Salford City Council – Expressions of interest for feasibility work into
‘Business Improvement Districts IN Salford’
Background
Salford is located at the heart of the Greater Manchester conurbation, providing access to a
large domestic market of almost 2.5 million people. The city sits at the hub of the transport
network with the M602, M60, M61 and M62 motorways which are all within the city
boundaries. There are also excellent rail and air links and the LRT Metrolink service supports
Eccles and Salford Quays.
Salford itself currently has a population of 216,103 and Salford City Council aims to create an
economically prosperous city that encourages investment, supports business development
and enables people to achieve their full potential. Already there is a strong business base,
with over 7,000 businesses spanning the range of financial and professional services,
manufacturing, engineering and service sector companies.
A further analysis of these businesses shows that approximately 79% of these businesses
employ 10 people or less. The change in the structure of the national economy with the
decline of the traditional heavy manufacturing industries has been mirrored in Salford and
employment is becoming increasingly dominated by the service sector. The city is home to a
number of key employment sectors, namely financial and professional services, healthcare,
education, construction and the creative and manufacturing industries.
Key issues for Salford
Investment and co-ordinated support is necessary if Salford is to improve the performance,
competitiveness and growth of its established businesses. In terms of investment, one of the
main challenges for business support in Salford is the funding of key business support
activities beyond the life of public sector funding streams (Round five of the Single
Regeneration Budget and of European Structural Funds). If Salford is to improve current
levels of business support, innovative mechanisms of levering-in Private Sector funds are
required and one possible solution is for the Local Authority to facilitate a partnership
approach to encouraging Business Improvement Districts.
Purpose of the Work
The Council is calling for expressions of interest from organisations to undertake a Business
Improvement District feasibility study in 4 key geographic areas of the City.
As part of the initial feasibility work, the following objectives will need to be addressed:

Learn from existing good practice taken from the 22 UK Business Improvement
Districts Pilots supported by the Association of Town Centre Managers (ATCM) and
the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), and from the North West’s Business
Improvement District Pilots supported by the North West Development Agency
(NWDA).

Work with all Salford City Council Directorates and the Salford Business Improvement
District advisory forum (Steering Group) which will evolve into a BID Shadow
Partnership Board.

Undertake a survey of business issues in the area with land owners and tenants.

Conduct baseline reviews indicating what the current levels of Local Authority
provision of statutory services are, and establish what the business aspirations are
for the public realm in four areas.

Calculate levels of Rateable Value in the four areas and estimate what improvements
could be made with a 1-3% increase in Business Rates RV.

Make costed recommendations of the strategic steps required to drive the project
forward.
Requirements from interested consultants/companies
Initial expressions of interest are to be submitted as follows:
 Details of your company, including information on staff numbers, areas of expertise
and staff numbers including CVs.
 Specific experience relating to BID partnership development work.
 Recent/ relevant work experience undertaken and for whom.
 A broad fully costed proposal outlining the methodology to be taken and how the main
objectives will be met.
The above details should not exceed 4 sides of A4 and are to be submitted to Salford City
Council by Monday 10th October 2005.
Selection process/ tender Invites
An evaluation of initial expressions of interest will take place on Monday 17 th October 2005
with a shortlist of Consultants invited to submit full tenders for the work by close of business
on that day and notified on Tuesday 18th October 2005.
Selection of final consultant/ tender
As part of the final selection process Consultants /Tenderers will be invited to give a
presentation to the Salford Business Improvement District advisory forum (Steering
Group) during the week commencing Monday 31st October with final selection being made
the following week commencing Monday 07th November 2005. Details of the Full Membership
of the Advisory Forum (Steering Group) can be found in the attached brief to consultants.
Consultants will be appointed on the Salford City Council’s Terms and Conditions as part of
our Procurement Strategy – copies of which will be available to those short- listed for
tendering.
Matthew Lynn
Economic Development Officer
Regeneration and Improvement Division
Chief Executives Directorate
Salford City Council
Salford Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5FJ
Phone (0161) 793 3440
Fax (0161) 793 2931
Web www.salford.gov.uk