The business community believes that Ipswich's bid to achieve City of Culture status could provide the town with a big economic uplift - as well as a huge feel-good factor.
Ipswich Town Football Club, developer Churchmanor Estates, Birketts law firm and Suffolk New College have all got behind the bid.
They see it as a potential game-changer for the town which could lead to long-term economic benefits.
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Talented and motivated people and those that power the economy want to live and work in places with a rich and varied cultural life where they can enjoy their free time and meet friends, they argue.
They see City of Culture as providing a platform to enhance the already-rich cultural offering in the town - and a draw for people who might otherwise leave Ipswich to seek work elsewhere.
The full application is due to be submitted by Monday, August 10, which will expand on the initial expression of interest which was submitted earlier this year.
Ipswich made it onto a list of nine locations on a longlist for the City of Culture title.
The winner will walk away with £10million in government funding - and could potentially attract hundreds of millions of pounds in further investment.
The bid is being led by Amy Vaughan - who says bids for City of Culture and other initiatives tend to be funded in "quite a formulaic way" - leaning heavily on subsidy.
But Ipswich's bid is setting itself apart with its strong business backing, she believes.
"I really felt what there was in Ipswich that I haven't seen a lot is a clear across-industry support that comes from the businesses that are based here, the university and the college," she says.
The bid team is working up a full application due to be submitted by August 10.
Amy - who has been involved in many bids and applications over a 25-year career - says there are "multiple layers" to the process.
"It's often not what people think needs to be in them," she says.
If she didn't think the Ipswich bid could be successful, she wouldn't have signed up, she adds.
She says she doesn't want to give away too much publicly, but feels a strength is Ipswich's "much more diverse funding base - potentially, if we get it right".
"I have been bombarded by people saying we want to get involved - that's not common," she says.
It feels like in Ipswich businesses already understand the economic benefits, she adds.
"It can really change the game," she says - including a bigger workforce pool and a big boost to tourism. "If you can get the conversation going, you are on a winner."
The prize for winning the bid will be a £10m government grant, a year in the national spotlight, and a programme the town will aim to match with at least £20m more.
"When Hull held the title in 2017, its year attracted an audience of over five million, £220m of investment and around 800 new jobs," says Amy.
"City of Culture goes way beyond an arts story. It drives footfall, hotel beds, hiring and headlines. Done well, it can transform the trading conditions of an entire town and its environs.
The culture and visitor economy already plays a major role in Ipswich's economy, contributing £274m in spending, and supporting 5,300 jobs - or 7.2% of total jobs in the town, she says.
"Previous City of Culture winners have seen significant economic benefits as a result of their hosting."
She points out that Hull saw a 28% increase in visitor spend and a 27% increase in tourism-related employment between 2012 and 2017 / 2018 - the year it hosted City of Culture.
In Coventry, visitor spend rose by 51% between 2016 and 2022 when it hosted City of Culture - with tourism-related jobs increasing by 22%.
Alan Pease, principal and chief executive of Suffolk New College, suggests it could be "genuinely transformational" for the town, its communities, and the business ecosystem.
He speaks to arts students who feel they will have to move away from Ipswich to find the jobs they want, he says.
He wants to reverse that trend and believes City of Culture provides the perfect platform for promoting the town's "deep heritage, extraordinary creative talent, and a growing, diverse population".
Ipswich's story has been "untold", he says.
"This bid gives us a platform to change that narrative - to showcase Ipswich as a place that invests in its people, attracts new opportunity, and celebrates the richness of its cultural life."
The status would also benefit the college as one of the town's major employers. "People want to live and work in a place with a thriving cultural scene," he says.
"The pieces are in place - we just need this as a final push to galvanise us."
Emma Proctor King, head of communications at Churchmanor Estates, says her business is proud and excited to support the bid.
"Ipswich is a town with a remarkable history, a thriving cultural scene and enormous ambition," she says.
"Culture has the power to bring people together, inspire creativity and foster a strong sense of identity and pride.
"However, the benefits extend far beyond the arts. A successful City of Culture bid has the potential to deliver significant economic growth by attracting new investment, increasing visitor numbers, supporting local businesses, creating employment opportunities and encouraging further regeneration across the town."
Birketts chief executive Jonathan Agar says his firm wants to play its part in investing in and celebrating the unique culture of Ipswich in order to retain local talent to fuel the economy.
"We're proud to stand alongside so many other passionate businesses and individuals to support Ipswich's bid for UK City of Culture 2029.
"Having been Birketts' home for more than 150 years, our support of the bid is all about our belief in Ipswich's growth and potential."
Paul Hamilton, boss of Ipswich Town Football Club sponsor Halo - a business software company based in Stowmarket which is moving into the Willis building in Ipswich - also supports the bid.
Ipswich Central chief executive Lee Walker - who passed the baton to Amy Vaughan after steering the bid in the initial stages - says the town is regenerating itself with a host of events and attractions driving footfall.
These include the town's first Halo Festival - hosted by Trinity Park on July 4 - which brought thousands of music-lovers and Ed Sheeran's homecoming concert series last year, which sold 90,000 tickets.
"It's about showcasing the amazing stuff we do have and using it to go further - we already have a strong cultural offer," he says of the bid.
"We don't need to come into towns any more - we come into them because we choose to. We come into them for social activities," he says.
Town centres in general risk becoming "too boring", he says. "If you don't give people fun and interest they won't choose them."
He adds: "I'm really proud of the work we do and I think art and culture are at the heart of regeneration."
A Warwick Business School report from 2025 suggests City of Culture has brought in additional investment of more than £1 billion to cities since it started.
Tourism within host cities increased by an average of 22% across the point of bidding and delivery, it suggests, and led to 3,100 jobs being created in their tourism and hospitality sectors.
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