Dear BID Businesses,
Re: Government Review of BIDs
The government has said it wants every BID to be transparent, accountable, and focused on making their local area better for the people living, working and visiting it. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has therefore established a BID innovation forum to bring together representatives from business, local government, community organisations, as well as high street experts and academics to explore how BIDs can work more innovatively and effectively in their communities. This is an important move on the part of government, and Bognor Regis BID will be following developments closely through the active involvement of both British BIDs and the BID Foundation, of which it is a member.
In its first year, the forum will focus on examining how the BID model in England can be improved for the future, providing government with a set of recommendations for change. Back in September 2023, organisations including British BIDs, the Association of Town and City Management, the Institute of Place Management and The BID Foundation submitted a detailed report to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities which Members may find interesting.
The forum will also be asked to recommend a set of voluntary standards for BIDs. As a levy paying business, you will be reassured to learn that Bognor Regis BID secured accredited status from the BID Foundation last year: https://www.brbid.org/post/bognor-regis-bid-secures-accreditation
If you’d like to share your thoughts with the Government Forum on how the BID model could be improved, the guidance is to contact the department directly by emailing correspondence@levellingup.gov.uk using the subject heading ‘BID Innovation Forum’.
Kind regards, Heather
Heather Allen
BR BID COO
