e-ITT for the provision of Port and Marine Business Needs Assessment for New Forest District Council

e-ITT for the provision of Port and Marine Business Needs Assessment for New Forest District Council

Closing Date for Submission of Tenders 12.00 NOON, 07 FEBRUARY 2025 to be returned electronically via the Council's e-tendering solution "Pro-Contract" hosted on the South East Business Portal (SEBP)

New Forest District Council wishes to appoint a suitably qualified consultant, or consultant team with appropriate experience and expertise, to undertake a Port and Marine Business Needs Assessment.

The Solent Freeport was officially designated in December 2022 and includes four tax sites in New Forest District. The Solent Freeport Full Business Case set out that the initiative will unlock significant investment, create thousands of new jobs and enhance the region's credentials as a global gateway into the UK. The incentives to support investment on tax sites are now in place, including business rates relief and other incentives to support capital investment. At the same time, business rates growth which results from that investment will be pooled and reinvested across the wider region.

The work being commissioned will form an integral part of the evidence base to be used to inform the policies and proposals as part of the Authority's Local Plan Review and to identify the resources the Council will need to engage with any port-related Development Consent Order applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. This evidence base document will also be used by New Forest District Council's Place Development Directorate to inform future priorities for service provision tailored to the opportunities provided by the Freeport.