Kent County Council is expected to announce next month (Dec 16) who it has appointed to be its inward investment agency under a three-year contract valued at close to £1.9m.

The closing date for bids was last week (Nov 6) and it is thought that a number of agencies have pitched for the contract.

It is not known whether Locate In Kent, which currently acts of the authority’s investment agency, is among those bidding for the work. It declined to comment.

Council chiefs are expected to draw up a shortlist after evaluating tenders this week, with final interviews scheduled for the end of this month.

Under a notice advertising the contract specification, KCC says it is looking for a partner to meet its aim of creating jobs, attracting companies to set up in the county and supporting those already here.

“The successful supplier will be expected to deliver innovative and creative solutions to secure inward investment in Kent and support KCC’s priorities for inward investment.”

The county council says would-be contractors will be expected to understand key issues facing companies seeking to relocate and have a strong track record of delivering similar services.

The council said it could not comment as the contract was commmercially sensitive.

Locate in Kent was recently responsible for appointing three agencies to identify foreign companies looking to relocate or expand their operations.

England Development Agency in the USA, Sector Marketing of Germany and Frenger in France were appointed to identify potential leads in their respective markets, following a competitive tender process.

The appointments were made possible through KCC funding of £155,000.