Provision of a Strategic Outline Case for the Mid Wales Advanced Manufacturing Campus

Tender description

Powys County Council wishes to procure the drafting of a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) in a form that will best meet the needs of all partners and optimise opportunities for the Project. The Mid Wales Growth Deal has identified 8 key themes relating to Applied Research and Development, Agriculture/Bioscience, Strengthening of Tourism, Energy, Digitalisation, Support of Enterprise, Transport, Skills, and Employment. One of the recommended interventions emerging from the recent SQW Applied Research and Innovation Report was the development of an Innovation/Advanced Manufacturing Campus for Mid Wales, with the aim of improving the supply of skills into industry and provide a hub for collaboration/R&I activity. Following the strategic review by SQW, the Mid Wales Growth Deal agreed that an Advanced Manufacturing Centre should be a priority managed via Inter County Agreements, Private Sector Advisory Group, and the Growing Mid Wales Advisory Group. To this end, the industry sector and Industry Wales were invited to work with the said stakeholders to build the project scoping proposal prior to full Business Case Assessment and bidding process. Phase 1 of the project was completed by Industry Wales in August 2022 and the Scoping document was presented to the Mid Wales Growth Deal Board for further discussion. Agreement was made to allow the project to progress to the first stage of the Mid Wales Growth Deal process (the Strategic Outline Case) and then further development for the Outline Business Case, should this be agreed. The next stage in the development of the MWAMC (Mid Wales Advanced Manufacturing Campus) is to develop the Strategic Outline Case for the Mid Wales Growth Deal Office. The Strategic Outline Case must provide the required detail for the Strategic and Economic Cases. However, the Commercial, Financial and Management Cases will require consideration to ensure these can be further developed at the next stage.