What Are Place-Based Business Cases?

This report explains what a place-based business case is and how such cases can support more effective, strategic, and accountable investment decisions across local and national government. Drawing on insights from the Green Book review and City-REDI research, this document outlines three potential purposes for place-based business cases: funding gateways, strategic investment frameworks, and governance tools. It recommends a hybrid model that enhances decision-making, strengthens collaboration, and supports place-wide outcomes.

“A place-based business case is not just a bid, it’s a decision-making tool. Done well, it can clarify priorities, improve transparency, build local capability, and help central government allocate resources fairly.”

Professor Rebecca Riley

Read the full analysis and explore how place-based business cases can strengthen strategic planning and fairer investment across the UK.

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Meet the author

Professor Rebecca Riley

Professor Rebecca (Bec) Riley is Co-Director of City-REDI, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement, Director of the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub, and Professor of Enterprise, Engagement, and Impact at the University of Birmingham’s Business School.

Bec’s research interests focus on regional economic development, including research to develop policy and regional strategies, monitoring frameworks, economic forecasting, skills and labour market analysis, and strategic business cases and project evaluation. She applies a mixed methods approach in her research, with a strong focus and record of impactful policy-relevant applied research and stakeholder engagement. She is an experienced lead on research projects, with over 200 research projects carried out across academia, policy, and consultancy roles.

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Publications

Building Civic Capability: A Life Course Framework for Place

Building Civic Capability: A Life Course Framework for Place argues that civic capability should be understood as strategic civic infrastructure rather than isolated participation initiatives. Drawing on theories of human development, democratic innovation, and public value, the paper introduces a practical life-course framework that helps places intentionally cultivate and accumulate

Addressing Local Economic Disparities: Learning From Policy Failure in the UK

This report examines why, after more than four decades of national policy, the UK remains one of the most interregionally unequal countries in the industrialised world. Drawing on the academic discipline of policy failure, it applies a common framework to eight major UK instruments – from the Regional Development Agencies

Communities in Their Places Evidence Review

The LPIP Hub “Communities in their Places” evidence review shows that while communities are central to addressing local economic, social and environmental challenges, their ability to do so varies widely depending on policy frameworks, resources and local capacity. It highlights that “community” is a complex, overlapping concept, but strong social