Supporting businesses in the city – InExeter celebrates 20 years of BIDs
Published: 4 October 2024
InExeter – the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) - is celebrating 20 years of BIDs in the UK, with a total of £1 billion invested in towns and cities.
InExeter and the city’s BID has been running since 2015, yet 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.
Twenty BIDs were formed with the original pilot in 2003 and then brought into law with the UK regulations act the following year.
InExeter is now one of 340 BIDs operating across the UK. A business improvement district is a defined area of a town or city where a levy is charged on all eligible business ratepayers. BID levies are voted for via a ballot which takes place every five years. The next ballot in Exeter takes place in November.
Currently, BIDs invest £152m annually in local economies across the country, helping to support investment in towns and cities. Contributions from Exeter’s business community amount to £500,000 per year invested in improving the city centre.
Day-to-day BID services include street cleaning, removing graffiti, security, connecting businesses and networking. InExeter’s focus this year has been on improving community safety in the city centre as well as delivering award-winning planting and a dedicated street cleansing service to its members.
Nicola Wheeler is CEO of InExeter the Business Improvement District for Exeter. She said: "BIDs were created to forge a strong partnership between the public and private sectors, providing a structure for investment that supports city centre businesses.
“We are agile, able to mobilise quickly to meet business needs and exist because businesses vote for us to deliver change. Through strategic investment and partnerships, we’ve improved the public realm and business environment. It’s inspiring to reflect on what’s been achieved over the past 20 years across the country and we’re excited for what’s next. Here's to the next 20!”
One key project for InExeter which has received public awareness as well as benefiting businesses has been the 10 Street Art Commissions by InExeter. Since 2022, InExeter has collaborated with local and national artists to transform overlooked areas into vibrant, colourful spaces.
InExeter has been serving the city for 10 years, and this November, businesses in the BID area will vote on whether to continue this investment for another five years. If the renewal ballot is successful, InExeter plans to commission 10 more artworks between 2025 and 2030.