SEAFRONT

VOICE

We will ensure your collective voice is heard and acted upon by decision-makers to drive meaningful progress.

We will provide advocacy and representation, acting as a unified voice to lobby local authorities and policymakers for seafront-specific improvements, such as infrastructure upgrades, and public transport enhancements and representing seafront businesses in regional and national discussions to secure funding and support for coastal development.

In addition to the BID levy, we pursue additional income streams to reinvest in the seafront.

By working together, sharing knowledge, and collaborating with other city BIDs, we identify more funding opportunities and submit more applications.

Stronger relationships with commercial partners have enabled us to create bespoke sponsorship opportunities for them, and we offer an Affilliate Scheme for those organisations who wish to get involved in transforming our city by making a financial contribution.

We maximise city partnerships to add value to our businesses.

We bring individuals, businesses and sectors together to collaborate on new additions and attractions that drive footfall and secure economic benefits to all involved.

Our strong partnerships with key stakeholders bring additional marketing value by amplifying the message of regular networking events, forums and briefings.

We are always seeking new alliances to bring connectivity and fresh ideas to the city centre, benefit dwell time, connect communities, bring more funding, attract different audiences, expand our profile, and enhance the overall visitor experience.

Keeping businesses informed and up to date is essential.

Sharing critical city information and intelligence with BID businesses is integral to what we do. We provide businesses with a platform to share their ideas, needs, and concerns, creating a culture of collaboration and inclusion.

We incorporate new elements into our communication methods to match the requirements of sectors and organisations in the seafront so everyone is well-versed in what is happening in the city. In addition to organising Professionals Lunches and Business Breakfasts, we are working on providing more innovative networking opportunities.

We have many inspirational examples in Sunderland where businesses have committed to tackling major environmental and social issues.

There has been positive action across sectors, including fashion, hospitality, health & beauty, and banking. It’s not just the nationals that are taking ESG seriously; we have many good examples from our Independent businesses too.

The BID shares and learns from how our businesses approach environmental issues, including reducing carbon emissions and waste, embracing diversity, and committing to charity partnerships.

We see it as an essential role of the BID to set a good example regarding an ESG ethos in everything we do. We work with our levy payers to boost their levels of ESG to ensure that Sunderland is a place that works to balance people, planet and profit.