ESCC RS - Transport for the South East - Economic Connectivity Review Consultancy. - AWARD

ESPO 664 Framework mini Competition. Lot 5.

1. Introduction
2. Transport for the South East (TfSE) is a newly established shadow sub-national transport body representing 16 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and five Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the South East .

3. The aim of TfSE is to support and grow the economy in the South East by identifying and prioritising a programme of strategic transport interventions. It also aims to improve the experience of the travelling public and businesses and bring about more reliable journeys free of congestion, whilst safeguarding the environment.

4. The key mechanism for expressing how TfSE will realise its vision and strategic priorities will be through its transport strategy to provide the basis for making recommendations on priorities for transport investment in the region. A route map for the development of the transport strategy has been produced setting out the work packages that will need to be completed to produce the transport strategy.

5. The initial stage of the transport strategy route map is an economic connectivity review. This is intended to build on existing evidence and previous studies to provide an overarching view of the region's economic geography and functionality and transport's role within it. Critically, it will ensure that the transport strategy is grounded in the key issues around the economic impact of improved connectivity recognising that the region comprises a range of distinct functional economic areas.

6. This Invitation to Tender is being issued as a Further Competition under Lot 5 Highways Transport and Logistics of ESPO's Consultancy Services Framework (reference 664_17) to undertake the economic connectivity review. Separate invitations to tender consisting of one or more of the other work packages shown on the route map in the tender documents.