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Ashford Integrated Economic Development Needs Study (EDNS)

Ashford Borough Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

30 Jul 2026 at 16:15

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Tender

04 Jun 2026 at 09:51

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Ashford Borough Council commissioned an integrated Economic Development Needs Study for its emerging Local Plan to 2042. The work is business and management consultancy, covering employment land and needs, retail and leisure provision, town-centre needs, and the rural economy. The study must bring these strands together into a robust, comprehensive and legally compliant evidence base, then translate its findings into recommendations that can be used directly in planning policy. The appointed supplier is expected to provide a suitably qualified consultant team. The requirement relates to economic development in Ashford and the surrounding delivery area identified for the project. It is relevant to planning, economic development, property, town-centre, retail, leisure and rural-economy consultancies with experience of producing evidence for local plans.

The procurement has been awarded: Iceni Projects Limited was selected, and the contract was signed on 29 July 2026. The contract is active from 30 July to 30 November 2026. The awarded contract value is £48,858.75 excluding VAT (£58,630.50 including VAT), compared with the tender estimate of £25,000 excluding VAT (£30,000 including VAT). There was one lot. This was a below-threshold open competition, evaluated on quality at 70%, price at 20% and interview at 10%. The tender submission deadline was 29 June 2026 at 10:00. The lot was marked complete and its stated contract period ran from 5 August to 5 December 2026. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This procurement demonstrates demand from Ashford Borough Council for integrated, planning-ready economic evidence rather than a narrowly focused market report. A credible competitor for similar work would need a multidisciplinary consultant team able to assess employment, retail, leisure and town-centre requirements alongside the rural economy, and to combine the findings into a coherent evidence base. Legal and planning compliance is important, as is the ability to turn analysis into clear, policy-ready recommendations for a local plan. Relevant capability may include economic forecasting, employment land assessment, retail and town-centre studies, leisure analysis, rural economic assessment and stakeholder or policy engagement. The evaluation places greatest emphasis on quality, with an interview also testing the proposed team and approach, so strong methodology and confident presentation would matter alongside competitive pricing.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Ashford Integrated Economic Development Needs Study (EDNS)

Notice Description

The purpose of this tender is to appoint a suitably qualified consultant team to prepare an integrated Economic Development Needs Study (EDNS) to support Ashford Borough Council's emerging Local Plan to 2042. The EDNS will provide a robust, comprehensive and legally compliant evidence base across employment, retail and leisure (including town centre needs), and the rural economy, translating findings into policy-ready recommendations.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ad07
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072355-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£25,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£25,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£48,858 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
29 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Jul 2026 - 30 Nov 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Ashford Borough Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ASHFORD
Postcode
TN23 1HU
Postcode Area
Tonbridge
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Ashford
Electoral Ward
Victoria
Westminster Constituency
Ashford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Iceni Projects

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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