Birmingham city-centre BIDs sign landmark partnership to drive a stronger, connected future
Dr Steve Ball and Nicola Fleet-Milne signing the Memorandum of Understanding at the Birmingham Colmore Summit (Thursday 29 January 2026).
Birmingham Colmore and Southside District have signed a landmark partnership agreement, marking a major step toward a more connected, efficient and thriving Birmingham city centre.
The Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), responsible for placemaking and driving growth in the Colmore and Southside areas of the city, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – a serious statement of commitment that outlines shared intentions, goals and greater co-operation between the parties.
The MoU was signed on Thursday 29 January at the inaugural Birmingham Colmore Summit, where more than 100 cultural, commercial and civic leaders gathered at The Exchange to witness Birmingham Colmore’s refreshed brand and strategic direction, whilst exploring new approaches for shaping the next chapter of the city’s future.
For over 20 years, Birmingham has benefited from Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) across the city core and beyond, but as an early adopter of the model, the city has faced structural limitations that more recently established BID cities - such as those in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Bristol - have since overcome.
These cities have developed cohesive BID arrangements that deliver a more unified voice for businesses and a seamless visitor experience that transcends current District geographical boundaries. The signing of the MoU by two city centre BIDs marks the first step towards addressing this visitor experience.
Speaking at the Summit, Michele Wilby, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham Colmore, said: “Today marks a long overdue turning point for Birmingham city centre. By committing to this partnership, we are taking the first meaningful step towards levelling the playing field between Birmingham and our regional competitors. The partnership will give us greater efficiency, deeper collaboration, and most importantly, a unified voice that can’t be ignored by Government. This is about creating a stronger, better-connected, more ambitious city centre, together.”
Under the agreement, Birmingham Colmore and Southside District will move toward operating a Joint BID Executive (JBE), a single executive team responsible for delivering services across participating BIDs while allowing each individual District to retain its identity, autonomy and decision-making power through its own operating Boards.
This approach mirrors successful models in Liverpool and Bristol, which have strengthened their ability to deliver large-scale city centre projects, drive efficiencies, and present a compelling, united voice to local authorities and public service partners.
Dr Steve Ball, Chair of Southside District Board, added: “This agreement is about building a better future for all of Birmingham city centre. Southside District, the cultural heart of Birmingham, is proud to be part of this milestone moment.
By preserving our local identity while sharing a unified executive team, we can deliver more for our businesses, our residents and our visitors. It’s an efficient, modern, and genuinely collaborative step forward for our city.”
Levy income will be controlled by each individual BID, ensuring that hyper-local priorities and District identities remain both fully protected and celebrated.
Crucially, the new arrangement will unlock the ability to plan, manage and deliver major city-wide projects that benefit the whole of Birmingham city centre. The city already benefits from a City Curator who works on behalf of the five city centre BIDs, funded by Birmingham Colmore.
