About Watford Town Centre BID

Watford Town Centre BID is a private, not-for-profit limited company, funded via an annual levy by nearly 500 businesses and organisations operating in the BID area. Formerly known as Watford BID,
in 2023 we changed our name to Watford Town Centre BID to reflect the area we operate in and to coincide with the launch of the Watford Town Centre brand.

BID stands for ‘Business Improvement District’ and there are over 330 of them in the UK. BIDs are a great way for local businesses and organisations to work together to address issues affecting their trading environment. Problems which are too large or widespread for any one business to address can be solved by all businesses coming together to finance and manage improvements. This can increase footfall, make it easier to retain staff, solve difficult issues and ultimately result in higher profits.

Watford BID Ltd began trading on 1 April 2016 and is currently in its second five-year BID term, following a successful renewal ballot in February 2021.

We aim to deliver the projects and services set out in the BID business plan 2021-2026.

 

The BID levy

We are funded primarily by all the eligible businesses and organisations in the BID area paying an annual BID levy. This levy income allows us to deliver against the BID business plan. It is also used to lever in more funding; for example, from public sector agencies, grant bodies and sponsorship during the 5-year term, maximising the potential funding stream and the benefits that the BID can achieve. Over the course of its first term, Watford BID Ltd generated 29% additional income, which was reinvested back into the BID area to support businesses.

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What we do

Here is a snapshot of the main services we offer and the projects we manage:

Watford Business Against Crime

If your business suffers at the hands of shoplifters or individuals carrying out antisocial behaviour then we encourage you to join our Watford Business Against Crime (WBAC) scheme.

 

Contact our BID office and arrange for our WBAC co-ordinator to drop in and see you.

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Get the latest news

Stay informed about the latest news and events in our town. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates on community events, local news, and more.

    Let’s LinkUp

    Watford LinkUp is a platform created exclusively for people working in Watford to connect with each other and share information. We have partnered with Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce to extend the reach to their members and give all users the ability to:

    • Connect with Watford businesses and employees
    • View and upload news and events
    • Access exclusive promotions and discounts available only to LinkUp users
    • Start discussions and chat with local employees
    • Access resources that are confidential to local businesses

    As a Watford Town Centre employee, by signing up you will have editor permissions allowing you to add your own news, events and offers – it’s a completely free form of B2B marketing aimed at local organisations and their staff.

    Create your profile and become a part of our growing Watford business community!

    www.watfordlinkup.com

    Dates for your diary

    Here are details of any upcoming BID meetings or events.

    For Watford Business Against Crime members, our monthly meeting takes place on the first Wednesday of every month from 10:45-11:30am at One YMCA, Charter House.

    › View all
    Jun
    13

    Hertfordshire Retail Crime Forum

    The first meeting of the new Hertfordshire Retail Crime Forum, established by Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards, will take place (in person) on Friday 13 June with a start-time of 10:00am at Tesco’s HQ in Welwyn.

    The Forum will bring together retailers and the police to work at pace to tackle shop theft and wider retail crime across the county. We are encouraging Watford Town Centre retailers big and small to attend and have their voice heard.

    The Commissioner’s new Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire will prioritise tackling shop theft and wider crime that affects retailers. The Retail Crime Forum will deliver on the Plan’s priority to convene businesses and the police to take a collaborative approach to tackling retail crime across the entire county, improving crime prevention and reporting and improving the confidence of retailers.

    For more information on the Forum, please visit the PCC’s website: Retail Crime Forum to bring retailers and police together to tackle shoplifting and retail crime

    Businesses can register your place in a few seconds using this link: https://bit.ly/HertsRetailCrimeforum*

    *Please confirm with the BID team in advance that you are planning on attending these events.