Essential Edinburgh was established to run Edinburgh's Central Business Improvement District (BID); a defined area where businesses vote to invest collectively in local improvements in addition to those provided by the Local Authority and Police. A BID is not a substitute for central or local government investment, but an additional investment to strengthen the local economy and give local businesses a unified voice, helping to provide an arena for businesses and local authorities to increase their understanding of each others priorities. Essential Edinburgh’s objectives are to: - Maintain a determined focus on supporting city centre business to increase customer numbers and revenue - Ensure the delivery of world-class environmental services within the city centre - Proactively market Edinburgh city centre as a world-class business, retail and tourism destination - Facilitate collaborative and productive relationships between city centre businesses and the public sector