October 2024 marks 20 years since the anniversary of the first business improvement district pilot, with £1bn invested in local services and events to improve towns and cities for communities and business.

20 BIDS were formed with the original pilot in 2003 and then brought into law with the UK regulations act the following year. Using a model from Canada, Business Improvement Districts allowed for businesses to have access to additional services, like street cleaning, improving the environment and public realm, or events and activity to increase footfall and animation.

The number of BIDs has now grown to over 340, with BIDs appearing in all four nations of the UK. A business improvement district is a defined area of a town or city where a levy is charged on all eligible business rate payers. BID levies are voted for via a ballot which takes place every five years. Currently, BIDs invest £152m in local economies across the country, helping to support investment in towns and cities at a time when public sector funding has been impacted by budget cuts across a range of departments.

BID services day to day include street cleaning, removing graffiti, security, connecting businesses and networking. But BIDs increasingly create spectacle and organise events and projects enhancing the lives of those living in local communities.

Stratford Original BID has spent a decade working for businesses across our district, investing in the town centre and providing benefits to members including cleaning, greening, community events and more. As we prepare for our renewal ballot, we are setting out our plans, shaped by you, for our third term. A YES vote in our upcoming ballot would secure another five years to deliver our mission to support the businesses of Stratford.