Suppliers and Manufacturers Membership

The Suppliers and Manufacturers Membership Category makes up any organisation that runs for-profit activity within the cotton supply chain beyond the farm gate and before retail, from buying, selling, and financing to processing.

This membership category includes 2 sub-categories:

Other Intermediates (e.g. ginners, spinners, mills and end consumer product manufacturers): This membership includes organisations who are intermediaries in the cotton supply chain.
Cotton Traders: The membership includes traders dealing in raw cotton only.

Membership Benefits

Joining BCI offers progressive Suppliers and Manufacturers a new way to do business, strengthens links with customers and opens up a new market potential. Even for those for whom sustainability is not yet a business reality – Better Cotton offers a way to learn more and continuously improve performance in partnership with peers and business partners.

What it means to be a Member

Being a member of BCI means being part of creating impact and supporting the BCI mission as part of your organisation’s involvement in cotton. Being a BCI Supplier and Manufacturer Member also means you are an important part of increasing the flow of Better Cotton through the supply chain.

Registered membership means that you are taking your engagement one step further, and are committed to Better Cotton and to making the cotton supply chain a more stable and secure environment to operate in. Ginners, Spinners, Mills and End Consumer Product Manufacturers who are registered BCI Members, will be trained by BCI on how to process Better Cotton sourcing using the Better Cotton Platform.
Only registered Suppliers and Manufacturers have access to the Better Cotton Platform. Being a registered Ginner, Spinner, Mill, and End Consumer Product Manufacturer also means that you are marketed by BCI as a trained Supplier and Manufacturer, making you more attractive to BCI Retailer and Brand Members.

BCI Supplier and Manufacturer Members participate in BCI’s General Assembly and Council and have the opportunity to influence processes and discussions at BCI. BCI Council positions are open to all members (except for Associate Members), and Supplier and Manufacturer members hold three seats in the BCI Council.

Members are also required to comply with:

BCI Code of Practice (for commercial members)

BCI Terms of Membership.

Membership Fees

Membership fees are differentiated in relation to the size of the organisation. You can download the BCI 2018-2020 fee structure for Suppliers and Manufacturers: Ginners, Spinners, Mills and End Consumer Product Manufacturers by clicking here.

Better Cotton Platform access for non-members

If you are a company that does not source cotton lint (i.e. end consumer product manufacturers, stand-alone fabric mills and sourcing agents) and you do not wish to apply for BCI membership, there is an alternative option to engage in Better Cotton procurement for your retail/brand customers.

Click here for more details about how to gain access to a user account on the Better Cotton Platform, available for 750 EUR per year.

How to Join

To apply for BCI membership, simply complete an application according to your Suppliers and Manufacturers Membership sub-category. Download below:

Or email 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.