To provide specialist consultancy and expertise to develop the Local Development Strategies required for Community Led Local Development (CLLD) in Cornwall

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership identified Community Led Local Development (CLLD) as a multi-fund delivery mechanism for European Structural Funds in its European Structural and Investment Framework Document (ESIF) for up to 5% of the overall budget. This would equate to up to €14,837,826 of its European Regional Development Fund and €7,555,000 of its European Social Fund allocations. Furthermore the ESIF aspires to align CLLD with LEADER delivery.

CDC therefore wishes to appoint a suitably qualified contractor(s) to undertake the following work packages, leading to the preparation of a CLLD Local Development Strategy for each of the recommended CLLD LAG areas:-

Work package 1 – carry out desk based literature review of existing evidence, strategies and documents relating to the bottom 30% IMD areas and their functional economic hinterlands in order to develop and understand the economic context for CLLD in Cornwall and develop a rationale and methodology for the proposed geographic coverage of CLLD;

Work package 2 – carry out a structured and detailed consultation activity, designed to engage and involve residents, business and stakeholders with an interest in the suggested CLLD coverage areas. NB: it is expected that at least one event/meeting will be held in each of the bottom 30% IMD areas (or cluster thereof) in addition to any online, telephone surveys or other innovative approaches that may be deployed (please refer to tender and commission timetable);

Work package 3 – recommend (in line with the published ESIF Call and conditions of funding listed in Appendix 1) the most appropriate functioning Local Action Group for each CLLD targeted area;

Work Package 4 - develop an evidenced based CLLD Local Development Strategy for each CLLD targeted area, in a format that is fully in line with the guidance outlined in appendix 1 and the attachments listed in appendix 2 and which meets each of the specific conditions set by the Managing Authorities (MA’s) for ERDF and ESF within the Grant Funding Agreements for this Preparatory Stage of work (see Appendix 1).

For clarity, this tender brief relates to all four of the work packages identified above (see attached full tender brief).

The budget available is up to £25,000 per existing LAG area, inclusive of VAT (i.e. 4 x £25,000 = a maximum budget of £100,000). A further budget allowance of £1,250 inclusive of VAT per existing LAG area may also be made available if required to cover the costs of venue hire and consultation/engagement events.

Potential contractors are asked to respond to this invitation to tender by submitting a response that will provide a separate LDS for each recommended CLLD targeted area as the output of this commission.