BIDs

What is a BID?

What is a BID? A Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led and business-funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area. BIDs empower businesses to decide and direct what they want for their area and ensure that they have a voice in issues affecting the area.

BID levy money is ring-fenced for use only in the BID area. Activities that BIDs can deliver may focus on increasing footfall, improving staff retention, combating business crime or enhancing the look and feel of the trading area.

Since the legislation was passed in 2004 BIDs have been developed throughout the UK. With over 320 now in existence.

Savills Place provides a range of services to BIDs and you can see these below.

Our ABC approach resonates with BIDs throughout their ballot process and helps to set clear milestones along the way. It updates our 5-stage approach which introduced the Feasibility, Planning, Local Authority, Campaign and Establishment Stages. In the ABC process (A) requires developing or renewing BIDs to ‘Analyse’ the location and its competition; (B) is the ‘Build’ of the proposal; (C) is where the team works to ‘Create’ a compelling ballot campaign.

Once successful at ballot, the new BID Body would follow on to ‘Deliver’ (D) on their manifesto commitments and continuously ‘Evaluate’ (E) their outputs throughout the term. Click below to view this in detail.

View ABC Table

BID Development

We can take you step by step on the journey of how to manage a successful BID campaign and ballot– be it a town, city or Industrial area – from the initial feasibility study, to consultation, development of the actual business plan and finally organisation of the ballot.

We have developed BIDs in numerous locations across the UK, including, but not limited to, Nottingham, Bromley, Southend, Ilford, Uxbridge, Leeds, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent and Colchester.

BID Renewal

Success at the renewal ballot comes through hard work and experience. The process also involves being able to prove a return on investment to businesses and provide a consultation period to discover their priorities for the next BID term.

A BID Proposal, including a business plan is required and a formal ballot must be carried out alongside the local authority. We have extensive experience of renewal ballots and strong connections at Head Office level and boast an unrivalled track record at the ballot box.

BID Management

Savills Place provides ongoing BID management support to numerous locations. Find out more about these on our clients page.

Our management service works on a bespoke basis to support the BID in maximising delivery and ensuring that good governance and protocols are in line with the BID Regulations (2004). Support provided includes overarching strategic guidance, governance advice, business planning, marketing and communication planning, campaign plans, human resource support, recruiting support, budgeting and finance resource. We are able to recruit, provide and manage staff your behalf if this is required.

BID Feasibility

We can help you test the BID concept with businesses in your area to see what matters to them and what matters to their business. As we know, every place is different with individual wants and needs.

We help you define whether there is an appetite for the BID concept and what potential areas of investment businesses would want to spend their money on. We help you model a potential BID zone and look at in principle what your BID might do. Our feasibility service is the ‘go ¬to’ guide for places in the initial stage of developing or renewing a BID.