A Norfolk-based outsourcing group has added nearly £100m in forward orders in the last year, helped by public sector contracts.

Norse Group, which has its headquarters in Fifers Lane, Norwich, has achieved 'significant business wins' across the business as well as securing a £60m contract for a 10-year partnership with Daventry District Council.

Sales director Geoff Tucker said that by the end of March, new contracts for 2017/18 represented an additional annual turnover value of more than £18m.

He added the projected total annual figure for new business equated to a forward order book value of around £100m, taking the company's total orders to more than £2bn.

Mr Tucker said: 'Our operating divisions, which are mainly based in Norfolk and Suffolk, have had the best year in the company's history in terms of winning contracts. Our current partnerships with local authorities around the country have also generated significant new business, not only providing additional vital revenue for council partners but also bringing money back into Norfolk for the benefit of the local community.'

Norse, a member of the EDP/EADT Top 100 list of Norfolk and Suffolk's biggest companies by turnover, is owned by Norfolk County Council and the company puts its growth down to partners adding additional services to its portfolios.

Mr Tucker said: 'Our catering division in particular has seen impressive gains, recently winning eight major education catering contracts in Norfolk and Suffolk, with an average forward order value of £175,000.

'But the cleaning, security, grounds, building maintenance and facilities management divisions have all added substantial revenue.

'The local authority partnerships are taking on an increasing amount of work from their council partners, in addition to winning significant new private sector business in their areas.'

The growth has led to an increase in sales staff, with new business development managers appointed for several local authority partnerships.

Norse employs 6,000 people locally and is set to see turnover exceed £300m for the year ending March 31 2018.