Cambridgeshire ACRE is inviting quotations from consultants and consultancy organisations to undertake a new piece of strategic insight and development work.

Future Rural Cambridgeshire: Insight and Opportunity will explore the emerging needs, challenges and opportunities facing rural communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the next three to five years.

We are looking for an independent consultant or small consultancy team who can combine research and analysis with community and stakeholder engagement, strategic thinking and practical project development.

The commission will help us understand where future rural needs may be emerging, where Cambridgeshire ACRE could make a distinctive contribution and which opportunities we should begin developing now.

Contract value: Maximum £20,000, inclusive of VAT where applicable and all expenses
Contract period: 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
Deadline for quotations: 10.00am, Monday 7 September 2026
Online interviews: Monday 14 September 2026

Full details, including the scope of work, expected outputs, assessment criteria and how to apply, are available in the Invitation to Quote below.

Future Rural Cambridgeshire – Invitation to Quote Document

Clarification questions should be submitted by 12 noon on Friday 28 August 2026. Questions and responses relevant to other potential bidders will be anonymised and published on this page.

Clarification questions

Will existing relationships with organisations that may feature in the mapping or engagement be considered a conflict of interest?

No. Knowledge of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and existing relationships with relevant organisations and networks are considered an advantage for this commission. We recognise that bidders with strong local knowledge may have current or previous relationships with organisations that feature in the mapping or engagement, and these do not need to be routinely declared.

Bidders should only highlight a specific relationship or current interest where they believe it could materially affect, or reasonably be perceived to affect, their ability to provide independent and objective advice to Cambridgeshire ACRE. Where this applies, bidders should briefly explain how it would be managed.

Are the 4–6 opportunity areas already identified?

No. The 4–6 opportunity areas referred to in the brief have not been predetermined. Identifying these is an intended output of the commission.

We are deliberately not prescribing particular themes because we want the research, engagement and analysis to identify where the most significant emerging needs and opportunities lie. As a guide, we anticipate that this will result in a pipeline of around 4–6 opportunity areas, with 1–2 of the strongest subsequently developed in greater detail.

What is meant by ‘investment’ in the Scope of Work?

In this context, investment is intended in its broad sense: significant changes in where public, private, charitable or other resources are being directed where these may have implications for rural communities or create opportunities for future activity.

This could include, for example, investment associated with infrastructure, housing and growth, health and public services, economic development, environmental priorities or community provision.

We are not seeking a comprehensive funding landscape analysis. The intention is to identify relevant developments and consider their implications alongside wider changes in policy and public services.

Do you require two referees for each team member?

No. Two referees for the lead consultant or project lead will be sufficient.

Where a proposed team has previously worked together, references relating to that joint work would be helpful but are not essential. Referees would only be contacted as part of the appointment process for the preferred bidder.

Can biographies be provided instead of full CVs?

Yes. Concise biographies setting out the relevant skills and experience of each proposed team member are acceptable instead of full CVs.

Is any additional funding available for inclusive research or engagement approaches?

No. The maximum £20,000 is an all-inclusive budget and must cover VAT where applicable, consultant fees, travel and subsistence, engagement costs and any other costs associated with delivering the commission.

Bidders should therefore propose an approach that they consider appropriate and proportionate within the available budget.

Will the submission deadline be extended?

No. The submission deadline will remain 10.00am on Monday 7 September 2026.

The opportunity was published on 13 August and we consider the response period reasonable. The procurement timetable, including online interviews on 14 September, has already been advertised and we need to retain sufficient time to complete the appointment process ahead of the planned start date of 1 October 2026.

What data does Cambridgeshire ACRE already hold that could inform the Evidence and Insight stage?

We hold a range of organisational evidence generated through our existing programmes and partnerships. This includes project monitoring and impact data, surveys and consultation findings, research and needs assessments, programme reports, case studies and qualitative insight gathered through our work with rural communities.

We also draw on publicly available local and national datasets and research rather than maintaining a comprehensive rural dataset of our own.

The successful consultant will be given access to relevant organisational strategies, research, reports, impact data and other existing evidence at the inception stage. We expect this to be considered alongside external evidence, with the consultant identifying where further investigation is needed.

Are there communities whose voices are seldom heard?

We know through our work that some rural voices and experiences are less visible within established evidence and engagement mechanisms. However, we have deliberately not specified a predetermined list of communities for this commission.

Part of the purpose of the work is to identify where existing evidence may not adequately reflect rural experiences and whose perspectives need to be heard. Cambridgeshire ACRE will help the successful consultant identify appropriate people and communities to involve, while also expecting the consultant to bring their own perspective and methodology to this.

Are there any outlier communities in your existing evidence, in terms of voice, experience or pioneering activities?

We have not identified a predetermined set of ‘outlier’ communities for this commission. Our existing work provides insight into a wide range of communities and activities and relevant evidence and organisational knowledge will be available to the successful consultant.

We expect identifying unusual experiences, emerging practice, gaps or potentially significant outliers to form part of the analysis rather than prescribing these in advance.

Is there any prioritisation between the six areas of focus within Cambridgeshire ACRE’s current strategy?

No. There is no predetermined hierarchy between the six strategic areas for the purposes of this commission.

The commission is deliberately intended to look beyond our existing programmes and priorities to explore emerging needs and opportunities. Alignment with our charitable purpose, strategy, strengths and expertise will be relevant when potential opportunities are subsequently assessed and prioritised.

What level of Cambridgeshire ACRE staff and Trustee time will be available to support the commission?

We expect staff and Trustee involvement to be proportionate and purposeful. The commission will be overseen by the Chief Executive, supported by a small internal reference group involving relevant staff and, where appropriate, Trustees.

We will facilitate access to staff and Trustees with relevant knowledge and provide opportunities to discuss emerging findings, test ideas and agree priorities. However, bidders should not assume substantial staff or Trustee resource for undertaking research or development activity on behalf of the consultant.

Proposals should set out the input expected from Cambridgeshire ACRE, including assumptions about staff or Trustee time, meetings or workshops, so that we can consider the practicality of the proposed approach.

Will engagement be undertaken through Cambridgeshire ACRE’s existing networks, or should bidders budget for independently recruiting participants?

We anticipate a combination of both. Cambridgeshire ACRE has extensive relationships with rural communities, community organisations, parish councils, public sector partners and VCSE organisations and we will support the successful consultant with appropriate introductions and access to existing networks.

However, we do not expect engagement to be limited to our existing relationships. We want the consultant to bring an independent perspective and identify where additional voices or perspectives should be sought. Bidders should therefore propose and cost an engagement approach they consider appropriate and proportionate within the available £20,000 all-inclusive budget.

As set out in the Invitation to Quote, we are not expecting a large-scale public consultation.

Is there a particular definition or classification of rural communities and places that should be used for the commission?

We have not prescribed a particular rural classification. The geographic scope is rural communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including more isolated settlements, market towns, rural hinterlands and communities experiencing significant growth or pressure on services and infrastructure.

We welcome bidders setting out how they propose to approach the definition and classification of rural communities and places within their methodology, with the final approach agreed with Cambridgeshire ACRE at inception. We are more interested in an approach that helps identify meaningful differences between rural communities than in prescribing a particular classification in advance.