Innovation Hub and Park – Commercial Advisor

Concepts

• edinburgh innovation park
• musselburgh
• management consultancy
• queen margaret university
• new commercial development
• innovation hub
• commercial viability
• commercial elements of the hub
• commercial advisor
• innovation sector

Location

Description

Queen Margaret University (QMU), in collaboration with East Lothian Council (ELC), has been successful in securing GBP30m City Deal funding for Phase One of its new commercial development to create an Innovation Hub at the Edinburgh Innovation Park (EIP), adjacent to the University campus. The Innovation Hub will be a best-in-class facility that is purpose designed to provide a highly targeted infrastructure and property offer, together with the specialist services required to capture, support and grow companies working in the fast-moving innovation sector. Key target markets are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) working across a range of innovation sectors with particular focus on those areas where the University and the region has expertise and excellence - including the food and drink and technology sectors. The vision of the project partners is that the Innovation Hub will act as a national resource underpinned by the expertise found within the region’s innovation network working in partnership to grow and support the innovation sector. The Innovation Hub is a flagship development for Edinburgh Innovation Park. As a new commercial development targeting the innovation sector, specialist input and oversight is required to identify and address all areas of risk in respect of the facility’s design, development and operations and to ensure the Hub will achieve rapid market appeal together with commercial viability. The appointment of a Commercial Advisor to oversee all commercial elements of the Hub’s design, development and operations provides the project partners with a high degree of expertise and experience in the delivery of world-class commercial innovation hubs. The Commercial Advisor will ensure delivery of the vision for the Innovation Hub on time and in budget, to the highest commercial and best-practice standards. The Commercial Advisor will contribute to all aspects of Innovation Hub design, development and operational planning and will be the central point of reference for all activities with an innovation hub-based commercial focus. In particular, the Innovation Hub Commercial Advisor will provide support across all pre-development and development RIBA Work Stages to the Hub’s operational launch as a new business.

Total Quantity or Scope

The vision of project partners is that the Innovation Hub will act as a national resource underpinned by the expertise found within the region’s innovation network working in partnership to grow and support the innovation sector.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services

Legal Justification

There is an absence of competition for technical reasons as CAM-SCI is the only supplier with the necessary expertise to fulfil the requirements of this contract within the demanding timescale. CAM-SCI has been advisor to QMU from the early stages of EIP in 2015, assisting the University and ELC to develop a vision, concept and business case for the EIP and the Innovation Hub. The services of CAM-SCI were foundational in enabling the submission of the bid for funding to Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal and the ongoing requirement for these services was contingent on its approval. In June 2021 the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal approved the Full Business Case for the EIP Hub and awarded a sum of 30m GBP towards its development which allows the University and East Lothian Council to enter in to a Joint Venture to progress the Design and Construction of the hub. CAM-SCI is the UK’s leading specialist consultancy in the development of commercial infrastructures to support and grow the knowledge economy. They have a strong track record of successful planning, design, delivery and operations of specialist projects across the UK and work with a wide range of clients and delivery partners including Universities, Councils, private developers and a large number of companies within the commercial knowledge sector. They have extensive experience in long-term advisory relationships to universities for the delivery and operations of start-up university science/innovation parks.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The Scope of Services to be undertaken by CAM-SCI are as follows The Scope of Service comprises three principal spheres of activity that are required to achieve the successful operational launch of the Innovation Hub: - Soft Infrastructure Delivery – The provision of advice to the creation of the Special Purpose Vehicle, operational business planning, market positioning and strategy, commercial and leasing strategy to enable the launch of the Innovation Hub as a new business. - Hard Infrastructure Delivery – The provision of all necessary technical and specification advice to inform the design and development of the Innovation Hub to include drafting of the design brief, due diligence in the selection of appropriately qualified design consultants, iterative design review, construction contract strategy procurement and post construction contract award change management oversight. - Marketing Strategy Development – Target market definition and market segmentation to create context for the hub offer and develop content for marketing collateral. The holistic delivery of Soft Infrastructure, Hard Infrastructure and Marketing Strategy will be fundamental in enabling the delivery of the vision for the Innovation Hub as the first phase of Edinburgh Innovation Park. The RIBA Work Stages have been adopted for guidance and have been adjusted to reflect the specific requirements of a speculatively developed, multi-occupied, serviced, commercially operated Innovation Hub. (SC Ref:667541)