AMION Consulting Director and former Whitehall economist joins the IED Board

Simon Dancer, Director at AMION Consulting, has been appointed to the Board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners.

With over 25 years’ experience in economic development, housing and regeneration, Simon joined the leading UK-wide economics advisory business AMION in 2016 to provide independent strategic advice to its clients to help them achieve economic growth.

Simon previously worked in Whitehall for 16 years at the Homes & Communities Agency (now Homes England), managing a team of specialised economists. In addition to an extensive understanding of Green Book economic appraisal and business cases, Simon has co-authored several economics policy guidance notes that have become “industry standards”.

These include the ground-breaking Employment Densities Guide, applied across the UK, to calculate job capacity within built development; the pioneering Additionality Guide, used around the world to help public sector agencies identify the real effect of government intervention and saw Simon present to a global academic audience at the World Bank in Paris; and the Endowments Best Practice Note, now in its fourth edition, which underpins endowment policy across the country for those assets which cannot be disposed of in the open market.

Some of Simon’s other career highlights include providing housing policy advice for the South Korean government, advising a former Prime Minister’s household, acting as a consultee for updates of HM Treasury’s Green Book, and being the retained economic adviser for the West Midlands Combined Authority for over four years.

Simon was also instrumental with AMION helping to secure £459 million of Levelling Up Fund grant across the country, from the three rounds of competitive bidding. Today he is also a business case adviser for Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, working on Green Book-compliant submissions to both MHCLG and HMT.

With his election to the IED Board announced at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on 4^th December, Simon said: “I am delighted to join the IED, as the go-to centre for excellence in the sector, and one whose insights are a reference point for the economic development profession. With over 25 years’ experience under my belt, 16 in the public sector and now well established in the private sector, putting myself forward for the IED Board feels like a natural position. I see the IED as the kitemark for our profession.”

Simon uses the IED’s well-established online CPD programme for new starters in AMION’s economic development team, and also praised its representation and advocacy work. “The training it provides is a big bonus, bringing a formalised process around on-the-money courses which balance the technical and softer side of economic development,” he commented. “If you work in economic development, the IED is that North Star for the industry. There is a huge opportunity for us to make a difference, to increase our membership, and influence the new government, especially on areas they are not funding yet.”

Tom Stannard, Chair of the IED, said: “I would like to formally welcome Simon to the IED Board of Directors, and look forward to working with him as we seek to further deliver our mission and push the objectives of our Grow Local, Grow National manifesto across the UK.”

In the 2024 IED Director elections, Megan Streb, Head of Outreach at the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth and Moe Forouzan, Team Manager – Business and Innovation at Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council were, also appointed.