Year 10 business plan

2026/2027 brings new challenges and new opportunities for businesses. We look froward to continue working with you to deliver key services and projects that help enhance the BID area for all those that visit, live, work and study here.

Our Year 10 business plan will be launched soon. Check back here for the full breakdown for the upcoming year.

A note from our Executive Director Stephen Manion

Businesses are facing tough times, with pressures from business rates, rising employment costs and high utility bills – which haven’t gone away.

We will be focusing our resources on identifying the needs of each sector and delivering relevant projects or supporting actions that will attract footfall, create a safer and welcoming city and encourage economic growth. These will be our aims over the next year and beyond.

Feeling safe from retail crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre will still be our primary objective, from our highly visible security team on patrol to use of technology and strengthened partnerships with the enforcement authorities.

A BID can move swiftly and respond to the calls and needs of our businesses. The hospitality and night-time economy industries have been battered by rising costs, dwindling income and changes in consumer attitudes towards drinking with venues closing at a worrying rate. Business working groups are being established to devise and deliver action plans which will include lobbying local and central government, helping businesses to grow and marketing the citywide offer.

The visitor experience is vital for economic activity. Whether a local resident or an international tourist, a place which is visually attractive and welcoming will be a place to which they want to go. As part of this enhanced experience, GO! will extend its installation of decorative lighting during the year.

To encourage the ever-growing number of cruise passengers to stay and explore, we will be adding to our Welcome to the City projects with more visitor information points at key locations and developing walking trails with city partners. Times may be tough, but we will all be stronger working together.

Top priorities for 2026/2027:

  1. Make the city centre a safer and cleaner place to work, visit and live
  2. Attract more cruise passengers into the city centre
  3. Move visitors around the BID area
  4. Support the evening and night-time economy
  5. Attract footfall into our retail and hospitality businesses

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at info@gosouthampton.co.uk.