BIPEA
BIPEA is a French non-profit organization founded in 1970 that provides proficiency testing programs, certified reference materials, and training to over 4,000 analytical laboratories across more than 130 countries in food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BIPEA does
BIPEA (Bureau Interprofessionnel d'Études Analytiques) is a French non-profit scientific association founded on September 3, 1970, by professional organizations in the grain and milling sectors including INRA and CNRS. Headquartered in Paris at CAP 18, the organization provides proficiency testing (PT) programs and certified reference materials for analytical laboratories performing physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses. Its core platform comprises over 220 regular PT schemes spanning matrices including food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics, with more than 150,000 samples produced and shipped annually and over 800 interlaboratory comparison reports published per year.
The business model is membership-based with annual subscription pricing for PT programs, supplemented by transactional revenue from External Reference Material (ERM) sales, professional services fees for customized PT programs and training, and technical agreement services for institutional recognition. BIPEA holds ISO/IEC 17043 accreditation (COFRAC, since April 2004, accreditation #1-1495) for proficiency testing provision and ISO/IEC 17034 accreditation for reference material production, and serves as the French delegate to EURACHEM. The organization is governed through a General Assembly, Technical Management Board, Scientific Advisory Groups, and operational bureau, with revenue governed by member organizations rather than external investors.
BIPEA serves more than 4,000 participating laboratories across over 130 countries, distributing services through a member extranet portal, quote request system, direct sales, scientific publications, industry exhibitions, and multilingual digital channels (including the My BIPEA mobile app). Customer segments are horizontal across analytical laboratory types rather than concentrated in any single industry, with pricing quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The organization has expanded historically from its grain-sector origins into agri-food and contaminants (early 1990s), environmental testing (late 1990s), and cosmetics (2009), and continues to introduce new PT schemes (e.g., PFAS, 1,4-Dioxane in cosmetics, cosmetic oils, microbiology) alongside a complementary reference materials product line.
BIPEA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BIPEA
- Legal name
- BIPEA
- Website
- https://bipea.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BIPEA is a French non-profit organization founded in 1970 that provides proficiency testing programs, certified reference materials, and training to over 4,000 analytical laboratories across more than 130 countries in food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BIPEA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Proficiency Testing Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Proficiency Testing Programs & Schemes (Food PT Providers) (AFALAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Accreditation Support for ISO/IEC 17025 & PT Participation Compliance (Food Labs) (AFALAKAK)
Keywords
Where BIPEA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BIPEA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Proficiency Testing Program Memberships: Laboratories pay membership fees to participate in BIPEA's proficiency testing programs. The organization provides PT schemes, sends samples, collects results, and publishes statistical reports validating laboratory performance.
- Reference Materials Sales: Sale of External Reference Materials (ERM) to members. These reference materials are produced alongside PT programs and certified for analytical performance measurement.
- Training Services: Technical training sessions on measurement uncertainty, method validation, and analytical techniques provided to laboratory professionals.
- Customized PT Programs: Tailored proficiency testing programs created for specific organizations or industry groups with unique testing requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard proficiency testing programs for members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
BIPEA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIPEA provides proficiency testing (PT) programs that send standardized samples to analytical laboratories, collect their results, and publish statistical reports evaluating their performance against peers. The organization runs 220+ regular PT programs covering physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses across matrices including food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics, and complements this with External Reference Materials (ERM), customized PT schemes, technical training, and technical agreement services.
Product overview
BIPEA is a French non-profit European organization offering a comprehensive proficiency testing portfolio centered on its core Proficiency Testing Programs (PTS) platform. The core offering includes over 220 regular PT programs for physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses across diverse matrices (food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, cosmetics). This core platform is complemented by complementary products and services: Reference Materials (ERM) for quality control between PT rounds, Customized PT Programs for group-specific needs, Training courses for professional development, Technical Agreement Services for institutional recognition, the My BIPEA Mobile Application for on-the-go access, and Accuracy Monitoring Charts for performance tracking. The organization operates under ISO 17043 and ISO 17034 accreditations, serving over 4,000 laboratories across more than 130 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Proficiency Testing Programs (PTS) Complete proficiency testing (PT) programs designed for physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses. Over 220 regular PT programs covering matrices including food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics. BIPEA sends samples to participating laboratories, collects results, and publishes statistical reports validating laboratory performance.
- Reference Materials External Reference Materials (ERM) produced from the same batches used in proficiency testing programs. Certified reference materials with assigned values validated by technical program directors, available for purchase by members for quality control between PT rounds.
- Customized PT Programs Customized proficiency testing programs designed to meet specific group needs, including method validation/comparison, reference material production, quality control for laboratories, and statistical study of results.
- Training Technical and professional training courses covering method validation, measurement uncertainty, and other analytical laboratory topics. Training is provided by BIPEA experts or recognized specialists in the field and is Qualiopi certified.
- Technical Agreement Services Technical approval service between BIPEA and institutions (ministries, official or professional organizations) to provide technical evaluation of laboratories for official recognition purposes.
- My BIPEA Mobile Application Mobile application available on Google Play (Android) and App Store (iOS) providing access to BIPEA services, proficiency testing program information, and push notifications for important updates.
- Accuracy Monitoring Charts Graphical accuracy monitoring charts provided to PT participants, allowing them to track the accuracy of their results over time for specific parameters.
Companies that use BIPEA
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BIPEA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BIPEA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EURACHEMcoreBIPEA serves as the official French representative in EURACHEM, a European organization that promotes valid analytical measurement results and supports laboratories in meeting quality standards.
- AFNORminorCollaboration on standard validation in the seed sector.
- SNIA and COOP DE FRANCEminorCollaboration on OQUALIM: Method and Laboratory Reference Committee.
- COFRACcoreFrench accreditation body that provides ISO 17043 and ISO 17034 accreditations to BIPEA for proficiency testing programs and reference materials.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BIPEA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): NIST produces Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) that anchor traceability for analytical laboratories worldwide. While not a commercial PT provider, NIST's reference materials compete in the same certified reference materials category as BIPEA's ERM offering.
- AOAC International: AOAC International develops analytical methods and operates the OMA and Performance Tested Methods programs. While broader than a pure PT provider, AOAC's method validation and interlaboratory studies overlap directly with BIPEA's core function in food and feed analytics.
- Merck (Sigma-Aldrich) Reference Materials: Merck's Sigma-Aldrich division is the world's largest producer of certified reference materials and analytical standards. It competes with BIPEA's External Reference Materials business while serving the same analytical laboratory customers across multiple matrices.
Regional players
- IRMM (Joint Research Centre, European Commission): The IRMM produces ERM reference materials for European regulatory and research use. While publicly funded and not a direct commercial competitor, IRMM operates in the same certified reference materials space as BIPEA's ERM product line.
- AOCS (American Oil Chemists' Society): AOCS runs the Smalley Check Sample Program for oil, fat, and oilseed analytical testing. It overlaps with BIPEA's feed and food PT programs in oil/fat matrices, particularly with BIPEA's newer PTS 523 cosmetic oils program.
Emerging players
- Restek Corporation: Restek manufactures certified reference materials and analytical standards for chromatography and mass spectrometry. It overlaps with BIPEA's reference materials offering and serves food safety, environmental, and pharmaceutical testing laboratories.
- Phenova (Wellington Laboratories): Phenova (now part of Wellington) provides proficiency testing samples and certified reference materials for environmental and analytical laboratories, particularly in PFAS, dioxins, and trace organic contaminants — overlapping with BIPEA's newer PFAS PT schemes.
Direct peers
- NSI Lab Solutions: NSI Lab Solutions is a US-based provider of proficiency testing and certified reference materials for environmental, food, and cannabis testing laboratories. It competes with BIPEA in environmental PT and serves a partially overlapping laboratory customer base.
- FAPAS (Food and Environment Research Agency): FAPAS, operated by Fera Science in the UK, runs the most widely used food and environmental proficiency testing schemes globally. It is a direct competitor to BIPEA's food, water, and environmental PT programs and serves the same laboratory customer base.
- LGC Standards: LGC Standards is the largest global provider of reference materials and proficiency testing schemes, directly competing with BIPEA in food, environmental, and clinical PT. Both operate accredited PT programs and sell certified reference materials to laboratories worldwide.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BIPEA social profiles
Digital presenceBIPEA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BIPEA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
BIPEA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BIPEA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BIPEA
What does BIPEA do?
BIPEA provides proficiency testing (PT) programs that send standardized samples to analytical laboratories, collect their results, and publish statistical reports evaluating their performance against peers. The organization runs 220+ regular PT programs covering physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses across matrices including food, drinks, feed, waters, soils, air, and cosmetics, and complements this with External Reference Materials (ERM), customized PT schemes, technical training, and technical agreement services.
Is BIPEA a public or private company?
BIPEA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BIPEA founded?
BIPEA was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BIPEA based?
BIPEA is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does BIPEA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Proficiency Testing Program Memberships are the primary driver. The others are reference Materials Sales, training Services and customized PT Programs.
Who are BIPEA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), AOAC International and Merck (Sigma-Aldrich) Reference Materials. Regional players are IRMM (Joint Research Centre, European Commission) and AOCS (American Oil Chemists' Society). Emerging players are Restek Corporation and Phenova (Wellington Laboratories). Direct peers are NSI Lab Solutions, FAPAS (Food and Environment Research Agency) and LGC Standards.
Does BIPEA have an API?
No public API is recorded for BIPEA.
What industry is BIPEA in?
BIPEA's product category is Laboratory Proficiency Testing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAKAA, Proficiency Testing Programs & Schemes (Food PT Providers), with a secondary code of AFALAKAK, Accreditation Support for ISO/IEC 17025 & PT Participation Compliance (Food Labs). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8731.