Cornwall Workspace Demand

Cornwall Council has published a Cornwall Good Growth Plan, which is enclosed with this Request for Quotation (Enclosure 1). This will be a key strategic economic investment document which will provide analysis and direction for the delivery of sustainable good growth in Cornwall, with a view towards 2030 and beyond. In particular it will provide a framework for Cornwall Council actions in relation to the economy as it subsumes the responsibilities of the Local Enterprise Partnership, and it will also help inform other key strategic documents such as the next Cornwall Local Plan.

One immediate outcome of the work to produce the Growth Plan was identifying the need for a more comprehensive evidence base and analysis of workspace provision across Cornwall, and where and why the demands for this critical spatial element in supporting economic growth are not currently being met. Cornwall Council is therefore seeking to engage specialists in economic intelligence, spatial analysis and strategic planning to undertake an in-depth study of the provision of and demand for workspace to provide a greater understanding of where and why this critical economic infrastructure is lacking and of the impact this generates. It should also identify the strongest opportunities for Cornwall's sustainable growth where workspace development can be unlocked - including - through the refurbishment or repurposing of existing underused properties - taking account of the geographies that drive Cornwall's economy and its distinctive sectors; renewable energy, space, critical minerals and marine, and the core and foundational industries which have long had a presence, such as agri-food.

The Business, Economy and Skills Service already has an economic evidence base, which it has further developed through the course of producing the Cornwall Growth Plan. The supplier will be able to make use of this, however it is expected that it will need to undertake its own workspace-specific research to deeply analyse provision and demand.

The ultimate intention for this study is to produce a resource that can be used to both encourage private investment by presenting areas of potential opportunity to the market, and consideration of the effective means to do so, whilst also making a case for targeted support when developing responses to future funding calls. It will add value to the evidence base produced through the Cornwall Growth Plan, as well as provide credible spatial analysis aligned to need and opportunity for workspace provision across Cornwall linked to the growth trajectories of our businesses and sectors, and further the narrative for growth that will be the "Golden Thread" that connects the Growth Plan to the Local Plan evidence base.