🎙️ What should those involved in economic and social development be watching out for in 2025? In the first episode of our #InsightforImpact #podcast for the new year, SQW Managing Partner and podcast host Joe Duggett is joined by Lauren Roberts, Graham Thom, Osman Anwar and Ross Gill. The podcast considers what the next 12 months might hold for health and social care, employment and skills, local economic growth, and innovation and enterprise. Click here to listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 👇

We are pleased to be undertaking a mixed methods evaluation of the UKSPF-funded Business Transformation programme for @ReLondon_UK. The evaluation will aim to understand the effectiveness of delivery methods, and achievement of outputs, emerging outcomes and impacts. Visit our website to find out more 👇

Data centres are increasingly recognised as crucial to #AI development and the economy’s wider #digital transformation. Accelerating the building of #datacentres though new 'AI Growth Zones' was a key recommendation of the AI Opportunities Action Plan. This also contained an intriguing reference to using these zones to 'drive local rejuvenation.' Our latest blog by Donald Ross explores how this might work 👇

As #NationalProductivityWeek draws to a close, our latest #blog sees SQW’s Joe Duggett reflect on the UK’s #productivity policy landscape and prospects for the future, including: 1⃣ The role of productivity at the centre of the economic #policy agenda 2⃣ The importance of the diffusion and adoption of new #technologies and growth-driving sectors in driving-up productivity 3⃣ Complementary policy agendas that have the potential to help ‘move the needle’ on spatial disparities in productivity performance You can find the blog here 👇

We are delighted to see the publication of a recent study for @WestMids_CA. In completing the project, we worked closely with Alasdair Rae and @CityREDI, University of Birmingham. The purpose of the project was to examine evidence relating to economic geographies across the #WestMidlands. We reviewed key socio-economic datasets to understand commuting, migration, travel and spending flows across the region. This relied on data from the latest Census, and also from 2011 (given the impact of the pandemic). We also used new data published by the @ONS to understand consumer spending patterns. Our work examined how functional geographies might evolve in the future. This was informed by a consideration of the ‘megatrends’ that are shaping the way people live and work. ✍️ A joint blog about the study is available here, which includes a link to the main report 👇

⌛️ There is still time to apply for the Senior Consultant role! If you are interested in finding out more about what it's like to be part of SQW, some of our consultants have shared their experiences here 👇 🗓️ Apply by 19th January ⬇️

📢 Are you interested in joining SQW? We are currently looking for bright and motivated Senior Consultants in local/sub-national #economicdevelopment and/or #innovation. Apply by 19th January 👉

RT @GMBusinessBoard: 📣 Calling all Greater Manchester SMEs 📣 We want to ensure business support is accessible and aligned to the needs an…

The @HealthFdn’s Common Ambition programme sought to contribute to the evidence base on how the public can take part in developing and delivering learning health care systems. We conducted the programme #evaluation, which generated good practice learnings for others seeking to undertake community collaboration. It also generated a series of recommendations for the Health Foundation, other potential funders, and for those interested in progressing community collaboration. These - alongside detailed insights and examples from the partnerships - can all be found in the report here 👇

Festive greetings from SQW and wishing everyone all the best for 2025! 🎄

In November, colleagues from SQW came together in Manchester for our annual proposition days to reflect on work done over the past year in each of our core areas and share insights and learning. It was a great chance to come together, reflect and look forwards towards 2025!

Looking for a change in 2025...? We are currently recruiting skilled Senior Consultants with experience in local/sub-national #economicdevelopment and #innovation. In practice this means: 📌 Conducting socio-economic research 📌 Preparing HM Treasury Green Book-compliant business cases 📌 Completing economic impact assessments 📌 Designing and delivering evaluations 📌 Supporting strategy development and action planning 🗓️ Apply by 19 January 2025 👇

📢 The @HealthFdn has this month published an evaluation of its Common Ambition Programme, which was carried out by us. This study involved a 3.5 year theory based #evaluation, which ran alongside programme delivery. We also worked with the funded partnerships and their local evaluators to capture insights. Read the full report and find out more about the programme, partnerships and evaluation here 👇

The @HealthFdn launched the Common Ambition programme in 2020. It aimed to support partnerships between the VCS, NHS and other organisations to develop collaborative communities where people, families, carers, health care professionals and researchers could work together to improve health care. Our final #evaluation report of the programme has now been published. The evaluation found that the four partnerships funded by the programme successfully involved community participants in collaborative decision-making alongside health care professionals, with each adopting a different approach to collaborative decision-making. Read the full report and find out more about the partnerships, programme and evaluation here 👇

RT @TheDataCity: Businesses established by Start Up Loans beneficiaries have higher survival rates than comparator businesses. New repor…

We are pleased to have led on this evaluation of an important programme supporting entrepreneurship across the UK. 👇

📢 Launched in 2012, the @BritishBBank’s Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans to individuals for the purpose of starting up a new business or developing an existing early stage business. In addition to the finance, the programme offers pre-application support and post-loan mentoring advice. In 2023, SQW was commissioned to refresh the evidence on the programme. This evaluation was delivered in partnership with Professor Mark Hart, @QaResearch and @TheDataCity. The evaluation concluded that the programme has made good progress against its stated objectives and the intended outputs, outcomes and impacts. The report has now been published and is available here 👇