Introduction & Context
Empowering Insight and Collaboration
The Professional Services (PS) sector needs timely and accurate insights to support policymakers, leadership teams, and investors in making informed strategic decisions, with both social and traditional media playing vital roles in disseminating this information. However, gaps currently exist, particularly in the breadth of PS organisations often conflated with financial services, in understanding the impact of the influential midmarket on demand, employment, and innovation, and in providing trend lines based on historical data to predict future challenges and opportunities.
The proposed Centre will build on the Sector Trends Tracker and related research panels by the Managing Partners’ Forum, establishing itself as a hub for sharing survey findings, insights, and studies with sector firms, investors, and media. It will also introduce an annual Growth Tracker survey, completed by research panel members, to examine the impact of key mega trends—including AI, sustainability, demographic shifts, geopolitics, and innovation—on PS firms.
Purpose of the Centre
Inform key audiences (Government, PS leadership teams, Media, Investors) on issues relevant to the growth, productivity and prosperity of the PS sector.
Bring together a diverse group of people in relevant research roles at professional firms, professional bodies, business schools and market research consultancies to network, contribute their own studies and promote the information available from the Centre.
Create a centre of excellence and knowledge base for PS research to provide leadership, challenge thinking, develop best practice and apply learnings from across sub sectors.
Champion, enable and bring together PS researchers who are younger gen and more diverse.
Ethos of the Centre
Ethos of the Centre
- The Centre operates on a philanthropic basis with its primary purpose being to advance information and insight on the PS sector.
- The Centre abides by UKRI | ESRC research principles (see Appendix).
Deliverables of the Centre
The Centre is designed to provide valuable, accessible insights and foster a collaborative space for Professional Services leaders. Positioned with a level of influence that balances data provision with informed advocacy (rated at 6.5 out of 10 by the Board), the Centre will focus on delivering:
Informed Analysis and Objective Commentary
A thorough, unbiased examination of survey findings from research panels, offering members valuable insights into industry trends.
Accessible, Peer-Reviewed Insights
A centralised hub for peer-reviewed survey findings, studies, and insights contributed by members, ensuring reliable and objective information.
Engaging Events and Networking Opportunities
Exclusive events and online groups where Centre members can learn from industry experts and connect with peers, fostering a network of informed professionals.
What are the benefits for Centre member?
Benefits
Community of peers
Access to relevant information, best practice and forward thinking to support their day job
Opportunities to interact with experts
How the Centre Supports Key Audiences
Government
- Enhanced knowledge of the UK’s largest and most profitable business sector.
- Centre data is fed into relevant policy discussions taking place across Government about the views of the sector.
Leadership teams at sector firms
- Opportunity to benchmark the firm against its peers for the sector as a whole and relevant sub-sectors.
- Opportunity to identify the needs of sector firms as a significant client base.
- Traditional & social media
- Opportunity to shine a spotlight on a UK success story.
- Opportunity to compare reliable trends by sub-sector.
Investors
- Opportunity to benchmark the sector as a whole and relevant sub-sectors against other industries.
- Enhanced clarity over issues of importance to the leadership teams at sector firms.