Business Improvement District (BID) Program

This document is prepared by the Department of Planning and Development (“DPD”) and serves as the public guide outlining the timeline and action steps sponsoring organizations will need to complete to submit a Business Improvement District (“BID”) application and associated exhibits (“BID Designation Packet”) for a designation date as soon as January 1, 2027. This process may take more than a year to complete. Active applicants may continue for a January 1, 2028 start. 

During the process outlined here, DPD staff will be assigned to your organization to assist you through the BID designation process, so this document will be one of several resources available to you as a source for information and answers to questions or concerns.  

In addition to the basic requirements to apply for a BID designation from the State of Illinois BID Law, this document will also define your obligations for working with the City of Chicago, including City rules and regulations, City Council legislative requirements, and DPD policies. However, this guide is not definitive, and additional requirements may be requested depending on community and stakeholder input DPD receives during the designation process.