Basic Income Earth Network

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.

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

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

• Basic income advocacy
• Universal basic income research
• UBI policy network
• Guaranteed income pilots
• Social policy education

Headquarters

HQ city

Louvain-la-neuve

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Donations: BIEN accepts donations through PayPal and direct bank transfer to support its educational mission and activities including the Congress Solidarity Fund.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights (Olivier De Schutter)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BIEN 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 BathcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023The 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023FRIBIS 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021BIEN partnered with FRIBIS and the Gyeonggi Research Institute Basic Income Research Group to organize the first BIRAL seminar for the Municipal Leaders Roundtable.
• Equal RightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered 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 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with BIEN and FRIBIS for the organization of the first BIRAL seminar on municipal Basic Income implementation.
• University of BathcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/BasicIncomeOrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@basicincomeearthnetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/Basic.Income.Earth.Network
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/basic-income-earth-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Basic Income Earth Network