Tens of millions of pounds and around 1,000 jobs will be generated for Dundee’s economy if its bid to be the UK City Of Culture 2017 is successful.
The team behind Dundee’s entry has completed its official bid document Tipping Point which will now be given a gala send-off by Lord Provost Bob Duncan in the City Square on Monday.
Mr Duncan will press the button to send the bid winging its way to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport at about 1pm, where all the contributing agencies, office workers and ordinary Dundonians will be given the chance to see the bid off in style.
The next stage will involve a technical assessment on October 13 followed by a presentation of the bid to the judging panel on November 14.
Dundee will be the first city to go before the judges, and a decision on the winner will be made when presentations finish the day after.
Stewart Murdoch, who is leading the Dundee bid, said winning City of Culture 2017 would bring “substantial economic and cultural benefits”, estimated at around £80 million.
Despite the undoubted boost for the economy, Mr Murdoch insisted it was more about the social impact winning the bid would have on the city.
He said: “We are really much more focused on that aspect as it would have a huge feelgood factor for the citizens of Dundee and the city would reap the benefits of that for years to come.
“In addition there’s a forecast 15% uplift in tourism year on year beyond 2017, over and above the projected increase for the V&A.”
He said the team had worked through the weekend to get the bid document finished. Now the bid has been completed, it is a waiting game for Mr Murdoch and his team.
“We have the technical assessment next month, which is in London and involves the document being picked over,” he said.
The projections came from a study by Ekos, an independent consultancy firm commissioned by Scottish Enterprise.
“The figures in the report show these are big stakes,” said Mr Murdoch. “But there has been so much work done over the years, and culture is our best card.
“The work over the years by Scottish Dance Theatre, Dundee Rep, DCA and other organisations has led up to this, and that is why our document is called Tipping Point, because we would see winning this as a coronation of all the work that has been done.”