In 2025, Rotherham became the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture, an initiative that aims to celebrate young people and their creativity. It provided young people in Rotherham with a variety of opportunities to take part in culture with a focus upon local pride and creative skills. As part of this award, over the course of 2025, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council ran a variety of town centre events and festivals, ranging from Christmas Light Switch ons to celebrations of nature and sustainability.

Kada Research were commissioned by the Council to evaluate these events and conducted seven event evaluations across the course of the year, each commissioned and evaluated separately.

The events evaluated were primarily family-oriented with an emphasis on cultural and creative activities and performances and included:

• Signals Festival Evaluation (February 2025) – Centred around promoting young musical talent in Rotherham.
• Town Centre Events (March 2025) – Externally run events occurring weekly in Rotherham Town Centre in March 2025, offering a range of cultural, music and sport activities.
• Roots Festival (March 2025) – A festival celebrating nature and sustainability, consisting of a carnival procession of local community groups.
• WOW Festival (May 2025) – A festival celebrating women, girls, trans, and non-binary communities.
• UPLIFT Festival (July-August 2025) – An urban sport and art festival spread across three days in the summer.
• Plug in and Play Festival (October 2025) – Centred around encouraging children and families to play interactive, immersive and engaging games.
• Christmas Lights Switch-on Event (November 2025) – A town centre Christmas Light Switch-on featuring seasonal entertainment and activities.

The evaluations aimed to assess the impact of the events including the perceptions of was attendees, stakeholders, and local businesses. Over 600 responses were received from attendees via in-person and online surveys. Numerous stakeholder interviews were conducted with both event delivery partners and artists involved in the events. Consultations were also conducted with local businesses, that were involved with or impacted by the events. Kada’s primary research captured information on the following:

• The age profiles, social demographics, and travel methods of attendees.
• How people found out about the events and whether they had been before.
• Attendees spend and economic impact.
• Overall festival experience.
• Suggested improvements/changes for future events.
• Young person feedback on perceptions of the events and Rotherham town centre.
• Stakeholder views on event delivery, successes, and challenges.
• Local businesses perceptions of the events and the impacts they have on high-street businesses.

Events frequently received a 90%+ satisfaction rate, and attendees often said they were likely to attend similar events. In addition to the presentation of the primary research findings Kada produced an economic impact assessment for each event, exploring the potential local economic impacts and well-being benefits generated through each event. When combining the total estimated economic benefits of each event, the seven events produced an estimated £1.6 million of benefits.

The evaluations demonstrated that town centre events in Rotherham are building a mix of retained visitors and attracting new visitors and concluded with a set of recommendations relating to delivery, impact, and future, to help the council to continue to deliver a programme of successful and growing events.

Kada Research were commissioned by the University of Huddersfield in June 2024 to undertake an evaluation of their £42.2m Health Innovation programme. The programme, utilising £3.8 million of UKSPF funds, aimed to stimulate innovation around health and wellbeing within West Yorkshire’s business ecosystem.

The programme was delivered between September 2023 and March 2025, establishing a Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre that provided a suite of business support initiatives, events, mentoring, proof-of-concept grants as well as a unique Healthtech makerspace and visualisation suite offering access to bespoke equipment and facilities. Following the conclusion of the business support element in March 2025, 385 businesses had been supported and following the end of UKSPF funding activity has continued in the form of an incubator programme funded through the West Yorkshire Investment Zone.

Kada’s evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach to assess the programme’ s effectiveness in delivering against the four objectives outlined within the initial UKSPF application. The programme evidenced strong performance with all outputs met or exceeded as a result of the high levels of engagement, effective delivery mechanisms and strong strategic partnerships cultivated with partners.

In respect to the economic impact, over the appraisal period the business support element of the Health Innovation programme generated a Net Present Value (NPV) of £5.41m. With total UKSPF revenue expenditure, in addition to public sector funding, the NPV impact represents a benefit cost ratio of 4.2:1.

There were other notable impacts. The development of the Innovation Centre has boosted local perceptions of Huddersfield and increasing pride of place and the programme is expected to increase capacity and boost innovation within the NHS more widely, resulting in improved and faster patient care. Without the UKSPF funding, connections between local businesses and the NHS likely would not have been established.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned by Decerna in January 2025 to undertake an evaluation of their two UKSPF funded business support programmes, the Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) programmes.

Across 2023 and 2024 Decerna were awarded approximately £2.5m in UKSPF funds to deliver the two business support programmes. The Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) programme provided comprehensive support to businesses across Tees Valley, enabling them to transition towards net zero by offering tailored advice, practical tools, and grant funding. The Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) programme addressed the growing importance of environmental accountability in supply chains by helping SMEs obtain EPD certifications and develop sustainability capabilities. Decerna’s support helps companies develop EPDs and as such facilitates access new markets, creating commercial benefits for the companies supported.

Kada’s evaluation focused on assessing the success of the two programmes in respect to their contracted targets and the alignment with UKSPF priorities whilst incorporating a comparative analysis with previous similar ERDF projects. The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach drawing on a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess the effectiveness of delivery processes and evidence the programme’s impact.

The two programmes evidenced strong performance, meeting or exceeding all contracted targets. From the perspectives of stakeholders the programme is widely seen as addressing a critical gap in business support for net zero initiatives and displayed a strong alignment between the programme and local, sub-regional, and national policies. The two programmes combined generated a Net Present Value (NPV) of £2.41m with a return on investment of 1.2:1.

The evaluation also highlighted some wider and unexpected benefits including increased networking and collaboration and the way in which sustainability became a selling point for businesses. In addition to the creation of opportunities for the fostering of a more engaged local business community some participants found that after engaging with the programme, they were better positioned to attract clients and contracts that required sustainability commitments. The evaluation built on these lessons learnt to suggest a series of recommendations to take forward.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned by Bradford Council to conduct an evaluation of a suite of projects under their Hyper Local UKSPF Programme. The programme received £7.88 million in UKSPF funding, consisted of 49 individual projects across all five West Yorkshire local authority areas and took a bespoke approach to support delivery based on local community needs.

The evaluation focused on 10 varied projects, ranging from the creation of new green spaces in inner city areas, youth engagement across diverse communities, one-to-one enterprise support and supporting young adults who face barriers to accessing work. The method centred on a theory-based approach, drawing on a range of qualitative and quantitative research sources to assess the extent to which the programme had delivered appropriate value for money interventions, and which should be supported in the event of future funding.

The evaluation concluded that, overall, the programme has performed strongly against its contracted output targets in particular evidencing strong performance via projects under the  people and skills investment priority. Delivery stakeholders also cited several wider benefits, such as health and wellbeing support for young people in local communities, support for the development of social enterprises, community cohesion as a result of the development of green spaces.

The majority of Hyper Local activity has given rise to community, wellbeing and social benefits, rather than directly generating jobs or economic impacts. The evaluation process included a review of social benefits that have been achieved and their monetary value. The benefits for which an estimate has been made include public realm created or improved, volunteering opportunities supported, people sustaining engagement with a voluntary or local organisation and people gaining qualifications, licences or skills

Based on the monitoring data available and using benchmark data to fill data gaps, the combined value of the net economic and social benefits of the Hyper Local programme is estimated to be £15.6m. This compares to total expenditure of £8.1m. An estimate of the programme’s Return on Investment (ROI) is therefore 1.9:1, i.e. each £1.00 of public investment is estimated to generate £1.90 of economic and social value.

There were some lessons learnt around the programme’s governance, linkages between projects, and shortened timelines. The evaluation built on these lessons to suggest a series of practical and actionable recommendations to take forward.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned by Kirklees Council to evaluate a suite of projects as part of the £5.82 million Hyper Local UKSPF programme. The evaluation assessed the programme’s strengths and weaknesses and identified lessons to improve delivery and increase the impact of future programmes.

The Hyper Local programme consisted of targeted, UKSPF funded support delivered in all five West Yorkshire local authority areas. The support was tailored to local need and took a bespoke approach to delivery based on local community needs. Of the £30 million UKSPF allocation in West Yorkshire, £5.824 million (19%) was allocated to Kirklees to deliver a suite of capital and revenue funded activities. Kirklees’ Hyper Local programme was comprised of 26 projects, split across the three UKSPF investment themes which aimed to deliver ambitions of improving local pride in place, increasing life chances, helping spread and create opportunity and build a sense of community and belonging.

Kada’s evaluation focussed on ten of these projects which included a range of activities from New to English support to a Participation in the Arts and Creative Economy (PACE) project, as well as a standalone Safety of Women and Girls project in Kirklees. The evaluation followed a process and theory-based approach, drawing on a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess the effectiveness of delivery processes and evidence the programme’s impact.

Projects performed well and overachieved against the majority of profiled outputs and outcomes. Delivery stakeholders cited several wider benefits including digital and social inclusion, regeneration benefits, societal awareness and advocacy, progression towards volunteering, learning and employment, and community cohesion. The economic impact assessment of the projects evaluated found that £6.9m net benefits have been estimated to be generated, with a return on investment of 1.2:1. Potential total benefits (including those yet to be secured) against total programme spend generated a return of investment of 2.5:1.

The evaluation concluded that the Hyper Local programme had delivered many successes, and a range of impacts. The evaluation built on these lessons learnt to suggest a series of recommendations to take forward.

The Kirklees UKSPF team outlined:

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

The Money Guiders Programme supports public service, public benefit and not-for-profit organisations across the UK to hold conversations about money. The cost-of-living crisis and recent welfare reforms has led to more people seeking information and guidance, with conversations about money becoming increasingly common. Training covers a range of topics such as debt, pensions, and budgeting, supporting anyone who interacts with members of the public to hold open, helpful and honest conversations about money. Content is split across three tiers, with higher tiers consisting of more complex material.

Kada Research were commissioned by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to assess how best the Money Guiders Programme can be tailored and localised to meet the needs of clients and partners to ensure long-term embeddedness within an organisation. This included assessing the adaptability of content and the whether the context was relevant to a specific region.

To assess the applicability, suitability and adaptability of the Money Guiders Programme, Kada analysed data provided by MaPS. Budgeting and cashflow support were the most frequently engaged with, followed by households and planning for later life. There was a wide geographical spread of partners involved, with Wales seeing the highest levels of participation and the East Midlands seeing the lowest.

Kada also engaged in conversations with system-level and non-system-level partners, such as Councils, credit unions and regional careers services to understand how their organisations have utilised training, their motivations for engaging and how they monitor progress.

The offer was viewed incredibly positively by all, with the professionalism and supportiveness of the MaPS team highlighted as a key strength of the training. As well as this, the training could effectively be adapted to suit the needs of a variety of organisations, including those working with young people who have never worked, those working with single parents who are managing debt, and those looking to understand their pension and retirement options. Additional support to monitor engagement and understand the impact of the training would be appreciated.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned by the Sheffield-based refugee and asylum charity ASSIST to evaluate their housing pilot, which housed individuals who have been granted asylum in the UK. Kada were asked to evaluate stakeholder, landlord and tenant perceptions of the housing pilot and consider potential growth scenarios for the housing programme.

Kada interviewed stakeholders from the charity, such as the accommodation team, management, and the maintenance team, to discuss their strategic goals, delivery of the project and how they would like to see the pilot progress. Kada then interviewed landlords who had supported ASSIST through donating houses to the project. They were asked about their motivations, communication with ASSIST and their future with the charity. Finally, Kada interviewed the families who live in the houses provided for ASSIST. The families were asked to discuss their experiences in the house, their relationship with ASSIST and any support they have received or would like to receive.

Alongside this, Kada used income and outgoings data provided by ASSIST to calculate a number of potential directions that the housing project could take. These calculations looked at the potential of taking on more family houses, opening houses for single refugees and taking on more core staff.

The housing pilot was found to be a profitable venture for the charity, helping them to support their core client base of those who are seeking asylum in the UK. There are advantages to increasing the scale of activity and diversifying further should the charity chose to. Further to this, feedback from tenants of the properties was overwhelmingly positive, with many stating that the housing had helped them to feel settled in Sheffield. Stakeholders and landlords were also largely positive about the pilot and its potential.

If you are thinking about commissioning and evaluation or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned to evaluate the Low Carbon Business Support Programme led by Sheffield City Council and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The aim of the Low Carbon Business Support Programme was to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in SMEs in South Yorkshire. It provided support to help identify, fund, and implement energy efficiency improvements for SMEs and help reduce the barriers to decreasing their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Through the provision of an audit, which provided recommendations for low carbon improvements, and matched financial support, the programme: increased awareness and understanding of the benefits of and options for improving energy efficiency amongst SMEs; increased uptake of energy efficiency initiatives amongst SMEs and reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption. Additionally, the project evaluation anticipated the potential for the project to reduce outgoings for SMEs, improving competitiveness, resilience and productivity.

The summative assessment process aimed to provide an evidence-based evaluation of the Low Carbon Business Support Programme, assessing the project against its objectives and highlighting any lessons learnt for the future. In terms of our approach, a desk review was undertaken assessing the original rationale for the project and how it fit with local, sub-regional and national policy strategies. Performance against ERDF targets and the economic impact of the programme were considered: a robust quantitative impact evaluation of project performance was undertaken including a review of contracted expenditure, outputs, wider employment and GVA gross and net impacts. A value-for-money assessment was also undertaken.

Project beneficiaries were engaged via an online survey to assess the overall impact on businesses. Kada’s researchers also spoke to key stakeholders and delivery partners to assess the effectiveness of the process of delivery, including management, administrative, and delivery mechanisms, as well as operational characteristics. Strengths, value added, challenges and lessons were summarised in the evaluation report.

Businesses providing feedback via the online survey were highly satisfied with the quality of the support they received. Grant recipients found their investments into energy efficiency technologies helped them decrease their energy usage.

Through interviews with the delivery partners and beneficiary feedback, Kada found that the Low Carbon Advisors understood commercial pressures facing businesses. The advisors shaped programme delivery around a clear understanding of the operational difficulties facing businesses. They also helped businesses to improve their understanding of potential energy and carbon savings and supported engagement with the audit reports. Beneficiaries valued the advisors’ use of business terminology to build cost and energy saving understanding.

Bridget Bradbury-Hickey, Project Manager stated:

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk

In the Summer of 2022, Kada evaluated the first phase of Sheffield City Council’s (SCC) Economic Recovery Fund, a £2 million fund designed to support post Covid-19 high street recovery in the city’s district centres. To increase footfall and resident spend, SCC provided a series of grants to local groups of up to £200,000 to encourage a community led response to high street recovery.

As part of the evaluation, Kada researchers spoke to leading stakeholders, grant beneficiaries, community groups, and residents to evaluate the strengths, areas of potential improvement, and the economic and social value impact of the projects. Alongside this, Kada undertook a comprehensive desk review into the post Covid-19 high street context.

Kada concluded that Sheffield’s Economic Recovery Fund achieved a wide variety of outputs including the formation of new constituted community groups, the establishment of eight new business forums, numerous successful community events, and physical improvements to many district centres. Kada’s economic and social value modelling found that between £1.99 and £2.24 of social value was created by the programme for every £1 spent.

The improvements were well received by residents and stakeholders welcomed the legacy upon resident autonomy and the city’s community infrastructure. The evaluation showed that there was a real appetite for future iterations of the programme across the city. Kada provided a series of strategic and operational recommendations focused on how the programme could continue to evolve to maintain and increase its impact. These conclusions and recommendations were used to improve the next iteration of Economic Recovery Fund.

If you are thinking about commissioning an economic impact/social value or high street regeneration study, you can get in touch at info@kadaresearch.co.uk, or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work you can contact Pat at pat@kadaresearch.co.uk

The Mayor of London’s Local Energy Accelerator (LEA) was evaluated by Kada at the end of 2023. The £9.5 million LEA programme was jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Mayor of London between June 2016 and July 2023. LEA supports the development of large-scale decentralised energy in London. It provided funding to public and private sector beneficiaries for expert technical support which produced concept plans, feasibility studies and business cases. This helped London organisations to access capital funds to invest in decentralised energy projects.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, contact the Project Director Sam Nair at sam@kadaresearch.co.uk or get in touch via info@kadaresearch.co.uk.