A series of bis(benzimidazole)-based cobalt(II) dichloride complexes containing a range of different central donors has been synthesized and characterized. The nature of the central donor affects the binding of the ligand to the cobalt centre and determines the coordination geometry of the metal complexes. All complexes have been shown to catalyse the polymerization of butadiene, in combination with MAO as the co-catalyst, to give cis-1,4-polybutadiene with high selectivity. The nature of the central donor has a marked influence on the polymerization activity of the catalysts, but does not affect the polymer microstructure. The addition of PPh₃ generally increases the polymerization activity of these cobalt catalysts and results in predominantly (60–70%) 1,2-vinyl-polybutadiene.