Public Procurement and Innovation

A team at City-REDI currently works on a research programme focused on public procurement of innovation with Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC), part of the Connected Places Catapult. The IPEC Research team also collaborates with Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) focusing on Anchor institutions (e.g., Birmingham Anchor Network), which encompass diverse local approaches to partnerships, innovative procurement practices and social value creation. We aim to collaborate with Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub and LPIPs on issues related to innovation and public procurement with place-based policy perspectives.

The City-REDI’s IPEC Research team focuses on place-based innovation through public procurement by identifying solutions to societal and environmental challenges and facilitating evidence-based policy approaches. By working with IPEC Research and its regional and Local Authorities’ network, we aim to share evidence and insights to enhance local decision-making and disseminate good practices. 

Our ongoing work includes:  

Anchor Institutions and power of procurement – in collaboration with Conrad Parke (CLES Birmingham Anchor Network 

This strand of work focuses on the processes of cultural change enabling public procurement and creating the innovation ecosystem at the local level to help facilitate public procurement to drive innovation, with particular focus on “Anchor Institutions”, social enterprises and SMEs. 

Procurement Processes in Retrofit Housing Programmes – barriers, impacts and policy scenarios 

The project currently focuses on barriers and challenges in public procurement practices within Local Authorities and Housing Associations, specifically targeting the current retrofit housing programmes in the social housing sector across the West Midlands Combined Authority. Our goal is to explore various policy scenarios for achieving net-zero retrofitting. Building on this, we will analyse the impact of the increase in demand for retrofitting on the regional economy and evaluate the skills and readiness of retrofitting labour to meet new demands.  

We are currently working closely with two of the LPIP themes:

“Cultural Recovery and Place” and “Environment and Sustainability”.

The team

Prof. Fumi Kitagawa  (City-REDI) 

 

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Further themes

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Further themes

Data for Place

This theme looks at what data is available for a place and what methods can address LPIP questions and challenges, especially where there are gaps in the data, or the data is inconsistent throughout years and /or data is not available at a low-level geography.

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Professional Standards for Place-Based Research Partnerships

The theme of “Professional Standards for Place-Based Research Partnerships” addresses the growing need for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to engage effectively with local communities. Place-based research partnerships offer a unique opportunity to co-create solutions to regional challenges, fostering knowledge exchange between academics and stakeholders such as policymakers, practitioners, and citizens.

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Business Cases

Over the last few years there has been a growth in place-based funding through the development of business cases in line with the HM Treasury’s Green Book. However, business cases are more than a means or hurdle to receiving funding. Business cases are a management tool which is developed over time as a living document as the proposal for a project or programme develops. The Business Case keeps together and summarises the results of all the necessary research and analysis needed to support decision-making transparently. The purpose of this theme is to provide LPIPs, partners and stakeholders with the tools and knowledge required to develop effective business cases.

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Place leadership

This workstream will reflect on current challenges and opportunities for place leaders to pursue inclusive, and sustainable, economic growth to identify what makes for good place-based leadership. It will develop insights for how place leaders can work in partnership to break down silos within and between institutions.

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Felt Experiences

In recent decades, urban planners and policymakers have been increasingly interested in better understanding the relationships between people and the places they inhabit. This shift coincides with a growing emphasis on the value of place in policymaking.

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