Contents:
1. What is a BID and How Does it Work?
2. FOR Cardiff’s Track Record
3. The New BID Area
4. The Levy
5. Delivering More FOR Cardiff Together
What is a BID?
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined area in which local businesses collaborate to fund projects and services that enhance their trading environment. These initiatives are additional to those provided by the local authority. A BID is established through a formal ballot in which eligible businesses vote on its creation or renewal. Following a successful vote, a private, not-for-profit company is formed to manage the BID area. All businesses within the designated area automatically become members and pay a mandatory annual levy, calculated according to their rateable value. This funding is used to deliver projects and services which are developed in consultation with members and aligned with their priorities.
How it works
1. A BID is set up by a democratic postal ballot of all eligible businesses in the proposed BID area.
2. If the ballot is successful, the businesses within that area will pay a compulsory levy based on the rateable value of their property to create a ringfenced budget which will be used to deliver projects to improve the area.
3. A board of volunteers from levy paying businesses runs the BID. FOR Cardiff’s Board will be
4. BID services are in addition to those provided by the Council. The levy cannot be used to subsidise Council services and it is entirely separate from your business rates.
5. A BID term runs for a maximum of 5 years, after which businesses vote on whether to re-elect the BID for another term.
Why has Cardiff got a BID?
Most major cities in the UK have a BID, delivering additional investment over and above that provided by the local authority, while providing a strong, coordinated response to local needs and priorities and representing the collective voice of the local business community.
In 2016, 84% of businesses voted to establish a BID in Cardiff city centre. This strong mandate has continued to grow. FOR Cardiff secured a second five-year term in 2021, with 91% voting ‘yes’ by number and 94% by rateable value.
In June 2026, FOR Cardiff achieved record-breaking support for a third five-year term, with 92% of businesses voting ‘yes’ by number and 97% by rateable value. The new term will
begin on 1st December 2026 and will see the BID area expand to include Cardiff Bay, extending FOR Cardiff’s reach and investment across a broader area of the city.
Who runs the BID?
FOR Cardiff was established in 2016 as a private, not-for-profit membership organisation to run the BID for Cardiff city centre. Since its inception, it has delivered a wide range of projects and initiatives designed to enhance the experience of everyone who works in, visits and enjoys the city centre, with a particular focus on making Cardiff cleaner, greener and safer, while creating more reasons for people to visit and spend time in the city. FOR Cardiff is led by Executive Director Carolyn Brownell and governed by a Board comprising representatives from member organisations across a broad range of sectors. Board members serve on a voluntary basis and are responsible for overseeing the effective delivery of the BID’s projects, services and strategic priorities.
How is the BID different to Cardiff Council? What additionality does it bring?
Through FOR Cardiff, businesses and organisations within the BID area collectively invest more than £1.4 million each year in Cardiff city centre, delivering additional services, initiatives and improvements over and above those provided by the Council. At a time when public services are under increasing pressure, this provides a reliable and sustained source of investment in the heart of our capital city.
This collective investment is helping to make Cardiff city centre safer, cleaner and greener, supporting our public spaces, our people, our events and the promotion of the city. It strengthens the overall city centre offer, attracting new and returning visitors, encouraging more people to visit and giving them more reasons to stay for longer.
FOR Cardiff’s impact can be seen across the city centre, from cleaner, safer streets and funded training for businesses and their staff, to initiatives that help prevent and address crime. We also champion and celebrate everything that makes Cardiff special: from its historic arcades and outstanding places to eat and drink, to its green spaces, cultural experiences and family attractions.
By working together and investing collectively, we are building on Cardiff’s unique character and warm welcome, creating a city centre that people are proud to live in, work in, study in and visit.
Why does the bill come from Cardiff Council?
Regulations stipulate that, as the authority responsible for billing and collecting business rates, Cardiff Council must also manage the billing and collection of the levy on FOR Cardiff’s behalf. Levy monies are held in a separate revenue account and transferred in full to FOR Cardiff.
Where can I find out more about the legalities?
The Business Improvement District Regulations Wales can be found here.
What has FOR Cardiff done since December 2016?
FOR Cardiff has delivered more than £12 million of members’ investment through award-winning campaigns, projects and initiatives designed to help businesses, organisations and people thrive. This collective investment has enhanced the city centre experience, with a focus on making Cardiff cleaner, greener and safer, while creating more reasons to visit and promoting the city’s unique character and warm welcome to visitors.
FOR Cardiff also plays a unique and important role in representing the interests of its members, ensuring their collective voice is heard through partnerships with key organisations across the city, as well as with policymakers and the media. To explore the breadth of FOR Cardiff’s impact since 2016, read our blog, ‘What Has FOR Cardiff Delivered in the Past Five Years?’, or see pages 6–9 of our business plan, Delivering More FOR Cardiff Together 2026–2031.
How does FOR Cardiff compare with other cities’ BIDs?
FOR Cardiff is one of the UK’s leading Business Improvement Districts, bringing together expertise in place management, marketing and business engagement to support its members and strengthen Cardiff’s city centre.
It has a strong track record of delivering impactful, innovative and award-winning initiatives and placemaking campaigns that respond to business priorities, enhance the city experience and reinforce Cardiff’s profile as a distinctive, welcoming and vibrant capital city.
Which businesses are currently members of the BID?
Currently, and until the end of this term (30th November 2026), all businesses which have a rateable value over £25,000 which fall within the city centre BID area are BID members and subject to the BID levy. Businesses that fall under that threshold can opt to become voluntary members for an annual fee.
How is the BID area going to change?
From 1st December 2026, FOR Cardiff’s BID area will expand to include businesses in Cardiff Bay, alongside those in Cardiff city centre. The rateable value threshold will also increase to £30,000, meaning eligible businesses across both areas with a rateable value above this threshold will become BID members and be subject to the BID levy.
The expansion follows extensive consultation with businesses in Cardiff Bay, with 68% voting in favour of progressing to a ballot on joining the BID area. Following FOR Cardiff’s record-breaking support in the June 2026 ballot, the expansion was approved and will take effect at the start of the new five-year term on 1st December 2026.
Why is FOR Cardiff expanding to include Cardiff Bay?
We believe there is a major opportunity for Cardiff to make more of everything the wider city has to offer. The city centre and Cardiff Bay provide different but complementary experiences and bringing them together can only strengthen the appeal of our capital city.
The time to seize that opportunity is now. Cardiff is entering a once-in-a-generation period of transformational investment, and expanding the BID area to include the Bay will generate around £1 million of additional annual investment in the city at this crucial time.
Historically, connectivity between the city centre and the Bay has been a challenge. That is changing. Cardiff Crossrail is due to open in 2028, the same year the new arena in Cardiff Bay is expected to open. Alongside major city-centre regeneration projects, these investments come as Cardiff continues to build an international reputation as a destination for world-class sport, music and major events.
What will the new levy rate be?
From 1st December the levy rate for 2026-2031 will be 1.6% (currently 1.06%). The levy for each hereditament (property) is calculated by multiplying the rateable value of that property by the levy rate, so for example a property with a rateable value of £30,000 would pay £480 a year.
How much will I pay?
The levy will be calculated based on the 2023 rating of your property so you can see the true cost of your levy bill now. To look up the rateable value of any property you can use the government’s valuation checker here.
Why will the levy rate be increased?
FOR Cardiff’s levy rate was set at 1% in 2016 and has increased marginally to the current rate of 1.06%, with levies being charged based on the 2017 rateable value list. The costs of running services have increased significantly more than this. At the same time, changes to the valuation of some properties in Cardiff, on which the levy is based, means less money is collected overall. This has reduced our funding in real terms. To continue to deliver services at the current level, the levy rate must be increased. We are also proposing to include an annual inflationary increase, at the discretion of the Board, in the levy rules to ensure our ability to deliver does not diminish as the term goes on.
The rateable value threshold for businesses will also be increased from £25,000 to £30,000 from 1st December. If your property has a rateable value of below £30,000 on the 2023 ratings list, you will not be liable for the BID levy even if you are currently being charged the levy in the current term. This means fewer SMEs would have to pay the levy. Businesses that fall below the threshold will have the option to join FOR Cardiff as voluntary members.
How does this compare to other cities?
The average levy rate across the BID industry currently stands at 1.55%. The levy rate tends to be higher for city BIDs, for example Leeds and Bristol which recently set their levy rate t 1.9%.
How much money will the new levy bring in?
The proposed levy arrangements would generate £2.6 million of investment every year for Cardiff city centre and Cardiff Bay, compared with the £1.4 million currently raised from the city centre alone.
Over the five-year term of the next BID, this would amount to £13 million invested by Cardiff’s businesses and organisations to support and improve the city.
FOR Cardiff will also continue to pursue additional sources of income to extend the scale and impact of our work. During the current BID term, we have secured £562,000 in additional income to supplement the levy paid by businesses, alongside tens of thousands of pounds of in-kind support.
In our third term, we will build on this success by seeking further external funding, partnerships and in-kind support, enabling us to enhance our projects, broaden our delivery and maximise the value of every pound invested by levy payers.
How will FOR Cardiff respond to growing pressures facing businesses?
While businesses continue to face significant economic pressures, they also tell us they recognise the value of investing collectively in the future of our capital city. This includes city centre businesses, which have invested through the BID and been represented by FOR Cardiff since 2016, including throughout the pandemic, as well as Cardiff Bay businesses we consulted in autumn 2025.
Looking ahead, the next five years will bring significant investment, major events and new opportunities for Cardiff. With millions of people set to visit the city, we have an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen Cardiff’s reputation and ensure every visitor has a great experience of our capital.
By investing collectively, businesses can help us seize that opportunity, creating a more vibrant, welcoming and successful Cardiff that benefits businesses, residents and visitors alike.
Who sets the levy?
The levy is proposed in detail as part of the consultation with businesses, and voted on by all the businesses in the BID area during the ballot.
How do you know what Cardiff will need in 2026-2031?
Our business plan, DELIVERING MORE FOR CARDIFF TOGETHER 2026-2031, is informed by our experience and expertise delivering our members’ investment in impactful city improvements since 2016 and working with them to identify priorities.
This business plan is also shaped by:
- the once-in-a-generation transformations that are planned for the city over the next five years
- our continuous work with city centre partners and members;
- our consultation with Bay businesses;
- our city-wide consultation with residents and organisations on how they experience their city and their priorities for the future