Training Opportunity: Nature-Based Creative Tourism for West of England Businesses

The West of England Combined Authority is seeking a supplier to design and deliver an innovative training day aimed at rural businesses and creative practitioners. The initiative focuses on developing nature-based creative and cultural experiences for paying visitors.

This pilot programme, delivered through the Culture West programme, addresses the growing demand for meaningful travel experiences whilst supporting rural businesses to develop new income streams and reduce seasonality.

About the Training

The one-day training session will equip participants with practical knowledge on how to conceptualise, design, develop, fund and market nature-based creative experiences. The training is scheduled to take place before 31st March 2026 at a rural business location in the West of England region with public transport access.

The programme aims to bring together 10 rural businesses and 10 creative practitioners, providing an opportunity for networking and forming working partnerships. Sessions may cover topics including tourism fundamentals, operational costs, legal requirements, pitching ideas, marketing and distribution, and transport considerations.

Context and Challenge

Rural nature-based and creative practitioners need to develop alternative income streams beyond public sector funding. Meanwhile, businesses dependent on the visitor economy must build resilience through product diversification to enable year-round visits.

There is a growing demand from consumers for a more meaningful travel experience through connecting to communities, places and landscapes, generating a positive outcome from their travel, often referred to as sustainable tourism. This regenerative approach has been growing not just for consumers but also business event organisers and delegates. However, research from the World Travel & Tourism Council shows that businesses need to make it easier for consumers to access these more sustainable tourism choices.

In response, Visit England has launched a Regenerative Tourism Guide that seeks to support business and destinations in their development, alongside the award-winning Legacy and Positive Impact toolkit for the business events industry.

As well as having an ethical response to leisure travel, conscious consumers value the positive wellbeing impact of nature and natural landscapes. Wellbeing is one of the three growth pillars identified in the Destination Management Plan for the West of England region developed by Visit West in 2023.

West of England Mayor Helen Godwin emphasises the region’s unique position: “We’re a region where culture, leisure and nature serve as rocket boosters to our economy: attracting people, investment and creating a unique environment.”

Investment in nature and the environment brings not only an economic return but also a social one. The region is the first to publish the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and to support WENP priority programmes. These nine programmes represent shared priorities and show how investment will be targeted to bring nature back across the West of England.

Request for Quote Details

Deadline for submissions: 12:00 noon, Friday 9th January 2026

The Combined Authority is seeking suppliers with experience delivering business training, knowledge of the tourism industry and visitor economy. Experience working with creative practitioners or rural businesses would be beneficial.

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 16th January 2026, with the contract expected to commence within one week thereafter. The initial contract term is three months.

Key Deliverables

• Training day agenda and plan
• Organisation and delivery of the training session
• Evaluation and feedback survey
• Post-training summary report with recommendations
• Training summary pack for participants

Evaluation Criteria

Responses will be assessed on a combination of quality (70%) and price (30%). Quality evaluation focuses on methodology, project management approach, and demonstrated experience and expertise.

How to Apply

Interested suppliers should submit their response to the brief along with a CV or list of previous relevant experience to beth.hogben@westofengland-ca.gov.uk by 12:00 noon on Friday 9th January 2026.

Questions about the Request for Quote should be submitted to the same email address no later than 12:00 noon on Monday 5th January 2026. Please note that responses to queries will not be available between Friday 19th December 2025 and Sunday 4th January 2026.

For full details of the opportunity, requirements and evaluation criteria, interested parties should request the complete RFQ document from the contact email address above.

For more information, please read the following pdf: West of England Mayoral Combined Authorities Request for Quote (RFQ).

This opportunity has also been shared on LinkedIn by Visit West and the West of England Combined Authority.