Basic Income Earth Network
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) is a UK-registered charitable nonprofit founded in 1986 that serves as the global hub for Universal Basic Income advocacy, connecting scholars, activists, policymakers, and municipal leaders across 32 countries through research, publications, and an annual Congress.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersLouvain-la-neuve, Belgium
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Basic Income Earth Network does
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) is a UK-registered charitable nonprofit (charity number 1177066) founded in 1986 as the Basic Income European Network and rebranded to its current name in 2006. BIEN functions as a global advocacy and knowledge-sharing network for Universal Basic Income, serving scholars, activists, policymakers, civil society organizations, and municipal leaders across 32 countries. Its primary assets are its informational website (basicincome.org), the UBIdata knowledge repository, an annual international Congress, and a set of programmatic networks including the UBI Piloters Network, the Municipal Leaders Roundtable, and BIRAL.
BIEN's products and infrastructure are educational rather than technology-based. Core offerings consist of multilingual publications (Chinese, French, Spanish, Japanese), curated research, the UBIdata data platform, monthly newsletters, online seminars, and the annual Congress (next: Toronto Metropolitan University, August 19-22, 2026). There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML systems, no mobile app, and no public API; delivery is web-based and volunteer-coordinated.
BIEN's business model is a hybrid membership-donation-grant model typical of international advocacy nonprofits. Revenue derives from tiered annual individual membership fees (£10-£50 by income band, £90 lifetime, £360 B(I)ENfactor donor recognition), donations via PayPal and direct bank transfer, and modest seed grants from institutional partners such as the European Research Council, University of Bath, and FRIBIS. Operating governance rests with an Executive Committee elected by members, and the organization is sustained substantially by volunteer effort; no institutional investors or external ownership exists.
Basic Income Earth Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Basic Income Earth Network
- Legal name
- The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN)
- Website
- https://basicincome.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) is a UK-registered charitable nonprofit founded in 1986 that serves as the global hub for Universal Basic Income advocacy, connecting scholars, activists, policymakers, and municipal leaders across 32 countries through research, publications, and an annual Congress.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Basic Income Earth Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Policy Advocacy and Research Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global Health Systems Strengthening (BPAGABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)
Keywords
Where Basic Income Earth Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louvain-la-neuve
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Basic Income Earth Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees with suggested scale based on income: £10/year for incomes £0-£20,000; £20/year for £20,000-£40,000; £30/year for £40,000-£60,000; £40/year for £60,000-£80,000; £50/year for over £80,000. Life membership available for £90.
- Donations: BIEN accepts donations through PayPal and direct bank transfer to support its educational mission and activities including the Congress Solidarity Fund.
- Grants and Seed Funding: BIEN receives seed funding from partner organizations including University of Bath, FRIBIS, and the European Research Council for specific initiatives like the UBI Piloters Network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Life membership - single £90 payment |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership - income-based suggested fees |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | B(I)ENfactor - major donor recognition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Basic Income Earth Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIEN is a charitable international organization that fosters informed discussion about Universal Basic Income by connecting scholars, activists, policymakers, and civil society organizations across 32 countries. It operates a global network delivering educational resources, an annual Congress, knowledge-sharing platforms such as the UBIdata repository, the UBI Piloters Network, and the Municipal Leaders Roundtable.
Product overview
BIEN (Basic Income Earth Network) is a charitable educational organization, not a software product company. It operates a network of informational resources including its main website, the UBIdata.io knowledge repository, the UBI Piloters Network for research collaboration, and the BIRAL (Basic Income Research & Action Lab) for municipal leader engagement. BIEN organizes annual Congresses and publishes ongoing news, research, and opinion content. The organization also maintains a translations program in Chinese, French, Spanish, and Japanese. These offerings constitute an advocacy and knowledge-sharing network rather than a commercial product or platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BIEN Membership Membership program offering individuals the ability to join the Basic Income Earth Network with income-based annual fees (£10-£50/year) and a £90 life membership option, granting voting rights at the General Assembly.
- UBI Piloters Network A global network connecting UBI researchers, policymakers, activists, and civil society actors engaged in trialling Unconditional Basic Income, with monthly newsletters and online seminars for piloters to share findings.
- Municipal Leaders Roundtable An international forum connecting mayors, governors, and local authorities experimenting with basic income systems to share experiences, find tools to issue Basic Income, and facilitate international collaboration on local UBI implementation.
- BIRAL (Basic Income Research & Action Lab) A collaborative network of researchers, research teams, universities, and local policymakers engaged in basic income research, pilots, and implementation, facilitating the Municipal Leaders Roundtable.
- BIEN Congress Annual international conference bringing together UBI advocates, researchers, and policymakers for knowledge sharing and networking, with the 2026 Congress held August 19-22 at Toronto Metropolitan University under the theme 'Basic Income and the Polycrisis: The Key to Unlocking the Puzzle'.
Quantifiable outcome
- Basic income is now a policy instrument in the UN Roadmap for Eradication Poverty Beyond Growth, adopted at the International Labour Organization in Geneva
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Basic Income Earth Network
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Basic Income Earth Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Basic Income Earth Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights (Olivier De Schutter)flagshipBIEN collaborates with Olivier De Schutter on the landmark initiative 'Eradication Poverty Beyond Growth.' BIEN, EqualRight, and University of Bath submitted inputs endorsed by 62 affiliates across 32 countries. Produced joint policy profile on basic income published on the Roadmap's website.
- University of BathcoreThe UBI Piloters Network is a collaboration between University of Bath, FRIBIS, and BIEN. University of Bath is a leading centre of UBI research in the UK, home to the WorkFREE research team conducting the UBI+ pilot in Hyderabad, India.
- Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS)coreFRIBIS is an interdisciplinary network at the University of Freiburg dedicated to research on Universal Basic Income. Partners with BIEN on the UBI Piloters Network and the Basic Income Research & Action Lab (BIRAL).
- Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS)coreBIEN partnered with FRIBIS and the Gyeonggi Research Institute Basic Income Research Group to organize the first BIRAL seminar for the Municipal Leaders Roundtable.
- Equal RightcorePartnered with BIEN to submit inputs on Basic Income to the UN Special Rapporteur's initiative on eradicating poverty beyond growth.
- Gyeonggi Research Institute Basic Income Research GroupcorePartnered with BIEN and FRIBIS for the organization of the first BIRAL seminar on municipal Basic Income implementation.
- University of BathcoreCollaborated with BIEN and EqualRight on the joint policy profile on basic income for the UN Special Rapporteur's Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Basic Income Earth Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oxfam International: Large international development and poverty-alleviation NGO with global advocacy infrastructure. Comparable as a much larger, better-resourced actor in the poverty-alleviation space BIEN targets.
- International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency where the UN Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth was adopted and a key venue for social-protection policy debate. Operates in the same policy ecosystem as BIEN's international advocacy.
- World Bank – Social Protection & Labor Global Practice: Multilateral funder and policy producer on cash transfers and social protection in developing countries. Overlaps with BIEN's basic-income policy ecosystem at the international-institution level.
- UNICEF Innocenti – Office of Research: UN research office producing evidence on child poverty, cash transfers, and social protection. Comparable as a multilateral evidence producer in adjacent policy territory and a likely UN-side counterpart to BIEN's Special Rapporteur work.
Direct peers
- GiveDirectly: Largest direct cash-transfer nonprofit, running large-scale unconditional cash transfer pilots globally. Closely aligned with BIEN's basic-income mission and shares the same researcher and policymaker ecosystem referenced in BIEN's Piloters Network.
- Economic Security Project: US advocacy and grantmaking organization funding cash-transfer research, pilots, and narrative change on guaranteed income. Overlaps with BIEN's mission to mainstream unconditional cash as a policy tool.
- UBI Center: US-focused UBI advocacy and research organization producing policy analysis, polling, and pilot tracking. Direct competitor in the UBI-advocacy and evidence-synthesis space where BIEN operates globally.
- Roosevelt Institute: Progressive US think tank that has produced flagship UBI research and policy proposals. Comparable in producing peer-reviewed and policy-facing UBI evidence that competes with BIEN's UBIdata.
- Mein Grundeinkommen (MyBasic Income): German non-profit running UBI lotteries and public engagement campaigns; a European direct peer that shares BIEN's continental European basic-income community.
- Stanford Basic Income Lab: University-based research initiative focused on cash-transfer design and evaluation. Competes with BIEN as a producer of authoritative UBI evidence and pilot methodology.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Basic Income Earth Network social profiles
Digital presenceBasic Income Earth Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Basic Income Earth Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Basic Income Earth Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Basic Income Earth Network 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 Basic Income Earth Network
What does Basic Income Earth Network do?
BIEN is a charitable international organization that fosters informed discussion about Universal Basic Income by connecting scholars, activists, policymakers, and civil society organizations across 32 countries. It operates a global network delivering educational resources, an annual Congress, knowledge-sharing platforms such as the UBIdata repository, the UBI Piloters Network, and the Municipal Leaders Roundtable.
Is Basic Income Earth Network a public or private company?
Basic Income Earth Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Basic Income Earth Network founded?
Basic Income Earth Network was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Basic Income Earth Network based?
Basic Income Earth Network is headquartered in Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Basic Income Earth Network make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and grants and Seed Funding.
Who are Basic Income Earth Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oxfam International, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Bank – Social Protection & Labor Global Practice and UNICEF Innocenti – Office of Research. Direct peers are GiveDirectly, Economic Security Project, UBI Center, Roosevelt Institute, Mein Grundeinkommen (MyBasic Income) and Stanford Basic Income Lab.
Does Basic Income Earth Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Basic Income Earth Network.
What industry is Basic Income Earth Network in?
Basic Income Earth Network's product category is Policy Advocacy and Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAD, Global Health Systems Strengthening, with a secondary code of HLAJAKAN, Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8600.