What PlaceSense does
Public investment appraisal, capital programme leadership, Green Book business cases, and place-based programme delivery.
In six weeks I built the eligibility framework for a £1bn national fund, designed the assessment process, and opened it to applications. That's the kind of problem PlaceSense exists for.
PlaceSense specialises in public investment appraisal, capital programme leadership, and place-based programme delivery. That covers the full Five Case Model from Strategic Outline Case through to Full Business Case, programme governance and mobilisation, and the public-private interface across procurement and bid strategy.
The technical work matters. But the thing that determines whether a programme succeeds is almost always political and stakeholder handling: who needs to be aligned, when, and how. I have briefed ministers, advised expert panels, worked with local authority leaders, and sat alongside delivery partners trying to make national intentions work locally. That thread runs through everything PlaceSense does.
Three ways to work together
There are three ways to work with PlaceSense. Some clients need a specific question answered quickly: a named sprint with a clear scope and a written output. Some want an ongoing senior advisory relationship: a trusted independent voice to challenge thinking and pressure-test decisions as they arise, not to deliver projects but to keep them honest. Some are consultancies or contractors who need specialist capacity within a wider engagement. All engagements are scoped tightly, with clear decision points.
Each service area below includes a named sprint for clients who want a fast, focused entry point.
Portfolio Strategy and Capital Programme Leadership
Capital programme design, estate strategy, portfolio prioritisation, organisational grip.
Clients typically come to us when a capital programme is politically live but the organisation behind it isn't yet structured to deliver. Having the right projects isn't enough. If the organisation behind the pipeline can't hold it with the right combination of intent, evidence, and governance, the best-designed programme will still drift. I've seen that happen at national scale, and I know what stopping it requires.
Sprint: Portfolio Diagnostic. A structured review of your capital pipeline and the organisational capacity behind it, with a written assessment of where the programme is most exposed. Typically three to five days.
Advisory: Direct, ongoing strategic support for SROs and executive teams navigating complex capital pipelines. Available on a retained basis.
Partnership: If you are a consultancy or contractor leading a complex capital programme and need specialist senior capacity outside your core team, PlaceSense works in this space as a subcontract and advisory partner.
Investment Governance and Funding Approvals
Business cases (SOC, OBC, FBC), Green Book compliance, Five Case Model, economic modelling, funding applications for UK Government, devolved governments, and strategic authorities.
This work is most valuable when a strong project isn't yet translating into a fundable case, or when a submission is approaching and the framing needs independent assurance. I have written Green Book business cases that secured HM Treasury approval and Scottish Government funding, and sat on the approving side at both DfE and MHCLG. I know what passes and why across the full Five Case Model: strategic, economic, commercial, financial, and management cases. Most cases that fail don't fail on the economics. They fail because the framing is wrong.
Sprint: Investment Readiness Review. A structured assessment of your business case or funding application against Green Book requirements, with a written evaluation and prioritised recommendations. Suitable at any stage from SOC to FBC. Typically two to three weeks.
Advisory: Direct advisory support for senior leaders and programme teams working through investment decisions, funding negotiations, or business case development over a sustained period.
Partnership: If you need specialist Green Book, economics, or investment appraisal expertise within a broader engagement, PlaceSense works alongside larger consultancies as a subcontract specialist.
Rapid Programme Mobilisation
Programme setup, PMO design, governance frameworks, operating models, assurance reviews.
We're often brought in when a policy announcement has been made, a fund has been launched, or a programme has been approved, and the clock is already running. I have mobilised a £1bn national fund in six weeks and built governance for multiple programmes and organisations from first principles. Whether setting up a programme from scratch, reviewing governance that is not working, or providing independent assurance at a critical gateway, the goal is always structures that give senior responsible owners confidence without adding process weight.
Sprint: Day One Readiness Review. A rapid assessment of what needs to be in place before your programme goes live: governance, operating model, delivery confidence, and the decisions that can't wait. Typically three to five days, with a written assessment and a clear action list for the first phase.
Advisory: Retained senior support for programme leaders navigating a live mobilisation or critical delivery phase, available on a continuing basis as the programme evolves.
Partnership:If you are leading a programme mobilisation and need senior advisory capacity at pace, PlaceSense works as a subcontract partner.
Strategic Bid and Procurement Advisory
Market engagement, procurement design, evaluation frameworks, bid strategy, independent bid reviews
This work is most valuable when a bid is nearly ready but something isn't quite right, or when a public sector organisation is designing a procurement and needs someone who has been on both sides of the table. I have run major procurements from inside public sector teams and led bids from the other side. Public procurement works best when both sides understand each other. Most don't. I know what the evaluation panel is really looking for, and I know what bids consistently get wrong. Both of those are more useful than another methodology section.
Sprint: Bid Stress-Test. An independent review of a bid in development, assessed against the public client's likely evaluation priorities and the less visible requirements of the procurement. Typically two to three days, with structured written feedback and a prioritised action list.
Advisory: Retained procurement advisory support for public sector clients designing major procurements, or private sector organisations managing an active pipeline of bids.
Partnership: If you are building a bid team and need an independent voice with deep public sector procurement expertise, PlaceSense works as a bid advisory subcontractor.