Creating a vibrant Bristol where businesses thrive and people want to live, work and visit is vital if our city is to flourish. And helping to make that dream a reality is at the core of everything Bristol City Centre and Redcliffe & Temple Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) do.
and have a clear ambition for the future. Financed by business rate payers who pay an agreed levy for a fixed term, they are delivering initiatives, projects, services and events that have a positive impact on the city and champion companies in their areas.
They are instrumental in some of our city's most ambitious projects and events - including many that may take you by surprise (see below). And they are proud to sponsor the Diversity and Inclusion category at this year's .
And that hard work is already paying dividends for the community, as head of , Vicky Lee explained: “Over the last five years, we have sought innovative projects that have supported our levy payers, this has included a seven-days-a-week cleansing team to remove graffiti and deep clean businesses property, several safety and crime reduction initiatives and the set up and co-ordination of Bristol’s first Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP). A total of £5m from the BID levy alongside additional grants and funding to the value of £500,000 have also been invested back into the city centre.
“Part of our role is creating a city that is welcoming and appealing to all, encouraging people to spend their leisure time here and eat, shop and drink in the wonderful businesses we have in the city centre, this has included the delivery of free to attend events including Bristol Light Festival, Luminarium, Christmas Adventures and the annual festive lights.â€
Head of ,Steve Bluff agreed and added: “Our aim is to improve and enhance the Redcliffe and Temple area for the benefit of the business community, to be a thriving and vibrant commercial district. There has been £1m reinvested in the area since we were formed in June 2021 and our focus remains to improve sustainability, create green spaces, and connect and represent businesses in our area. We want to build a safe and caring community for business employees and the wider community that visit and live in Redcliffe and Temple.
“It is important to us to listen to our levy paying businesses and understand the challenges they face so that we can find solutions and new ways to shape our support and the city. For example, whilst creating our Green Infrastructure Action Report we discovered that women engage less with the city’s public realm than men, and from this information we now have a project focused on designing cities with women, which looks at how women interact with the public realm and how to improve this.â€
Six interesting facts you might not know about the BIDs
1. Every month, both BIDs host a selection of free to attend events for the business community which have been hugely popular, offering activities employees may not usually be able to access. These include yoga, self-defence classes, historic walking tours, mindful photography, a first opportunity for tickets for events and during Pride month, two LGBTQ+ walking tours that talked about Bristol’s LGBTQ history.
2. Many of the BID’s projects stem from listening to levy payers through working groups. This means that projects are based on the real needs and requirements of those working in the city. These working group discussions have been the starting point for several safety projects including anti-sexual harassment training, safety in the workplace and public realm design for women.
3. This August, Bristol City Centre BID hosted a free to attend immersive art experience Luminarium, as part of the project the BID completed its most extensive community outreach programme to date. Engaging with community groups, organisations, and charities across the city. This has helped to open the city centre to even more people from across Bristol.
4. Both BIDs support Bristol’s Grass Roots Activators Programme, helping to connect businesses to the programme and supporting young people into jobs. Redcliffe & Temple BID also sponsor a young person through the programme.
5. The BIDs create free to attend, culturally enriching events that offer opportunities for visitors to engage with the city in ways they never have before. The annual Bristol Light Festival is delivered by the BIDs and this year, attracted 170,000 visitors to the city and brought an additional spend of £3.4m into city centre businesses, supporting the post-pandemic business recovery.
6. The BIDs developed the Love Bristol Gift Card which launched this summer to help boost the city centre economy and support businesses, retailers, and hospitality venues, with 114 businesses already signed up to the scheme and is sold online through Visit Bristol and the Bristol Shopping Quarter websites.
- To find out more about Bristol City Centre BID
- To find out more about Redcliffe & Temple BID
The BristolLive Business Awards
The BristolLive Business Awards are back for 2022, recognising the resilience and achievements of the city’s business community. The annual ceremony, run in association with BusinessLive, is a chance to celebrate Bristol’s most successful firms - and the people who lead them.
Entries for the awards are open until 5pm, September 16. To find out more information about the awards or to enter, visit. We would like to encourage entrepreneurs and business owners from underrepresented communities to apply.
