Good Practice Guide

The Good Practice Guide brings together the wealth of knowledge and experience acquired by the National BID Pilot Project over its three-year life, and is essential reading for all BID stakeholders from businesses and local authorities looking to galvanise support for BIDs to individuals seeking further information. The guide is informative, but not prescriptive, as the flexible and local nature of BIDs means that the model will be different in each location. The information will be useful to all business locations.

Taster summaries of each chapter can be read below, and the full chapters can be read online by logged on members. A print copy of the Good Practice Guide can be purchased by going to Our Publications.

 Overview
This topic section outlines the basics of BIDs, provides policy background, and looks at the history of BIDs, Town Centre Management (TCM) and the National Pilot....

 Introduction
Purpose The Good Practice Guide disseminates the wealth of knowledge and experience acquired by the National BID Pilot Project over its three-year life, and is essential reading for all BID stakeholders from businesses and local authorities looking to galvanise support for BIDs to individuals seekin...

 Business Plans
Businesses must believe that investing in a BID will translate to an improved bottom line or they will not support it. The business case for the BID will be made by the business plan. Stakeholder participation in the creation of the BID projects and services will be key to the development of robust ...

 Finances
When businesses vote for a BID they are agreeing to pay an additional sum which will be collected via the rates system. This money may be used to leverage other funds, perhaps even more than the original charge collects, but the BID levy remains the core funding. How the administration of the levy i...

 Formal Agreements
A BID is a partnership between the public and private sector. Experience from the National Pilot indicates the need for both parties to actively demonstrate commitment to ensuring its success. Businesses will do this through the voting process and the payment of the levy. For local authorities and o...

 Partnerships
The transparency and accountability of the BID partnership will be key to securing support for a BID. Those proposing BIDs will need to consider carefully how they can engender confidence in stakeholders when they set up the BID partnership. Businesses will expect an opportunity to be involved in th...

 Stakeholders
A BID sits businesses and local authorities around the table as equal partners working towards common goals. However, it is likely that very different issues and drivers actually bring them to the table. Identifying what issues and drivers are important to various stakeholders must be done through c...

 Voting
Securing a BID is quite literally a process of getting elected. While conducting the ballot is the responsibility of the local authority, and governed by strict regulations, BID partnerships can play a role. Like any other election process, a higher the turnout ensures a stronger sense of mandate. P...

 Business Support
This section has information regarding various methods of supporting businesses that will be affected by a BID....

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