Businesses in Gillingham are being asked to take part in a consultation for a feasibility study on establishing a BID, or Business Improvement District.
BID, is a business-led, business-funded organisation that supports business in a defined area. There are eight BIDs in Dorset currently, and over 300 across the UK. A BID is funded by a compulsory levy on businesses within a defined area. The funding is used collectively to deliver a range of activities to support businesses in the area.
The feasibility study focuses on three areas:
- Are businesses in Gillingham interested in developing a BID?
- What, broadly would businesses want the BID to deliver?
- Would the possible levy be sufficient to deliver at least some of this?
The study also begins to take a look at the possible boundaries of the district.
Tammy Sleet, who is carrying out the feasibility study on behalf of the Gillingham Town Team is keen for businesses to get involved, “The feasibility study is the first opportunity for businesses to let us know how they feel the town centre is performing and what they’d like to see happen to support them.”
Businesses can take part via a survey here: https://tinyurl.com/GillBID . The survey should take around 15 minutes and Tammy says the more businesses take part now, better, “We really need businesses to do the survey so that we can assess the challenges that are there and if a BID is the right way to support businesses.”
The feasibility study should be concluded in Spring 2022, and if it concludes that a BID is feasible, the steering group, made up of Gillingham business owners and managers, will decide if they’d like to go to the next phase, which is the development of a BID business plan that businesses would then vote on to establish the BID.