SQW has extensive experience of helping clients to develop high quality economic, social, environmental and property development projects: from feasibility and market demand studies, through to formal project appraisal and options assessment, and on to business planning and set-up support.
Having worked on hundreds of interventions, we know what makes for a successful initiative: a well-defined rationale for intervention and explicit 'logic model', clearly defined objectives and activities, underpinned by a robust and realistic model of expected costs, net benefits and risks.
We are frequently involved in helping to 'make the case' for projects, in terms of obtaining planning permissions, evidencing demand and securing public and/or private funding contributions. We have considerable experience of supporting partners through highly structured business case and funding bid development processes. Typically, we use the Five Case Model, ensuring strong alignment with the refreshed Green Book and HM Treasury's guidance on Managing Public Money. We also provide constructive “check and challenge” to project partners and seek to deliver processes that are flexible, proportionate and enjoyable.
We have experience across a range of different funding routes including the devolved investment funds, Strength in Places Fund, Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Connecting Capability Fund, Homes England programmes, the Future High Streets Fund and Towns Fund, and the Levelling Up Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Thematically, our experience spans land and property, innovation, access to finance, business support, decarbonisation, leisure and tourism, and skills interventions. We also have considerable experience of designing and delivering tailored business case development training programmes for clients across the UK.
