Procurement of an Economic Impact Assessment for Southend on Sea Borough Council Museums Service

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is planning to deliver a new landmark museum located along the prime Southend-on-Sea seafront. The new venue is to be an all-year attraction capable of being a major visitor destination in its own right, appealing equally to local people and visitors to Southend-on-Sea.

After the excavation of many archaeological treasures of national and international significance in 2003, it was felt the current Central Museum in Southend on Sea was no longer fit for purpose as a museum required to house these significant and growing collections. Planning permission for the development has been granted, and is currently at RIBA (2013) Stage 3/4.

A key piece of work, which has not yet been undertaken, is a bespoke Economic Impact Assessment, which will identify and measure the potential impacts and benefits for the local economy through the development of the new museum. The EIA will allow us to understand and articulate the economic benefits on the local economy, such as job creation and income generation, to garner further support and funding for the project.

This document will be an instrumental tool in helping the project develop and move to the next stage; providing a stronger basis for investment. The result will directly influence the outcome of funding for a new state-of-the-art Thames Estuary Museum, the only one of its kind.

The EIA will form a body of research and assessments which can be used as a case study for other museum services that are planning the development of a new site. It is anticipated that local businesses will benefit from the increased number of visitors the new museum will provide.

It will also encourage the thousands of tourists travelling from London by train and from Europe via London Southend Airport to spend longer periods of time in the town. Furthermore, developing and staffing the museum will create additional jobs for local people and regenerate an area of the seafront that is currently underused.

The EIA will articulate the value of this new development for Southend-on-Sea and the wider area. We invite bid submissions from appropriate organisations with both the skills and capacity to undertake this piece of work on the Council's behalf. The quotation return date is 7th April 2016.