Interesting in forming a Business Improvement District (BID) in Philadelphia? BIDs are organizations created by local property owners and businesses to fund additional services and improvements to help their area flourish. This guide will help you create a detailed proposal that establishes your district’s boundaries, what services the BID would provide, who will pay BID fees, and how much.

The final step in establishing a BID is turning your proposal into a legislative bill and working with your district councilperson to pass it through Philadelphia City Council. This guide will take you step-by-step through these aspects of BID formation. Before you take any of the initial steps in creating a BID, we recommend reading through this guide.

Philadelphia Department of Commerce staff is available to answer questions and help apply information found within this guide.