Doncaster: The Best Place To Do Business

Doncaster is one of the most well connected cities in the UK, road and rail combine to create a logistical powerhouse - backed by an eager workforce, land ready for development and a commercial appetite for growth and innovation.

If you’re searching for a place that has it all, you’ve found it. Doncaster is the best place to do business.

Whether you're relocating, opening a second site or building a new headquarters, Doncaster gives you the location, the people and the space to do it. The Business Doncaster team are here to help you at every step, and our support is free.

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A city on the rise

A £300m city centre transformation, new waterfront living, a digital tech hub and large sites prime for the right tenant, Doncaster is moving forward and changing fast. Discover the opportunities in our investment brochure.

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But Why Doncaster?

No single thing makes Doncaster a great place to do business. It's the whole package. You get a central location, people ready to work, land ready to build on and a council team that wants you to succeed. There's never been a better time to invest, relocate or expand here.

Reach the rest of the UK with ease

Five motorways meet here, with the capital being just 88 minutes away by train. Our unrivalled connectivity means your goods and people get where they need to be, quickly.

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1.6m workers within 30 minutes

Doncaster benefits from a huge talent pool of economically active people, the majority of which are between 16-64. The average hourly rate here is around 12% below national average.

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A city that has room to grow

Doncaster is a city surrounded by prime development opportunities. You can relocate in to our developing city centre or venture 15 minutes out to take advantage of the large plots of land not found in bigger cities.

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Unrivalled support from experts, for free

The Business Doncaster Inward Investment team are passionate about business in Doncaster and are here to offer free assistance and advice in relation to sites, recruitment, introductions and funding.

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Affordable homes in a vibrant city

Homes in Doncaster cost 5.9 times the average earnings, compared to 9.8 nationally. Our residents also benefit from world class attractions such as Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster Dome and Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

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To learn more call 01302 735555 or email info@businessdoncaster.com

At the heart of the UK, plugged into everywhere

Locate in Doncaster and you join one of the best-connected transport networks in the North. Road, rail, and air all meet here. You can move goods across the country overnight and have your team in central London in under 90 minutes.

Road. The M18, M1, A1(M), M62 and M180 are all on the doorstep. 87% of the UK population is within a four-hour drive and over 6 million people live within 45 minutes. The Great Yorkshire Way links the M18 directly to the key logistics sites.
Rail. Doncaster is a main stop on the East Coast Main Line. It has an average of 67 trains a day to London, the fastest taking 88 minutes, and direct services to 104 UK stations. The station has had a £7.5m transformation.
Freight and sea. iPort's 35-acre Strategic Rail Freight Terminal connects to the national rail network and the Channel Tunnel. It handles 37,000 deep-sea containers a year and takes 775m trains. The Humber ports are under an hour away by road.
Air. Seven airports are within a two-hour drive, including Manchester and East Midlands. The council has signed a 125-year lease to secure the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which is working towards reopening.
Digital. Doncaster is digitally connected too, with a strong and growing network of full-fibre broadband, 5G and public Wi-Fi.

Connectivity and Location

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Explore our major developments

Doncaster has a large supply of high-quality industrial, logistics and office space. That includes some of the biggest single-unit opportunities in the UK.

Learn more about our Investment portfolio and available opportunities here.

A workforce ready to grow with you

Doncaster has a large, loyal talent pool, and it costs less to employ than the national average.

A huge talent pool. Over 142,000 economically active people live in Doncaster. A further 1.6 million workers live within a 30-minute commute.
Lower employment costs. Average hourly rates are around 12% below the national average, which is a real saving as your team grows.
Skilled and loyal. People here are used to hard work and shift patterns are part of the norm. Over 11,000 already work in advanced manufacturing and engineering.
Future skills pipeline. Doncaster College, the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology, the UTC and the Advance academies train the apprentices, technicians and graduates you'll need.

Business support & finance

Business Doncaster is the council's business and investment team. Our support is free and tailored to you, from your first call to opening day and beyond.

Find the right site. We help you search land and property and introduce you to developers and agents.
Unlock funding. We give free, independent guidance on grants, loans and investment funds, including NPIF II and the British Business Bank.
Recruit and train. We connect you with local academies, colleges and training providers to build your team.
Grow with us. Introductions, sector forums and public sector contract opportunities keep you supported long after you've moved in.

A place your team will love to live

Moving a business means moving people. In Doncaster, your people get more for their money and more time for life.

Affordable homes. Homes cost 5.9 times average earnings, against 9.8 nationally. The choice runs from city apartments to village cottages.
A city centre on the rise. A £300m transformation is underway, with new culture, leisure and city living planned up to 2050.
Green space everywhere. You're never more than a few minutes from a park or open countryside. 1,000km of new cycling and walking routes are planned.
Sport, heritage and days out. There's the St Leger, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Conisbrough Castle and a packed programme of events all year round.

Businesses like yours are already here

Over £525m was invested in Doncaster in 2020 to 2023, creating almost 4,000 jobs. These are some of the businesses that have chosen us.

Logistics leaders. Amazon, IKEA, Next, Lidl and DHL run major operations here, making the most of our road, rail and port links.
Rail and engineering. Hitachi Rail, DB Cargo and Unipart Rail continue more than 150 years of Doncaster rail heritage.
Manufacturing. Polypipe and Ardagh Glass are among the big names that make Doncaster one of Yorkshire's top locations for major employers.
Green energy. Clean Power Hydrogen and Synetiq are part of a growing low-carbon cluster in one of the UK's top 10 areas for renewable installations.

Business Support

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Finance Support

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Contact us to speak to one of our advisors

Tel: 01302 735555 info@businessdoncaster.com

Download the Doncaster City Centre strategy

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