

News & Events
‘Hope is in the stars’ for LOROS Hospice and BID Leicester
BID Leicester is sponsoring Rocket Round Leicester, a family-friendly art trail lasting across the city's streets and outdoor spaces this summer, brought to you by LOROS Hospice. Showcasing 40 stunning giant Rocket sculptures transformed by both local artists and...
CityBus will bring safety message and support to city centre
A new purpose-built vehicle is due to take to the streets to provide public safety messaging, help and support within Leicester’s city centre. The CityBus vehicle is a mobile unit providing outreach work in the city. Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime...
Roadmap out of Lockdown announced
On 22 February a Roadmap out of Lockdown was published, outlining how current restrictions will be eased. The government will continue to support businesses throughout the steps set out in the roadmap - details of which will be announced by the Chancellor in the...
NCP Parking Discount for Essential BID Businesses
BID Leicester has negotiated a deal with NCP Car Parks to help essential workers travelling into Leicester city centre access discounted car parking at the NCP Rutland Centre car park (next to Curve theatre). For £5.50 all-day parking at NCP Rutland Centre, download...
BID Leicester response to city being placed in Tier 3 restrictions
Today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Leicester would be placed into Tier 3 restrictions from 2 December when the national lockdown comes to an end. BID Leicester Director Simon Jenner has once again written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, calling upon additional...
Give Leicester contactless fundraising campaign to raise money for Covid-secure accommodation this winter
A campaign to help people who are homeless through contactless technology is now raising money to provide Covid-secure accommodation throughout the winter. Give Leicester has raised over £25,000 to date in aid of the One Roof Leicester night shelter, but has now put a...
The Leicester Gift Card: a new way to support local businesses
BID Leicester has today launched The Leicester Gift Card to give a boost to the city's high street retail and hospitality businesses. The gift card, which can be purchased at values between £5 and £500, can be spent in more than 100 city centre businesses. Outlets...
‘Street Stories’ – Augmented Reality Art Trail across the city’s empty shop windows
BID Leicester has worked with design agency Arch Creative to deliver a spectacular new vacant units project, designed to improve the appearance of empty shops in the city centre and turn them into points of interest. Working with ten community focussed local artists...
We’re hiring! Join our team as an Office Administrator
Office Administrator: £14,137, (dependent on qualifications and knowledge), 24 hours per week BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5 years to make Leicester an...
Eat Out To Help Out scheme is live – support local businesses
The Government's Eat Out To Help Out scheme is now live. The scheme entitles diners to get 50% off meals (up to the value of £10) when they dine in at local businesses. The offer is available Monday to Wednesday throughout August. Registering for the scheme:Businesses...
BID Leicester response to Government additional funding announcement
Following the announcement that an additional £2.6 million has been allocated to Leicester's businesses, BID Director Simon wrote to the Chancellor again highlighting that, whilst the announcement is a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough. Read the...
BID Leicester calls for urgent support for Leicester’s businesses
Following yesterday's (16 July) announcement from Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock, BID Leicester have again written to the Chancellor calling for urgent support for the city's businesses. Matt Hancock announced that local restrictions will...
BID Leicester offer data collection and table service solution for the city’s businesses
BID Leicester has partnered with tech-company Yoello to help the city’s businesses reopen safely. The evening and night-time economy is facing specific challenges when it comes to planning reopening, with businesses having to remodel their operations to meet new...
BID Leicester open letter to Chancellor: help our businesses survive
BID Leicester, the Business Improvement District for the city, have today sent an open letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking for further support for Leicester’s businesses. The letter, from BID Leicester Director Simon Jenner, calls for additional grant funding to...
BID Leicester statement on extended restrictions in Leicester
We are awaiting further information with full details of the closure of non-essential retail and delayed reopening of further sectors in Leicester. The health of our community should always be top priority, and we support decisions taken that will protect our city...
Reopening resources for businesses
The following resources have been compiled to help businesses reopen safely. Risk Assessment templateClick here to download a template Risk Assessment, which you should complete before reopening your business. There is government HSE Guidance available to...
New partnership to lead city centre economic recovery
A new partnership of business leaders has been set up to drive Leicester city centre’s economic recovery. Led and funded by BID Leicester, the Leicester City Centre Economic Recovery Partnership will support businesses in adapting to a new way of working following the...
Coronavirus: Advice for Businesses
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in December 2019. As the situation in the UK develops, we have pulled together the sources below to help you stay informed by reading the latest information. Read the advice at...
List of open BID businesses and online stores
We’ve complied a list of BID Leicester businesses that are still trading. This includes those with physical premises still open in the city centre to provide essential services, businesses with online stores and those that offer delivery. This page is focused on...
BID Leicester continues to support local businesses during Coronavirus crisis
BID Leicester is working hard to support businesses in Leicester city centre that have been affected by measures introduced to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Business Improvement District (BID) has put together several resources to help businesses...
BID Levy payment deadline extended for retail, hospitality and leisure sectors
BID Leicester and Leicester City Council have decided to give businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors longer to pay their BID levy this year. Businesses in these sectors will not need to pay their levy until 30th June 2020. We are working hard to get...
Advice on securing your business
Following government announcements today (20 March 2020), cafes, pubs and restaurants must close from tonight, except for take-away food, to tackle coronavirus. All the UK's nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres have also been asked to close as soon...
How to contact the BID Leicester team during the Covid-19 outbreak
The BID Leicester team have made some operational changes in line with government advice to stay at home to help slow the Covid-19 outbreak. To comply with government guidelines and in the interest of staff and public safety, the Street Ambassador Service has been...
‘Giving flash mob’ boosts Give Leicester charity campaign for Winter Night Shelter
Forty-one people took part in a ‘giving flash mob’ in Leicester city centre on Saturday 22 February to boost the Give Leicester campaign raising money for the One Roof Winter Night Shelter. Unlike a regular flash mob, which sees a group of people assembling and...
Leicester awarded Purple Flag status
Leicester city centre has been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for its evening and night-time economy (ENTE). The award by the Association of Town and City Management (ACTM), recognizes the city as a vibrant destination for dining, entertainment and...
Enjoy great discounts on food and drink in the city during Leicester Comedy Festival
Laughing is hungry work, that’s why Leicester Comedy Festival have teamed up with BID Leicester businesses to offer festival-goers great discounts on food and drink in the city for the duration of the festival. This is the second year a food and drink scheme has been...
BID Leicester supports extra cleaning for city centre streets
A partnership between BID Leicester and Leicester City Council will mean that Leicester’s streets can be washed more frequently - and more unsightly graffiti and chewing gum can be removed from the city centre BID Leicester funding has extended the city council's...
Six new Give Leicester points launched to help raise money for Winter Night Shelter
People wanting to donate at Give Leicester contactless donation points to help homeless people can now do so at six more locations in the city. The new contactless donation points were launched on Wednesday 18 December, bringing the total number of giving points in...
Give Leicester chosen as De Montfort Hall pantomime charity
Pantomime audiences will be supporting homeless people in Leicester this festive season. Bucket collections taken at De Montfort Hall’s Aladdin shows this year will support the Give Leicester charity. The money will be going to Leicester’s One Roof Winter Night...
We’re recruiting! Join our Street Ambassador team
BID Leicester Street Ambassador - £19,000 plus a cost of living increase on completion of 6 months probation (40 hours) BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5...
Late night Park & Ride services to return for busy Christmas shopping period
Late night shopping in Leicester will be easier this Christmas thanks to extra Park & Ride services funded by BID Leicester. From 9 to 23 December, services on Mondays to Saturday will run until 9pm, allowing shoppers to make the most of extended opening hours at...
Give Leicester scheme to offer contactless donation points to help rough sleepers
People who want to help rough sleepers in the city will soon be able to give money to support a local night shelter using new donation points that are being set up across Leicester. BID Leicester and Leicester City Council are working together to provide the...
BID Leicester co-hosting two Leicester Business Festival 2019 events
BID Leicester, Highcross Leicester and Leicester City Council are working in partnership to host two events at Leicester Business Festival 2019 that give delegates the opportunity to hear from national experts about Place Shaping and The Future of High Street, linking...
BID Leicester launch Independent Leicester campaign
LEICESTER’S INDEPENDENTS ARE IN, ARE YOU? BID Leicester has launched an exciting new ‘Independent Leicester’ initiative using the slogan “We’re in” as a rallying cry for indie companies. The campaign, delivered in partnership with BID Leicester and a host of local...
Take One Giant Leap into space-themed fun this half term
Blast off into ten days of space-themed fun this October half term with a whole programme of events to entertain children and adults alike. One Giant Leap, which runs from 11 – 20 October, includes the return of Museum of the Moon, a trail of LEGO® brick models in the...
Portraits of Leicester Community to decorate the City
BID Leicester is pleased to be sponsoring Journeys Festival International Leicester, produced by ArtReach. The festival will turn the city into a giant outdoor art gallery, thanks to funding from BID Leicester, The National Lottery Community Fund and support from...
BID Leicester launches voluntary levy scheme to benefit more city businesses
BID Leicester is happy to announce five leading independent businesses who have opted to pay into the BID through a new voluntary levy scheme. Businesses within the BID area who have a rateable value of over £20,000 automatically become a member and can benefit from...
Join our Street Ambassador team
BID Leicester Street Ambassador - £19,000 (40 hours) BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5 years to make Leicester an even better place to live, work and visit....
Leicester takes One Giant Leap to commemorate moon landing anniversary this summer
Get ready to take a trip to outer space this summer and mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing in Leicester. On 20 July 1969 the world watched in awe as the Apollo 11 mission sent the first humans to the moon. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this...
BID Leicester partners with Cool As Leicester weekly newsletter
BID Leicester is partnering with Cool As Leicester to back their weekly newsletter, which goes out to subscribers with the latest news and events in the city every Thursday. BID Leicester’s sponsorship of the weekly newsletter will start in June and will see a weekly...
Vacant shop units will be brought to life thanks to BID Leicester and Bring The Paint
BID Leicester and Bring The Paint are launching a window dressing programme on vacant shopfronts in the city centre, with eight units to be given a make-over this weekend thanks to artists involved in the street art festival. The vacant units project is being...
BID Leicester launch a new crowdfunding pot to support business start-ups in city centre
BID Leicester is collaborating with Crowdfund Leicester and Spacehive to help fund business start-ups in Leicester city centre.The Business Improvement District has set aside £10,000 to contribute towards creative and innovative start-ups and new project ideas that...
Register your place at our Annual Levy-Payer Event 2019
As of 1 February 2019, BID Leicester is in the second year of its BID term. The Annual Levy-Payer Event gives our BID levy-payers the opportunity to hear from the team about the achievements of the BID in its first year and to look forward to an exciting year ahead....
Reflecting on Year 1 of BID Leicester
BID Leicester is one year old! Happy birthday to us 😊 In our first year of operation we have delivered several initiatives to benefit businesses in the area and raise the profile of our city. Take a look at our first year in facts and figures… Click to...
Get up to 25% off food and drink in the city during Leicester Comedy Festival
Laughing is hungry work, that’s why Leicester Comedy Festival have teamed up with BID Leicester businesses to offer festival-goers great discounts on food and drink in the city for the duration of the festival. This new initiative for 2019 has been organised in...
BID Leicester appoints Springboard to monitor town centre footfall and wi-fi tracking
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Springboard to provide performance footfall, wi-fi monitoring and visitor intelligence services for Leicester City Centre. Springboard is to implement its blended performance monitoring solution which allows for footfall...
Give us your views on Leicester after dark
Do you come into Leicester at night, or do you run a business that is open in the evening? We are gathering views of perceptions of Leicester after dark to help us plan future initiatives. Give us your views by completing our short survey by 30 October 2020 and...
Free Business Training available for BID levy-payers
BID Leicester is working with Incrementa to deliver free training to BID levy-paying businesses. The training sessions will help businesses to increase the skills and knowledge of employees in key areas, including digital marketing, customer service and sales....
BID Leicester Christmas 2018 TV advert goes live
Have you seen this year's Christmas in Leicester TV advert yet? BID Leicester have a commitment in our business plan to raise the profile of the city through high quality marketing, so this Christmas we set out to create a TV advert that would highlight the best of...
Interactive installation to light up Cathedral Gardens this Christmas
Cathedral Gardens will be bathed in light this December as a specially commissioned, enchanting light show takes centre stage. Christmas in the Gardens, taking place from Thursday 13 to Saturday 22 December, will see the beautiful public space in front of Leicester...
BID Leicester fund late-night Christmas Park & Ride extension
Late-night shopping in Leicester will be easier this Christmas thanks to extra Park & Ride services on Mondays to Saturdays throughout December, funded by Leicester’s Business Improvement District (BID). Monday to Saturday services will run between one and three...
Summer Newsletter
Our first newsletter has arrived! You can read a copy but clicking on the link below: BID_Newsletter_Summer18 All levy payers should have received a copy in the post, if you'd like an additional copy please drop us a line at info@bidleicester.co.uk. We'd like the...
We’re recruiting!
BID Leicester is recruiting to fill office positions and on-street roles in the BID team. If you're passionate about Leicester and want to be part of a team seeking to make a difference by enhancing the city centre offer then click on the links below to access the job...
BID Leicester partners with LoyalFree to boost city’s digital footprint
BID Leicester is excited to announce it is partnering with LoyalFree! LoyalFree, which is entirely self-funded, is an innovative digital loyalty scheme which helps businesses attract new customers via a profile showcasing their offers, reviews, images and more. It...
First 100 days…
This was the first official BID Leicester event following the 28-day postal ballot in which 85% of businesses voted in favour of establishing the city's first BID. Businesses came together to hear from the BID Leicester Chair, Gary Rowntree, Head of Branch at...
BID Leicester Launch Event
BID Leicester Launch Event, Middletons Thursday 8th March 8.00 - 9.30am BID Leicester is holding a launch event hosted at Middletons, the iconic former NatWest bank on St Martins. Come and meet the BID Board and learn what BID Leicester will be delivering in its first...
BID Leicester is hiring!
BID Leicester has an exciting opening as we look to build the BID team which will deliver the initiatives in the Business Plan. If you have the experience and drive to lead the BID team we'd like to hear from you. Having the ability to think strategically, whilst...
New logo!
Following the successful ballot result in November BID Leicester now has a new logo, designed by the lovely people at The Unloved! As you can see the logo incorporates the city identity, which is being used by many outward facing organisations to provide a consistent...
Interim Board and newly formed Steering Group
BID levy payers will have recently received a letter explaining the make-up of the interim BID Leicester Board. The existing steering group took the decision to establish an interim Board for the first year of BID to ensure there was a decision-making structure in...
BID Leicester Ballot result video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRT64KJIFWg&feature=youtu.be
BALLOT RESULT
THE RESULT IS IN... So after many months of events, surveys, workshops, visits, meetings and the 28 day ballot period, the result of the ballot for the Leicester city centre BID was declared on Friday 3rd November and we're pleased to report that the result...
See why Jo Tallack, General Manager at Highcross Shopping Centre is #backingtheBID
BID LEICESTER Business Plan Launched !
After many months of consultation and engagement with city centre businesses the BID LEICESTER Business Plan was launched at Hotel Maiyango on Friday 15th September! The Business Plan will be sent to all businesses eligible to vote in the upcoming BID Leicester...
#BIDLEICESTER Business Plan Launch !
Friday 15th September 8.30 - 10am, Maiyango So, after extensive consultation with city centre businesses and many, many hours of work from the BIDLEICESTER Steering Group, we are proud to be launching the #BIDLEICESTER Business Plan. This document will set out how the...
BID LEICESTER – EVENING ECONOMY MEET-UP
MEMBERS OF THE BID LEICESTER STEERING GROUP ARE HOLDING AN INFORMAL MEETING FOR BUSINESSES IN THE EVENING/NIGHTTIME ECONOMY SECTOR Heard about BID Leicester but want to know more about how it will affect your business? This is an opportunity to meet members of the...
BID Leicester in the Press
The Leicester Mercury have written an article following the distribution of the Final Consultation document. The article can be viewed here or in today's Business Daily section.
Final Consultation document released
City centre businesses will soon be receiving the BID Final Consultation document. The document sets out information and priorities gathered over the last 12 months from potential BID levy paying businesses via the BID survey, face-to-face meetings and engagement...
BID Press from Leicester Mercury
Leicester Mercury Deputy Business Editor Lauren Mills was at the LBV-BID event on Friday 3rd March, you can read her article on the event here.
LBV and BID Leicester join forces
Friday 3rd March saw BID Leicester team up with Leicestershire Business Voice (LBV) for a lunchtime event at Parcel Yard on London Road. The event, which was attended by around 55 delegates, provided the business community with another opportunity to engage with the...
BID Survey
Thank you! Thank you to everyone that took the time to fill in the BID survey; this part of the consultation is complete. However, if you didn't get a chance to let us know your thoughts via the survey, don't worry the consultation process isn't over! From the...
The Leicester City BID area
This is the proposed map of the BID area as of January 2017. This isn't the finalised area and the steering group would welcome your feedback.
BID funding
A BID is funded by those businesses within the BID area. Each eligible business contributes a percentage of its rateable value – around 1%. This fund is then ring-fenced – unlike business rates which are redistributed by central government – and an independent BID...
Aims of BID Leicester
No city can thrive without a successful centre. The aim of the BID is to help businesses in the BID area address some of the challenges they currently face. From our initial research the following key themes emerged: Improving the overall visitor and resident...
What do BIDs do?
Invest in initiatives prioritised by BID members Provide a strong voice for businesses to influence positive change Guarantee sustained funding for 5 years Coordinate investment to make the most efficient use of funds for the benefit of BID members Leverage additional...

East Midlands Chamber : 2015 East Midlands International Trade Expo & Conference (E-ITEC) : Photograph by ©Lionel Heap 07977 597674.
Leicester already has a successful and vibrant city centre, with a diverse business community, which provides a solid foundation on which to build. The Chamber is a proud supporter of BID Leicester, as we believe it would yield considerable, tangible improvements which will benefit all businesses in Leicester.