Business Planner: Community Audit and 10-Year Business Plan

Job Summary

Freelance Business Planner for a National Lottery Heritage Fund supported project at Grade II* listed St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney: Community Audit and 10-year Business Plan. Fees up to £19,000 in total (excl VAT). Tenders by 12 noon, Friday 21 August 2026.

Job Description

St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney, is a Grade II* listed Gothic Revival church, built 1845 to 1848 to designs by Edward Charles Hakewill. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the PCC's project, St John of Jerusalem: Celebrating 200 Years, will secure the long-term sustainability of the church while opening up its heritage to the local community.

The PCC is inviting tenders from consultants to produce a Community Audit and a 10-year outline Business Plan, suitable for submission with a Heritage Fund Development stage bid in the future. The Community Audit will identify local need, gaps in community provision and audiences not currently being reached. The Business Plan, informed by the Audit, will set out a sustainable operating model with a clear proposal for income generation, covering vision and objectives, market context, SWOT analysis, governance review and skills audit, operational plans, a financial plan and budgets for 2026 to 2036, and an outline Activity Plan. The consultant will workshop the project vision with the PCC, congregation and wider community, participate in a community consultation event in Advent 2026, and work closely with the project team on the phasing of future capital works.

The commission runs from September 2026, with the Community Audit in autumn 2026 and the Business Plan agreed by the PCC by May 2027. Fees of up to £16,000 for the Business Plan and up to £3,000 for the Community Audit are available (excluding VAT but including all expenses). Bids from multi-disciplinary organisations and specially formed collaborations are welcome.

To request the Invitation to Tender, please email the Project Manager, Caroline Johnson, at [email protected]. Tenders must be received by 12 noon on Friday 21 August 2026.

Job Requirements

The successful candidate will be a creative and innovative person, with:
- a proven track record of business planning within the heritage sector, and specifically of NLHF supported projects
- excellent communication and engagement skills, written and verbal, with people of all ages and abilities
- the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.

Experience of working with charitable trusts or PCCs would be beneficial. Bids from multi-disciplinary organisations and collaborations are welcome, with a lead person identified with whom the PCC can contract.

Tenders should be a maximum of 3 sides of A4, covering a summary of methodology and project plan, three case studies of similar work, and a lump sum fee proposal including expenses, with a breakdown of days and day rates. CVs, confirmation of professional indemnity insurance and two referees may be appended. Full details are in the Invitation to Tender, available from the Project Manager.

Job Responsibilities

Reporting to the Project Manager, the Business Planner will:
- produce a Community Audit through desk research and stakeholder interviews, covering the local socio-economic profile, community provision and gaps, audiences not reached, barriers to engagement and what the church could offer
- agree a project vision statement with the PCC, workshopping the vision with the congregation and wider community as necessary
- review present governance arrangements, including a skills audit and recommendations for change ahead of a future major capital project
- produce a 10-year Business Plan informed by the Audit, including market context, SWOT analysis, operational plans and a financial plan for 2026 to 2036
- prepare an outline Activity Plan drawing on the project's pilot activities
- participate in a community consultation event in Advent 2026
- collaborate closely with the QI architect, vPPR Architects, QS and fundraising consultant on the phasing of future capital works.

Useful Links

Job Overview

Job Title: Business Planner: Community Audit and 10-Year Business Plan
Salary: £15k-£20k
Hours: Part time
Artform: Combined arts
Role: Research
Contract: Contract
Closing date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026
Location:

London

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Job: Business Planner: Community Audit and 10-Year Business Plan

Organisation: St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney

Postcode: E9 7EY

How to Apply

Request the ITT from the Project Manager, Caroline Johnson, at [email protected]. Please email to register your interest so that any clarification questions and answers can be shared with all interested parties.

Tenders should be a maximum of 3 sides of A4, covering a summary of methodology and project plan, three case studies of similar work, and a lump sum fee proposal including expenses, with a breakdown of days and day rates. CVs, confirmation of professional indemnity insurance and two referees may be appended and are excluded from the page limit.

Clarification questions should be emailed by 12 noon on Friday 14 August 2026. Visits to the church can be arranged on request and must take place before the clarification deadline.

Tenders must be received by email by 12 noon on Friday 21 August 2026. Late submissions will not be considered. Appointment is expected by Friday 4 September 2026, with interviews online in the week commencing 31 August 2026.

Contact name: Caroline Johnson
Contact email: [email protected]

Apply now

About St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney

St John of Jerusalem is a Grade II* listed parish church in South Hackney, London E9. With support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the church is delivering 'St John of Jerusalem: Celebrating 200 Years', a project combining heritage engagement activities, conservation planning and community business planning.

Find out more