IMPLAN Analysis Needed for Economic Development

Economic Impact Analyst / Economist Needed: IMPLAN Analysis of Five Potential Industry Development Projects

Project Type: Fixed-price contract
Industry: Economic Development / Economic Research
Required Expertise and Tools: IMPLAN Software Subscription, Economic Impact Modeling, Municipal Tax Revenue Analysis

Project Overview

We are seeking an experienced economist or economic impact analyst to conduct an economic and tax revenue impact assessment of five potential industry development projects identified through a community economic development strategy. These are hypothetical future development opportunities, not existing or announced projects.

The purpose of this analysis is to help municipal leaders understand the potential economic benefits associated with each opportunity, including construction activity, permanent employment, secondary job creation, economic output, and projected tax revenues.

We are seeking a qualified independent contractor who has existing access to IMPLAN and can provide credible, defensible economic impact estimates at a reasonable cost.

1. Project Scenarios and Assumptions

Our team will provide:

- Five industry-specific development scenarios.
- Preliminary capital investment and employment assumptions for each scenario.
- Supporting research, industry benchmarks, and examples of comparable development projects.
- The geographic area to be evaluated and relevant community background.

The contractor will review these assumptions for reasonableness, recommend adjustments where necessary, and identify the appropriate IMPLAN industry classifications and modeling inputs. We are not seeking extensive independent industry research or the development of new project scenarios. Our team will provide the initial research and project assumptions.

2. Construction and Initial Investment Impacts

For each of the five projects, estimate the potential one-time economic impacts associated with construction and initial development, including the jobs it will create. The analysis should account for the geographic location of expenditures and distinguish temporary construction employment from permanent operational employment. Construction employment should be identified in job-years where appropriate.

3. Ongoing Annual Operational Impacts

For each project, estimate the recurring annual economic impacts associated with operations once the facility or business is established. The analysis should identify the major industries likely to benefit from secondary economic activity, where available through IMPLAN.

4. Municipal Tax Revenue Analysis

Because the client is a municipality, the analysis must also estimate the potential tax revenues generated by each proposed development. The contractor should use the city's applicable tax structure and rates rather than relying exclusively on generalized IMPLAN tax estimates. Assumptions regarding taxable values, exemptions, and potential incentives should be documented.

5. Methodology and Comparative Analysis

All five projects should be evaluated using a consistent methodology and standardized reporting format to enable comparisons across industries.

The contractor must:

Use IMPLAN for the economic impact modeling.

Identify the geographic area covered by the model.

Clearly distinguish one-time construction impacts from recurring annual operational impacts.

Report direct, indirect, induced, and total impacts separately.

Identify the modeling year and dollar year used for estimates.

Document relevant assumptions, data sources, and methodological limitations.

Clearly identify which projected tax revenues accrue to the city versus other taxing jurisdictions.

Avoid double counting impacts between construction and operations or across employment, expenditures, and investment inputs.

Because the projects are hypothetical, results should be presented as potential economic impacts under the stated assumptions, not forecasts of guaranteed future development.