Fees
There are fees for both BPI Certification and BPI Membership.
Certification
- The application fee is $1,500 USD for new certifications, $500 of which is non-refundable. Using non-certified ingredients may result in additional application fees. Certifications are valid for 3 years.
- Recertification required at 3 years ($1,000) See more on Recertification here.
Membership
- The BPI Membership and Licensing fee is due every year, with the cost dependent upon the selected membership level. BPI offers different membership categories with varying benefits and annual costs to best fit the needs of member companies. Please visit BPI Membership for details on membership options and costs.
Sublicensing
- The cost of a sublicense between a BPI member (licensee) and non-BPI member (sublicensee) is $500/year USD, which will be prorated to the BPI member's Membership and Licensing renewal date. Additional sublicenses can be added for no additional cost within that licensee-sublicensee relationship. Either the licensee or sublicensee can be invoiced; however licensees who elect to pay the fees for their sublicenses receive a discount of 50% on each sublicense after their fifth one.
- There is no separate cost for a sublicense between two BPI Members, as long as both companies maintain active membership by paying their annual licensing/membership fee.
- Sublicensees requiring customized or hybrid sublicense agreements or participating with How2Compost are required to become BPI Members and will be billed for their Membership and Licensing Fee.
Invoicing
- All invoices are due on receipt. Applications do not proceed until after payment is received. BPI's financial policies can be found here.
- One-time application fee will be invoiced after all initial paperwork has been received.
Companies new to BPI:
- An annual Membership and Licensing fee, dependent on the membership level and number of certificates held, will be invoiced to BPI Members on their membership anniversary date. The default and required membership level is a Certification Member. Learn more about the types and fees here.
Timeline
The entire process for certification can take up to six months or more depending on the test scheme required and both the readiness and attentiveness of the applicant. Testing is often the longest part of the process. Tests like Metals, Ash, and FTIR can take less than one month, but timelines depend on available lab capacity, which is outside of BPI’s ability to control. Disintegration testing takes a minimum of 3 months, and biodegradation testing takes a minimum of 6 months. When all tests are submitted and samples are sent, the technical review process generally takes 4 weeks to complete.
