Edinburgh's Greater Grassmarket BID
Welcome to the Greater Grassmarket Business Improvement District (BID)
What is the Greater Grassmarket BID?
The Greater Grassmarket Business Improvement District is a five-year project where all businesses within the defined area collectively invest to benefit business and local economy growth through local improvements, activities and business support in addition to those delivered by the city council and Scottish Government.
The Greater Grassmarket BID project started in February 2013 and the business plan for the project can be found here.
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Get in touch:
Georgia Artus, newly appointed BID Project Manager
Available in the Grassmarket Tuesday - Thursday weekly.
enquiries@grassmarket.net
0131 5139 813
Please note: All queries regarding the levy invoice must be directed to the Council's Revenue Services Department on nondomesticrates@edinburgh.gov.uk or 0131 469 5746
Looking to find out the BID ballot results? Information about what is coming up for the BID? or details surrounding the levy charge? For answers to many of the Commonly Asked Questions about the Grassmarket BID Project - please click here.
Need me on a Monday, Friday or at the weekend?
For urgent enquiries outside of Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday please contact Urgent@grassmarket.net and I will endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible.
Drop-in session hours detailed below.
How to find me:
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One-to-one |
Drop in |
Events |
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Tuesday - Thursday Wherever possible, I will make myself available within the Grassmarket area for one-to-one meetings with businesses. Email me on info@grassmarket.net I will be happy to visit you or meet for a coffee at a time that suits you. |
Every Wednesday
4pm - 7pm
Please note:
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Monthly Brainstorm As the BID Project Manager I will work as an ambassador and lobbyist for all the businesses represented in the levy area - to do this best I need your input.
Come to our monthly brainstorming sessions with your ideas - details of our first brainstorm can be found in the left hand column. |
A message for Grassmarket Business Owners
For a pdf copy of this introductory letter please click here.
Dear Grassmarket Business Owner,
Over the next few weeks you might have a number of questions surrounding the newly formed Greater Grassmarket BID Project, so I wanted to write to you to introduce myself; My name is Georgia Artus and I have recently taken up the position of the Grassmarket BID Project Manager.
As this is a part time position I will typically be working from Tuesday - Thursday each week to manage the project and help with your queries. However, with the nature of the project often calling for my involvement outside of those times, I’m sure you will see me around on a regular basis and I hope to meet each of you in good time.
As part of my role, I would like to receive input from as many businesses as possible and look forward to hearing any ideas you have surrounding enhancing the Grassmarket area for the benefit of you and your business.
Getting in touch
I encourage you to get in touch with me either via email, phone or by visiting me at my weekly open surgery session at Edinburgh Central Library (all details below) as well as attending our monthly BID Brainstorm sessions if you can. I am also more than happy to visit you at your business at a time that suits you best - simply get in touch.
If you have an emergency query outside of Tuesday - Thursday I have also set up a ‘urgent@grassmarket.net' address which you can use and I will respond as soon as I can.
Upcoming Projects
The Grassmarket BID Project has already been working on some upcoming activities which will be beneficial to local businesses, including a Grassmarket Clean Up Event, planning local exhibitions, developing marketing activities and setting up trials to develop new signage to encourage visitors to the area. To keep updated on these, and future, projects, please do add yourself to the BID Businesses e-newsletter list a as soon as you can by clicking here and selecting 'Local Business'.
Your Questions
I have pulled together some answers to Commonly Asked Questions about the BID Process on the back of this letter to help you with any initial queries you have. As the BID Project Manager I am separate from the Edinburgh City Council and cannot make decisions surrounding the levy, but aim to work with you over the next 5 years to make sure that your business sees a return and significant benefit from the levy investment.
Looking forward to meeting you soon,
Georgia Artus - Project Manager
What is a BID?
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a precisely defined geographical area of a town, city or commercial district, where businesses have voted to invest collectively in local improvements, in addition to those delivered by statutory authorities over an agreed period (up to 5 years). BIDs are usually a partnership agreement through which the local business community and the statutory authorities can take forward projects which will benefit business and help to grow the local economy.
BIDs are managed by the private sector and the projects are funded by a small investment levy based on the rateable value of a business. The BID can also leverage in additional funding from other sources to boost the investment levy.
A BID can only proceed if:
- a minimum of 25% of the businesses in the BID area vote.
- over 50% of those that vote, vote in favour of a BID.
- those in favour represent over 50% of the total rateable value of the votes cast.
In November 2012 the above criteria were met through a ballot of the businesses in the Greater Grassmarket area and as a res the Grassmarket BID was formed
During 2012, the Grassmarket Steering Committee and Pre-Ballot Project Manager consulted with the businesses in the following ways:
- One-to-one consultations with over 100 businesses.
- A Business Questionnaires sent to every occupied non-domestic property within the proposed BID area, to see what type of projects the businesses would like and to ask for comments and suggestions.
BID Summary Brochure – click on the link
BID Business Plan - click on the link
- Posted communication surrounding the BID proposal and ballot process.
- All eligible voters (i.e. those persons liable to pay non-domestic rates) in the proposed BID area were given the opportunity to vote for the BID. A copy of the Business Plan and voting papers was sent on 20th September 2012 and elligble voters had until 1st November 2012 to return the voting paper in the pre-paid envelope. As the ballot was successful the BID commenced in February 2013 and will run for a period of 5 years.
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