It's in Nottingham

What It's in Nottingham does

It's in Nottingham is a Business Improvement District (BID) organisation that operates as the statutory coordinator and place-marketing body for Nottingham city centre in the United Kingdom. It is funded by mandatory BID levies collected from businesses within a defined city centre improvement zone, which underwrites city-wide marketing, safety, and event programming. Its core technology platform is a mobile application (iOS and Android) that serves as the primary consumer-facing discovery layer for events, restaurants, shops, and partner discounts, supplemented by a web portal, a member-business dashboard at nottingham.loqiva.com, and an Alert! information-sharing app used for real-time crime reporting between businesses and Nottinghamshire Police.

The organisation's product ecosystem extends beyond the core app into several sub-products: the Nottingham Gift Card, a multi-store loadable card (£10–£500) accepted at hundreds of local businesses and distributed through Town and City Gift Cards and John Lewis & Partners; Safe Space Notts, a website with an interactive map of accredited Safe Spaces for vulnerable individuals; and the Safer City Partnership, a frontline patrol service operating six days a week in partnership with My Local Bobby. It also coordinates signature events including Nottingham Restaurant Week, the Super Soapbox Challenge (35,000+ attendees), the Christmas Market at Nottingham Castle (90+ stalls), and Nottingham Light Night.

Its customer base is structurally diversified across BID levy-paying businesses (retail, hospitality, services), visitors and tourists, residents and university students, and vulnerable individuals seeking safe spaces. Distribution is anchored by mandatory levy membership and partnerships with statutory bodies (Nottinghamshire Police, the Police & Crime Commissioner, Nottingham City Council), specialist charities (Consent Coalition, Framework, Notts Wildlife Trust), and major local employers (TG Jones, Zara, John Lewis & Partners, Hart's Hotel, Hidden Food Tours). The organisation is led by CEO Alex Flint and operates from a single headquarters at Dryden Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ.

Name

It's in Nottingham

Legal name

It's in Nottingham

Website

https://itsinnottingham.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

It's in Nottingham is the Business Improvement District for Nottingham city centre, funded by mandatory business levies. It operates a mobile app, the Nottingham Gift Card, community safety initiatives (Safe Space Notts, Safer City Partnership), and signature events including Restaurant Week and the Super Soapbox Challenge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Membership and BID Levy: As a Business Improvement District, the organization is funded by mandatory BID levies collected from city centre businesses within a defined geographic area. These levies fund city centre improvements, marketing, safety initiatives, and event programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

It's in Nottingham is a Business Improvement District (BID) organisation that delivers city centre management services for Nottingham. Its core offerings include the It's in Nottingham mobile app for city discovery and partner discounts, the Nottingham Gift Card multi-store programme, signature events (Restaurant Week, Super Soapbox Challenge, Christmas Market), the Safer City Partnership patrol service, and the Safe Space Notts community safety initiative. These services are funded by mandatory BID levies from city centre businesses within the defined improvement zone.

Product overview

It's in Nottingham is a city-focused Business Improvement District (BID) organization operating primarily through its core mobile app product available on Android and iOS. The app serves as a central hub for Nottingham city centre, enabling users to discover events, dining, shopping, and local businesses while accessing exclusive partner discounts. Supporting the core app are several sub-products including the Nottingham Gift Card (a multi-store gift card program supporting local businesses), Safe Space Notts (a website platform for finding accredited Safe Spaces), and the Safer City Partnership (a community safety patrol service). The organization also operates the Alert! information sharing app and provides an app dashboard for member businesses to manage their profiles and promotions. The product ecosystem is held together by the core app as the primary interface, with sub-products extending the organization's place-making mission across community safety, local commerce, and city information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nottingham Gift Card: A multi-store gift card program supporting local businesses across Nottingham city centre, accepted at participating shops, restaurants, bars, and attractions.
• Safe Space Notts
• Safer City Partnership
• It's in Nottingham App

Products and services

• It's in Nottingham App A mobile app available on Android and iOS that serves as the primary platform for Nottingham city centre, allowing users to discover events, what's on, local businesses, and access exclusive partner discounts. The app also includes Google Maps integration for navigation around the city.
• Nottingham Gift Card A multi-store gift card accepted at participating local shops, restaurants, bars, and services across Nottingham city centre. Available in amounts from £10 to £500, it supports local businesses and can be purchased online via townandcitygiftcards.com, at John Lewis & Partners in the Victoria Centre, or digitally through the Love Local app.
• Safe Space Notts A website platform (www.safespacenotts.com) that helps residents and visitors find accredited Safe Spaces across Nottingham city centre. Features an interactive map showing venues that have taken the Safe Space Pledge, offering support for community safety and tackling violence against women and girls.
• Safer City Partnership A front-line business and community support service providing high-visibility patrols across Nottingham city centre six days a week. Operated in partnership with My Local Bobby, the team makes regular visits to businesses and works with existing agencies to deter and manage criminal activity, antisocial behaviour, and supports rough sleepers with signposting to appropriate services.
• Alert! Information Sharing App An information sharing app used by the Safer City Partnership team and city centre businesses to share real-time crime and safety information with Nottinghamshire Police and city centre CCTV operators.
• App Dashboard for Member Businesses A web-based portal at nottingham.loqiva.com allowing member businesses to set up profiles, add offers and events, and manage their presence in joint promotions across the city and beyond.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65+ businesses trained and accredited as Safe Spaces, with staff able to offer support to vulnerable individuals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nottingham Business Improvement DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Alex Flint, CEO of Nottingham Business Improvement District, commented on the Safe Space Notts initiative, highlighting the BID's investment in community safety. It's in Nottingham operates as the BID for Nottingham city centre, making this a core organizational relationship.
• Consent CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated the Safe Space Pledge initiative in collaboration with It's in Nottingham. The Consent Coalition brings expertise from sexual violence and domestic abuse sector specialists.
• Nottinghamshire Office of the Police & Crime CommissionercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for the Safe Space Notts initiative, providing official backing for the community safety program.
• Nottinghamshire PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Safe Space Notts initiative, collaborating to keep women and girls safe in the city.
• Nottingham City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Safe Space Notts initiative and co-organizer of Christmas Market at Nottingham Castle event.
• My Local BobbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with It's in Nottingham to develop the Safer City Partnership team, providing high-visibility patrols across Nottingham city centre.
• Nottingham CastlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Christmas Market events and co-organizer of the annual festive market at the castle grounds.
• Town and City Gift CardscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider for the Nottingham Gift Card program, enabling digital card functionality via Love Local app and online balance management.
• Lincs & Notts Air AmbulanceminorOthersCharity partner for the Nottingham Super Soapbox Challenge 2026 event, receiving support from the fundraising activity.
• National PubwatchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVoluntary organization supporting pubwatches across the UK. Recognized Nottingham bus drivers with Star Awards for protecting vulnerable students, demonstrating partnership commitment to night-time economy safety.
• trentbartoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal transport operator providing Indigo and Skylink express bus services. Their drivers received National Pubwatch Star Awards for student safeguarding, demonstrating commitment to passenger safety in Nottingham's night-time economy.
• Nottingham Trent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in student safety initiatives. NTU Clifton Campus was contacted for safe-and-well-check when a vulnerable student was identified by bus drivers.
• Nottingham City Transport (NCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCT launched brand new fleet of electric buses in March 2024. The organization is working towards carbon-neutral city by 2028.
• Yutong Bus and CoachcoreTechnology or IntegrationWorld's largest bus manufacturer supplying 48 electric single deck buses to NCT, with Pelican Bus and Coach finishing vehicles to NCT's requirements in Yorkshire.
• ZenobēcoreTechnology or IntegrationEV fleet specialist providing charging infrastructure, smart charging software, and 16-year battery performance guarantee for NCT's electric bus fleet.
• FrameworkminorOthersLocal charity whose staff joined It's in Nottingham's weekly litter pick initiative as part of their 'Working Together' campaign to enhance city centre cleanliness.
• Nottinghamshire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Wilder Nottinghamshire Movement to champion nature in the city, including the Bee Highway Nottingham initiative.
• Hidden Food ToursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning food tour operator running Vegetarian Vibes and Brunch Crawl tours as part of Nottingham Restaurant Week events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heart of London Business Alliance: One of the UK's largest Business Improvement Districts, funding city-centre marketing, safety, and operational services through mandatory business levies in central London — directly comparable model and mandate to It's in Nottingham.
• New West End Company: BID covering London's West End, running coordinated business-rate-funded services in security, cleansing, marketing, and events — analogous scope and revenue model to It's in Nottingham.
• Manchester BID (CityCo): Manchester city-centre BID delivering marketing, safety initiatives, and business representation funded by a levy on member businesses — directly comparable structure and service portfolio.
• LeedsBID: BID for Leeds city centre running events, business support, and city-centre improvement funded by a levy on city-centre ratepayers — directly analogous to It's in Nottingham's mandate.
• Sheffield City Centre BID: BID delivering city-centre services including events, marketing, and safety in another major UK regional city centre — comparable scale and operating environment.

Others

• Purple Flag Programme: UK accreditation scheme for well-managed evening and night-time economies; It's in Nottingham has won this award, making the scheme a benchmark/administrative peer rather than a competing operator.
• Town & City Gift Cards: Multi-store local gift card platform that powers the Nottingham Gift Card programme; comparable as enabling infrastructure for local commerce rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Marketing Manchester: Public-private destination marketing body for Greater Manchester running city-wide promotional campaigns and events — broad incumbent counterpart to It's in Nottingham's city-centre marketing work.

Emerging players

• My Local Bobby: UK high-visibility patrol service that co-developed It's in Nottingham's Safer City Partnership team; overlapping capability in retail security but operating in adjacent geographies to It's in Nottingham's patrol footprint.

Regional players

• Visit Nottinghamshire: Destination marketing organisation for the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire region; overlaps with It's in Nottingham on visitor promotion and events but does so at a wider geographic remit and is not levy-funded.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/itsinnottingham
• Instagraminstagram.com/itsinnottingham
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/its-in-nottingham

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about It's in Nottingham