ESRC White Rose DTP Collaborative Studentship - ‘The Only Game in Town’: Anchor Institutions and Economic Resilience in the City of Leeds

Session 2025/26 – Closing Date 17:00 (UK time) 14^th March 2025

The online application form can be found at: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/esrc-white-rose-dtp-collaborative-25

Awards provide fees and maintenance at standard UKRI Rates (£20,780 in Session 2025/26)

This fully funded project is a collaboration between the University of Leeds (Professor Louise Waite) and Leeds City Council.

This project aims to critically investigate the impact of local procurement driven by Leeds Inclusive Anchors Network (ie local governments, NHS hospitals, universities, housing associations and large private sector organisations) in co-creating economic resilience to allow a more equal and thriving Leeds city.

Research Question 1: What is the role of local procurement driven by anchor institutions in generating local economic growth?

Research Question 2: How can local anchor institutions contribute to co-creating economic resilience facing the current cost of living crisis?

Research Question 3: What policy interventions are needed to build this economic resilience?

This project will answer these questions by examining the activities of and relations between local anchor institutions using Leeds City Council (LCC) as a case study.

In the last fifteen years, the UK faced significant shocks such as the financial crash, pandemic and cost of living crisis. These have contributed to the current toxic combination of high income inequality and low productivity, challenges which have a strong place-based dimension, leading to what has been described as a ‘geography of discontent’. Accordingly, ‘place’ is a key element of UK Government’s ‘mission’ for growth, underpinned by the development of Local Growth Plans and plans for future devolution. Among the key players who influence the character of the local economy are anchor institutions as they have the potential to act as a stimulant for creating new job opportunities, being a catalyst for innovation and investing in key infrastructure that influences the lives of local citizens.

Recent evidence has underscored the need for a greater degree of local and regional fiscal autonomy, rethinking economic governance to address longstanding regional inequalities. One specific lever available to local and regional actors is procurement. This project will seek to co-develop with LCC the required rethinking, with a specific focus on public sector procurement practices, taking as a case study LCC’s own developing approach in procurement. Using public procurement as a policy vehicle to address poverty, stimulate economic regeneration and create social value has garnered academic and practitioner attention. The potential of using public procurement to influence economic and local outcomes can be seen through the critical evaluation of different procurement stages which varies from setting a clear strategy to create social value throughout the procurement cycle, to prioritising local suppliers in delivering a specific need.

A 3-month Research in Practice placement will be provided at Leeds City Council.

Leeds City Council will provide important input to shape the scale and scope of the project by making important connections between public procurement driven by key anchor institutions and creating different pathways for inclusive growth in the city of Leeds and will add valuable expertise and a practice-based approach to identify ‘what works’ at the city level.

For further information about the application process, please contact the Admissions Team

For further information about the project, please contact Louise Waite

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