Research and analysis

Richmond upon Thames: UKSPF summary evaluation plan

Published 4 April 2025

Applies to England

Summary of the local place

Richmond upon Thames (referred to as Richmond) is a London borough in southwest London and was established in 1965. As of 2021, the borough’s population was 195,300, a 4.4% increase since 2011^{[footnote 1]}. While this growth is lower than the average for both London (7.7%) and England (6.6%), it reflects the ongoing appeal of the borough. Known for its riverside location, royal parks, and historic houses, the borough offers a blend of urban and rural life. Richmond Park, Bushy Park, and Kew Gardens provides lots of green space, while strong transport links connect residents to central London. With a thriving cultural scene, schools performing above the national average, and a variety of retail and social opportunities, Richmond attracts families and professionals. In 2022, Richmond Park was voted London’s favourite Royal Park, reflecting the borough’s commitment to maintaining its green spaces^{[footnote 2]}.

Map of Richmond upon Thames

Richmond’s economy is mostly driven by professional services, technology, and innovation. Information and communication, and real estate are also key sectors. As of December 2023, the borough had an employment rate of 78.5% among residents aged 16 to 64, which is higher than the London average of roughly 72%^{[footnote 3]}. While unemployment rose to 4.5% according to the 2021 Census, the number of economically inactive residents decreased to 16.5% from the 2011 Census^{[footnote 4]}. The borough has seen substantial job growth, with a growth rate of 8.2% and over 1,100 companies reporting expansion^{[footnote 5]}. Digital innovation, particularly in areas like internet platforms, analytics, SaaS (Software as a Service), and mobile apps, have contributed to this economic growth. The local council actively supports small businesses and entrepreneurs through initiatives like the Richmond Business Hub, fostering a thriving local economy.

The United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in Richmond aims to enhance economic productivity and prosperity by supporting businesses, improving employment skills, and encouraging community engagement.

Unit of analysis

UKSPF funded interventions in Richmond focus on supporting individuals and businesses in the local community. The evaluation will use a bottom-up approach, assessing the impact on beneficiaries and then aggregating results at the borough level, as a top-down approach was deemed unsuitable due to the small scale of the interventions. The evaluation will cover all areas of the borough, with specific analysis for marginalised groups, such as homeless individuals and people with disabilities. The study will assess all funded interventions, across the three investment priorities^{[footnote 6]} and examine the involvement of Richmond and its partners in project delivery (including the South London Partnership (SLP) and associated delivery partners operating in Richmond with UKSPF funds^{[footnote 7]}). The evaluation will utilise survey data and case studies to explore project-level impacts.

Methodological approach

We will adopt a mixed-methods approach that combines primary research, secondary data analysis, and a theory-based impact evaluation, which will be underpinned by a contribution analysis framework.

Process evaluation

The evaluation framework for Richmond aims to provide a robust evidence base by triangulating data from various sources, such as primary research, monitoring information and secondary data. The study will include a document review of relevant local strategies and plans to understand the design, objectives, and implementation of interventions. Stakeholder interviews with Richmond staff, local partners, and business representatives will provide insights into the effectiveness of programme delivery. Additionally, secondary and monitoring data, including the Community Life Survey and the Annual Population Survey , will be used to compare local challenges and assess how well Richmond Borough Council reached its target beneficiaries.

Impact evaluation

Richmond’s UKSPF investment focuses on three key areas: supporting businesses to drive economic growth, investing in the community sector, and People and Skills – which has been delivered in parallel by, both by the SLP and Richmond Borough Council. We will use theory-based impact evaluation techniques to see any changes in outcomes. For example, for the Communities and Place intervention, we will use survey data to see changes in perception of local assets, through a contribution analysis framework. As such, the impact evaluation will rely heavily on primary research. We will examine self-reported turnover and employment outcomes to evaluate the success of the business support offer; this will rely on data collected through interviews with beneficiaries and – if feasible – a survey of businesses. Similarly, interviews with delivery providers, specifically Ingeus, who is working with the SLP on the delivery of its People and Skills provision – will measure how effectively funding has supported local needs. Lastly, the evaluation will assess skills and employment projects through surveys to track beneficiaries’ skills acquisition and job outcomes over time, supplemented by detailed case studies to illustrate specific impacts.

Economic evaluation

The economic evaluation of Richmond’s UKSPF delivery will follow the National Audit Office’s 4Es framework: economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity.

For Economy, the evaluation will assess whether inputs were purchased efficiently, mainly through interviews with project management staff, and determine if additional in-kind or financial support was leveraged. Efficiency will be measured by assessing how inputs are converted into outputs, using benchmarking against similar programmes and cost-per-outcome analyses, such as the cost per business supported or additional jobs created. Effectiveness focuses on how well outputs are translated into outcomes and impacts, using theory-based approaches such as contribution analysis to identify if UKSPF interventions directly led to positive results. Beneficiary surveys will also help measure effectiveness. Lastly, Equity will assess how well the interventions benefited vulnerable groups, using programme monitoring data and interviews with delivery providers and beneficiaries to evaluate if support reached those most in need.

Data to support the evaluation

Primary data collection

The evaluation relies heavily on primary data collection. This includes:

• Beneficiary surveys and interviews. If feasible, online surveys will target different beneficiary groups, such as supported businesses and individuals who received employment and skills support. Tailored questions will address their experiences, achieved outcomes, quality of support and attribution of outcomes to UKSPF funding.
• Semi-structured interviews with delivery staff, including Richmond Borough Council staff, and delivery providers. These will explore implementation challenges and project impact. Delivery providers who submitted unsuccessful funding bids and those who expressed interest in UKSPF funding but did not submit a project bid will also be interviewed to gather their views on the application process and criteria for assessment.

Secondary data sources

Census and economic activity data, alongside monitoring data, will help to determine how far Richmond’s interventions have reached those in greatest need. For businesses and employees, data sources such as the Business Structure Database (BSD) and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) may be used if sample sizes allow. Where possible, these data sources will be used to supplement our primary research to estimate any causal impacts.

1. How was life changed in Richmond Upon Thames: Census 2021 ↩

2. London’s Royal Parks retain coveted Green Flag Awards ↩

3. Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity in Richmond upon Thames ↩

4. Ibid. ↩

5. Analysis Report: Economic and Business Activity in Richmond upon Thames. ↩

6. Communities and Place, Supporting Local Business and People and Skills ↩

7. The South London Partnership is a sub-regional collaboration of five London boroughs, including Richmond, that focuses on broader regional development goals, such as economic growth, improved living standards, and business support. ↩