ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS
At the intersection of public policy, employer voice, and deliverable strategy
PolicyDepartment helps government agencies, local and Combined Authorities, Chambers of Commerce, sector bodies and civic institutions turn policy ambition into evidence-based, fundable, implementable strategy.
SERVICES
What we do
We are consultants in economic development. To every commission we bring economists who can read the data, strategists who can build the plan, and public affairs knowledge of how decisions actually get made. But don't just take our word for it. Check out our range of free online tools: instant, tailored feedback on your challenge and how PolicyDepartment would approach it.
01 / Service
Economic Intelligence
Evidence bases, economic assessments and labour market analyses that hold up under scrutiny from inspectors and funders, elected members and political stakeholders, employers and delivery partners.
02 / Service
Labour Market and Local Skills Improvement Plans
Local plans for increasing labour market participation and employment, LSIP development, refresh and review against statutory guidance, identifying local skills shortages and mismatches, provision mapping for training and education.
03 / Service
Strategy and Action Planning
Local economic strategies, growth plans, and sector strategies built to be approved, funded and delivered, not admired in draft.
04 / Service
Evaluation and Impact
Project appraisals and business cases, theory-of-change, evaluation frameworks, and impact assessments that give funders the assurance they need and clients the learning they can act on.
OUR WORK
Featured commissions
Strategies adopted, evidence bases approved, evaluations published. Recent projects from across our service offer.
ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE
2025
A labour market evidence base for a Get Britain Working Local Plan
PolicyDepartment developed a comprehensive labour market evidence base for CPCA’s Get Britain Working Local Plan, analysing inactivity, participation, skills needs, workforce shortages and training provision at local-authority level.
LABOUR MARKET AND SKILLS PLANS
2026
A statutory Local Skills Improvement Plan, delivered end to end
PolicyDepartment supported the development of Cambridgeshire’s Local Skills Improvement Plan end to end, producing the evidence base, employer survey, sector assessments, skills analysis, and Skills England-compliant submission.
STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANNING
2025
A business-led economic manifesto for a city region
PolicyDepartment supported Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to develop its business-led economic manifesto, providing evidence, stakeholder engagement, and strategic priorities that shaped the Edinburgh 2030 vision for Scotland's capital city.
EVALUATION AND IMPACT
2026
An impact and performance framework for a UK public body
PolicyDepartment developed an impact and performance framework for the Office of the Small Business Commissioner, defining outcomes, metrics and reporting processes to measure the impact of tackling late payments in the UK.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Why our clients love us
I have no hesitation in recommending PolicyDepartment as a very good organisation to partner with. PolicyDepartment brings technical expertise to the table but also context and candid advice on how to manage complex stakeholder relationships. PolicyDepartment has contributed to a range of projects for the South Yorkshire Chambers, including our economic research, Local Skills Improvement Plan, PR, and developing our strategic relationship with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. In all cases, the outcomes of the work had a positive impact for the business communities we serve.
Daniel Fell, CEO, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce
Glenn Athey, working with Mike Spicer, provided a thorough review of the CPCA Growth Works Programme, and the wider enterprise support ecosystem and provision in the area. What they delivered was an accurate, innovative and useful review, within the context of changing funding sources and priorities, that provided in-depth analysis, and a forward looking agenda with recommendations concerning the rationale, focus, objectives, governance and delivery of enterprise support and inward investment in the region. It was an excellent piece of work.
Richard Kenny, Executive Director, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
PolicyDepartment provided the Combined Authority with insightful analysis whilst also setting up thought-provoking discussions with stakeholders – distilling the findings down into practical policy recommendations which are helping drive our approach around innovation and investment.
Rob Hamilton, Head of Investment and Economic Growth, North East Mayoral Combined Authority
Working with PolicyDepartment on the production of a tech adoption policy paper was not only productive but also genuinely enjoyable. Their team's expertise in translating complex issues into readily understandable and actionable steps is truly impressive. They consistently demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness, even to last-minute adjustments, always maintaining a professional and collaborative approach. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
Daniel Woolf, Head of Policy & Government Relations, Enterprise Nation
...a highly valuable consultancy project for us, utilising depth and breadth of experience in the areas of business support, local government and wider economic policy...we’ve been implementing their recommended actions and are already starting to see positive outcomes.
David Gimson, National Network Manager, Business & IP Centres, British Library
It was great to partner with PolicyDepartment on our economy Restart work which has had real impact and helped shape government thinking.
Claire Walker, Co-Executive Director, British Chambers of Commerce
We employed the services of PolicyDepartment Ltd to provide us with an snapshot of the impact of Covid-19 on the Dorset Economy, with a particular focus on our strategic priorities and future recovery action. Mike understood exactly what we were looking for and delivered a report which was in-depth and comprehensive and linked to other aspects of our work. He also communicated the key messages from the analysis to our Board members in a clear way and posed questions for us to consider. We were very satisfied with the work undertaken by PolicyDepartment.
Dr Corrina Osborne, Director, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership
CLIENTS AND PARTNERS
Who we've worked with
Trusted by government agencies, local and Combined Authorities, Chambers of Commerce, civic institutions, and sector and business networks across the UK