Bristol City Centre BID

Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) is a collaboration of 763 city centre levy-paying businesses working together to make Bristol an even better place. Mandated in 2017, City Centre BID operates under the governance of Visit West.

Introducing significant improvements for the benefit of its levy payers, its aim is to ensure Bristol city centre is known for its safe, attractive and welcoming look and feel by all those who work, study, live and spend leisure time here.

Promoting Success

During its four years in post, the BID has introduced many creative and exciting initiatives to promote this fantastic city of ours, including the inaugural Bristol Light Festival in 2019 that attracted 100,000 additional visitors to the city centre bringing economic benefit to the city of £5.8 million.

In Summer 2020, the BID launched the city-wide #BristolTogether campaign to support local businesses as they safely reopened. The campaign unveiled 374 hearts in green spaces and 1,000 hearts across the city centre, reaching 200 million people to promote Bristol as a safe and welcoming place to all. #BristolTogether continues to support economic recovery in 2021 with the new #LoveBristol initiative brining the hearts in parks back for the second year running.

Improving the ‘welcome & feel’

Every year, City Centre BID provide over 7,000 hours of cleansing services, removing over 1,000 tags from business doorways, walls, windows and street furniture. Responding to levy payers’ requests for a rapid cleaning response, this work complements the street sweeping and litter removal already carried out by Bristol City Council.

Improving safety

Through the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), the BID work alongside the police and the city council to reduce crime against businesses, identify areas of concern and communicate intelligence through a radio and information sharing system.

Part of this work includes delivering over 1,400 hours a year of Safeguarding Marshal activity to patrol the city centre streets at a key overnight period, a funded BID police officer solely focussed on crime priorities for levy paying businesses, and a Streetwise Officer working to reduce anti-social behaviour with the street community.

To support improving the safety of Bristol’ streets, the BID launched TAP for Bristol to solve homelessness in our city. This not-for-profit initiative offers a contact-free way of giving to Bristol’s homeless, with 100% of donations going directly to emergency support and prevention services. Since its launch in September 2019, the initiative has raised almost £40,000.

You’ll find TAP for Bristol donations points located all over the city centre where you can make a simple and secure donation of just £3 with your contactless card or phone. Visit tapforbristol.org to read more or donate online today.

Acting in the best interest of the levy payers

Bristol City Centre BID ensures the needs of businesses are always considered when responding to public authority consultation. They are closely engaged in representing the interests of businesses to the city council and engage daily with levy payers to ensure they are aware of any events that may affect the running of the city centre, from road closures to public protests.

Thanks to the investment and involvement of the 763 levy payers, Bristol City Centre BID are creating a better Bristol: one that’s more caring, more welcoming, safer, cleaner, wonderfully diverse and better promoted.

Read more at bristolcitycentrebid.co.uk.