In the first blog we published back in early 2024, we wanted to clear up what a Business Improvement District (BID) is, how it benefits Harrogate and how we deliver campaigns and events as we work towards our objective and overall Business Plan for the good of our town.

As we move further into our second term in Harrogate, we’re always looking to enhance and improve the services we offer as we aim to maintain our place’s reputation as the ‘jewel in Yorkshire’s crown’.

So, what benefits do we as the BID bring into Harrogate and its business community?

At Harrogate BID, we are working to drive investment into the town centre. Through our Term 2 Business Plan, which will run until 2028, we aim to take pride in the vibrant town of Harrogate, while helping to share the voice of businesses along with their vision. As we are based in the town centre, this allows us to react quickly to any issues raised by businesses or members of the public.

Our teams on the street, including two Street Rangers and a Town Centre Support Officer (TCSO), work hard on a daily basis to ensure our town centre is safe, clean and welcoming for all businesses, residents and visitors.

They offer additionality on top of baseline statutory services delivered by the local authority and police force – working both proactively and reactively to act as the eyes and ears for our BID Members to respond to any issues, all while offering a friendly ambassadorial presence to make sure Harrogate remains an attractive, must-visit destination.

We fund different campaigns and schemes, all with the combined aim of making Harrogate a safe, clean and welcoming place.

Some of the beneficial initiatives we offer include:

  • Additional floral displays
  • Dressing and repurposing vacant shop units
  • Match funding grants for improvement works
  • The Harrogate Gift Card scheme
  • A street entertainment programme
  • Fully funding Christmas lights for our town
  • PR and Communications support
  • Frequent deep cleaning on our streets
  • Sharing of key data and evidence through various platforms
  • Lining the streets with themed bunting throughout the year
  • Creative lighting initiatives at key milestone and celebratory periods of the year
  • Social media promotions for Member businesses

We also host a variety of events to keep the town centre thriving and encourage visitors into the area – and to offer a return on investment to our Members. Our team are working harder than ever to organise a range of events to keep the town centre lively and active throughout 2025 and moving further into our second term.

Some of the events we organise across the year include:

  • The Harrogate Self Care Week
  • Mothering Funday
  • Harrogate Dog Show
  • Harrogate Celebration of Fashion
  • Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration
  • Lego Trail
  • Harrogate Music Weekender
  • Harrogate Maker’s Market

We also have a presence at renowned events in our town, such as the Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show, to share key information and promote Harrogate to not only drive footfall and spend into our business community, but to encourage return visitors too.

We often work in collaboration with various organisations, including Harrogate in Bloom, Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, the Harrogate Pubwatch team, local media partners and more to deliver successful campaigns across the year, as we believe that partnership working is often the solution for the best results.

Our plans are ideas are always developing, so watch this space for further updates on our social media channels, in our monthly newsletter and in our blogs…

If you have any questions around the work we do as the BID in Harrogate, or have any feedback to offer us, please email our team on info@harrogatebid.co.uk

You can also read our full Harrogate BID Business Plan by clicking here.