Alloa First has become one of Scotland’s first Business Improvement Districts (BID) to be officially accredited for its strong governance, transparency and delivery of services for town centre businesses.
The accreditation from British BIDs – which follows independent assessment of the Alloa First’s work – marks a significant milestone for the organisation, coming at the midway point of its current five-year term (2023–2028).
Alloa First, which represents 240 town centre businesses, is one of a select group of BIDs participating in the national accreditation pilot programme, designed to benchmark operations against a recognised industry framework. The programme supports Improvement Districts in strengthening governance, reviewing operational processes and demonstrating accountability to levy payers and stakeholders.
Its success has been shared just ahead of the BID’s Annual Levy Payers’ Meeting, where businesses will hear more about its activity, performance and future plans to help encourage people to visit the town centre and spend with businesses.
Lorna Montgomery, Chair of Alloa First BID, said: “Achieving accreditation from British BIDs is a significant endorsement of the way Alloa First is managed and delivered on behalf of our business community. It demonstrates that, regardless of size, Alloa First is operating to the highest standards of governance, transparency and accountability.
“This recognition reflects the commitment of our Board, staff and partners. It provides confidence to our levy payers that their investment is being managed effectively and delivering real impact for the town centre.”
The accreditation process was fully funded by Scotland’s Towns Partnership.
Following a robust assessment process, Alloa First was commended for being a well-managed organisation with clear governance structures, strong financial oversight and effective communication with levy payers. The BID was also recognised for delivering a wide range of projects and initiatives aligned with local business priorities, supported by a small but highly effective team.
Alloa First is the second BID in Scotland to achieve accreditation.
The accreditation also highlights Alloa First’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. Recommendations from the independent assessment will be used to further strengthen governance processes and ensure the BID continues to evolve in line with best practice.
A summary of the independent assessment noted that Alloa First is “well-managed… applying clear governance, financial management and very good communication processes to the delivery of the BID”.
(credit to Stephen McKenzie for the photo)
