Do you want to invest in an attractive and safe business environment together with fellow entrepreneurs? If so, you can set up a Business Improvement Zone (Bedrijven Investeringszone, BIZ) in cooperation with fellow entrepreneurs. A BIZ is a zoned area in a business park or shopping area in the Netherlands.
How a BIZ should be established is determined by the Business Improvement District Act (BIZ Act) . The act determines, for example, the duration, the amount of the contribution, and requirements for setting up the BIZ.
Obligatory BIZ levy
When a BIZ has been established, the entrepreneurs in the zone pay a levy to the municipal authorities for this purpose. The municipal authorities, in turn, make the proceeds available to the association or foundation that carries out the activities. All entrepreneurs in the BIZ have to pay a BIZ contribution (in Dutch). Therefore, at least half of the entrepreneurs must have had the chance to express their opinion (in Dutch) on the plan to set up a BIZ, and two thirds of them must support the plan. The amount owed depends on the WOZ value (WOZ-waarde).
Activities of a BIZ
The activities of a BIZ are meant to complement the activities of the municipal authority. BIZ activities include, for instance:
- improving traffic infrastructure
- signage
- green spaces
- waste collection
- lighting
- cleaning
- maintenance
- repair of damage
- fire safety
- graffiti removal
- increasing safety by taking measures, such as additional surveillance, fences, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras
