01
Verified place record
A defined cohort of genuinely independent businesses would be verified by Project Independent with provenance, correction and appeal routes.
For place partners
Protect what makes a place distinctive.
National brands provide familiarity. Independents provide a layer of local character that cannot simply be copied into the next town. Under the proposed model, Project Independent would verify that layer, make it useful through a mobile-first discovery app and give smaller businesses a clearer voice.
Only independent. Distinctly local.A proposed focused layer designed to complement existing destination marketing, not duplicate it.
Proposed funded pilot
More than a directory.
The hard work would be the verified dataset, business participation, correction process, app experience, physical marks and evidence layer behind the public discovery surface.
02
Mobile-first app discovery
The proposed app would provide map-first discovery, nearby/open-now filtering, verified profiles, directions, live business links and editorial trails.
03
Visible street layer
The proposed pilot would use round {Place} Original marks with unique QR codes where included in scope.
04
Business participation
The pilot would include verification, onboarding, owner fact-checking, two-photo profiles and a freshness process. Photography could be offered where suitable images were not available.
05
Evidence report
The proposed reporting would cover participation, freshness and engagement metrics with plain-English definitions and caveats.
06
Honest evaluation
The evaluation would measure time/cost per verified business and support a stop, continue or extend recommendation.
Measurement
Useful evidence needs boundaries.
A future reporting layer would distinguish discovery, intent, physical-location engagement and self-report. It would not turn a click into a claim of footfall or economic impact.
| Metric | What it could say | What it could not say |
|---|---|---|
| Profile view | Someone viewed a business profile. | That they visited or bought. |
| Directions | Navigation intent was expressed. | That the journey was completed. |
| Website click | Onward interest in the business. | A booking or sale. |
| Unique badge QR scan | Physical-location engagement. | A confirmed visit, entry or purchase. |
| I've been here | A self-reported visit. | Verified footfall or economic impact. |
How a partnership could start
Scope the place first. Price the work second.
A public rate card would hide the variables that actually drive delivery: geography, cohort size, verification effort, photography, physical marks, data handover and evidence requirements. A partner should receive a defined scope and a clear price for that scope.
1 · FeasibilityMap the geography, existing provision, overlap, audience and evidence need.
2 · Defined pilotAgree the business cohort, app surfaces, place marks, photography and reporting.
3 · EvaluateMeasure participation, use, delivery effort and what should stop, change or continue.
4 · No data lock-inThe partner would receive the agreed funded dataset export if the pilot stopped.