Associate Membership

Associate members include any organisation that does not fit into the other categories, but which have an agreement with BCI or represent the interests of other organisations falling into the categories: Suppliers and Manufacturers, Retailers and Brands, or Civil Society.

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Membership Benefits

Joining BCI offers Associate Members access to a new market, as well as the opportunity to join as a sustainability champion within your industry and demonstrate best practice.

Membership Fees

Membership fees are differentiated in relation to the size of the organisation. Click here to download the BCI 2017 Fee structure for Associate Members.

What it means to be a Member

Being an Associate member means you are not directly active within either primary production or the supply chain, but you may be

providing services to the supply chain, or represent groups of organisations within another category. You may also be a BCI Implementing Partner or supply chain service provider who knows the Better Cotton supply chain in significant detail.

As an Associate member you are fully integrated into the BCI community and have access to all BCI activities, data and information with the exception that Associate members are not represented in the BCI Council.

Members are also required to comply with:

BCI Code of Practice (for non-commercial members).
BCI Terms of Membership.

How to Join

To apply for BCI membership, simply complete an application according to your category. Click here to download, or send your request to membership@bettercotton.org.

Application process:

1. Send us your application form with the requested supporting information.

2. We receive and acknowledge receipt of your application form and check that it is complete.

3. We carry out due diligence research, to ensure there are no outstanding issues that can create reputational risk for BCI.

4. We collate and analyse the results, and provide the BCI Leadership Team with a recommendation for approval.

5. The BCI Leadership Team reviews the application and provides a final approval decision.

6. We send you an invoice for fees, and you are listed on the Member Only section of our website for BCI Members, under New Members’ Consultation.

7. On payment of your membership invoice you become a member-in-consultation for 12 weeks during which time you have full access to all membership benefits.

8. If no issues arise during member consultation, you are a member of BCI; we will communicate with you in case any issues are raised during consultation.

9. If your membership consultation results in membership being revoked, all fees paid to the BCI will be refunded.

Please note that the entire process can takes up to 13 weeks from receipt of a completed application form.