but we may ask for exclusivity in the UK or from our competitors if we move into a commercial relationship post-programme.
We want to build a relationship based on trust and, if we like each other, we hope that you’ll see us as the first port of call when you need feedback on your new products. Please be aware that we will ask you to sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which you will need to adhere to, even when working with other parties.
If you are invited to join Thames Freeport: Ports & Logistics Innovation Lab, we will ask you to sign a participation agreement that includes a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) – this means that we’ll keep your information confidential, and you’ll need to do the same for us. This will ensure we can work together productively on the programme. However, when you’re applying to join, neither party will be under NDA, so please only share with us information about your product or business that you consider in the public domain.
We will not be covering travel expenses to participate in programme-related activities. However, if you have a specific request, it can be raised at the start of the programme.
No, you will not have to relocate for the programme. However, we do require on-site attendance for several key dates. We can discuss your company’s needs and the partnering resources of Thames Freeport and its key partners one-on-one to see what would work best during the programme timeframe. It is also worth highlighting in your applications if you are interested in relocating to or opening operations in the Thames Freeport region.
L Marks is a leading global innovation specialist which has created over 100 programmes with its partners in Europe, Asia, and North America. Founded in 2014 with a presence in the UK and the US, L Marks has developed and delivered results-driven corporate innovation solutions, trusted by world-leading brands including BMW, Lloyd’s of London, and Sodexo.
Through their award-winning Innovation Labs, L Marks’ partners have worked with over 450 start-ups with a successful deployment rate of over 78%.
The L Marks New Ventures unit supports its clients to create and develop new revenue-generating businesses through its Venture Studio and transform their corporate culture within their Intra-Lab.
Building on its experience in innovation delivery, L Marks has expanded its advisory support through their recent acquisition of The Inovo Group, a US-based innovation consultancy with over 20 years of expertise in implementing scientific research and advanced analytics to guide organisations to succeed at strategic innovation.
Please send your queries to scouting@lmarks.com, and we will be happy to assist you.
