Heart of Manchester BID

A great city, aspiring for greater success

CityCo is consulting with businesses about launching Manchester’s first Business Improvement District (BID) dedicated to retail.

We see a city centre BID as an opportunity to build on our successes, energy and optimism and make Manchester as successful as we know it can be.

The city’s retailers have collectively helped to make Manchester a vibrant place and now we need to continue to work, together, towards a common goal: to make the Heart of Manchester the most successful retail destination in Britain.

That’s why we want to start a new conversation about the future.

What is a Business Improvement District?

A BID is a specfic area where businesses work together and invest in agreed services, projects and special events. The remit of the BID is determined and controlled by the businesses involved. The BID is financed by a levy made on the basis of rateable value.

Agreement to set up a BID is made on the basis of a ballot of all constituent businesses.

What a BID means for Manchester

Manchester is a city that works on a different level. When we embark on a project, we want to make it a difference, and to be different.

Our proposal for a BID, is likewise, on a different level. It is about directly programming events and activity that will attract substantially increased footfall to the city centre. It’s about having a direct impact on retailer’s returns.

It’s about continuing to keep city centre Manchester a step ahead.

Aims of the Manchester BID

The Heart of Manchester BID intends to:

1. Attract increased retail-focused footfall to the retail core
2. Drive increase basket-spend with a higher number of ABC1 shoppers visiting the city centre
3. Drive additional spend between 5-8pm
4. Increase the size of Mnahcester’s immediate catchment
5. Ensure Manchester city centre remaining a leading retail destination.

The potential income

The potential income from the BID is around £1million per year, over the five year BID period.

That’s £1million we can invest in our city.

We propose to spend it on:

• Launching two major events per year to drive footfall
• Launching a city centre hosting scheme to improve the customer experience
• Developing a stream of activity to boost midweek and evening trade
• Delivering marketing and PR campaigns and partnerships to attract more affluent shoppers

The timeline

An extensive consultation process with retailers has been underways since early 2010. From April 2012- June 2012 CityCo will be talking to retailers about our Draft Business Plan. A decision will then be taken as the viability of the BID, before an Autumn Ballot.

Should the ballot be successful, a BID company and Board will be constituted in April 2013, for a period of 5 years.

Your opinion counts

The Heart of Manchester BID is an exciting opportunity for invest in and shape Manchester’s future. But it will not exist without business support.

We need retailers’ ideas, feedback and opinions about our ideas, to ensure our plans meet everyone’s needs and expectations.

Contact
anne.schofield@cityco.com
BID Project Manager, CityCo
0161 838 3250

Download the Heart of Manchester BID – Draft Business Plan (PDF)

Download the Draft Business Plan here