Decision details

It was announced in March 2021 Ipswich Borough Council was successful in securing £25m Towns Fund from Government through submission of their Town Improvement Plan (TIP) aimed at improving Ipswich Town Centre through a suite of 11 interventions.

IBC Executive on 15 December 2021 agreed a report regarding Towns Fund outlining the programmed interventions and likely spend for this project to ensure timely delivery. A further report on Digital Ipswich was agreed at Executive on 31 October 2023 confirming the three strands of delivery for the project and outlining procurement routes.

Commissioned by Ipswich Central, Urban XR developed an augmented reality app - Cornhill Christmas – to help generate footfall into Ipswich town centre in 2021.

The objective is to build on this live app by enhancing the animation and bring it under the Digital Ipswich Town’s Fund as a pilot project to test systems and processes ahead of the main programme of AR trail development. IBC will then launch it as an exciting addition to the Christmas Big Weekender.

The current game brings people to the Cornhill where they experience an interactive animation of Rudolph on the steps of the Town Hall before he flies around the buildings and assets of the square. The app will be

developed by adding additional elements that changes the ending of the game to guide people up Lloyds Avenue where a Rudolph light projection will be displayed that is linked to the end of the game.

The development of the app includes the following items:

• Scanning of the Cornhill upper plaza and route to Lloyds Avenue for integration into the AR application positioning software

• Design new 3d models for presents, new flight path, elf, text.

• Design masking models for buildings for sleigh fly over to reach Lloyds Avenue

• Update the application with new animations and physics for falling presents etc.

• Update app user interface with instructions such as “follow the sleigh!” and “please be aware of your surroundings at all times”.

• Weekly testing of the application on android and iPhone applications.

• Deployment to Apple and Google stores, plus updates to the app description and images.

• Provision of QR code that links to the app downloads for android and iOS stores.

• Video and still image extracts to support IBC PR and marketing.

A story will be created that will entice footfall from the Cornhill towards the top of Lloyds Avenue and on that journey will be a unique to Ipswich light projection to provide further enjoyment and to encourage increased dwell time at those businesses located on Lloyds Avenue. The projection will last for four weeks up to 2nd January 2024.

The app based AR Trail and projection will be created without time or date constraints to ensure that it can be utilised every year, will be owned by IBC and will require minimal ongoing revenue investment in future years.

This project will be clearly presented and branded as a Town’s Fund project, recognising the investment from the Towns Fund and will support the tangible objectives of Digital Ipswich such as a 10% increase in footfall and dwell times.

A snapshot of the cumulative benefits for the projects:

• Supporting the Christmas Big Weekender

• Offering a unique engaging festive activation that is both digital and inclusive

• Will increase dwell times and visitor footfall

• Serve to cross promote the businesses along Lloyds Avenue

• Promote the Town’s Fund with supported branding

• Offer good PR and engagement opportunities for IBC and businesses on Lloyds Avenue.

• Provide legacy assets that can be used yearly at Christmas

To exempt the following two contracts from the market testing requirement of

Contract Standing Orders, under paragraph 3.10.2.

a) Urban XR, based at Adastral Park, Martlesham Heath for the app development at a cost of £14,500

b) Warehouse Digital, based at The Havens, Ipswich for the Light Projection creation and projection at a cost of £14,000

Reason:

A delay would lead to loss of service and there is an urgency to deliver the service for Christmas.

The development of the existing app based AR trail can only be undertaken by the original supplier Urban XR and there is a current opportunity to purchase the app to provide this service in future, which is in the

Council’s best economic interest. In addition if the complete project is to be delivered in time for Christmas 2023 then there is insufficient time to undertake a full tendering process for the light projection element of

the AR trail. Both of these businesses are Ipswich based and these contract awards will meet one of the stated aims of the Towns Fund which is to where appropriate and possible award contracts to local suppliers.