What Bee Informed Partnership does

Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and based in College Park, Maryland, that improves honey bee health through data-driven research conducted in collaboration with beekeepers. The organization runs a citizen science engine consisting of an annual Loss & Management Survey and the Sentinel Apiary Program, drawing responses from thousands of beekeepers each year and collecting more than 10,000 field samples per season to study how management practices, forage, pests, diseases, nutrition, and environmental factors affect colony health. These findings are disseminated through the BIP ArcHive Research Portal, a publications library, webinars, and a public blog.

BIP's core service portfolio is delivered through the Technical Transfer Team (field specialists who conduct on-site colony inspections and provide technical guidance, primarily to commercial beekeepers), a diagnostic laboratory offering Diagnostic Test Kits and a Bag of Bottles (BOB) sample submission service, an Emergency Response Kit for colony health crises, and a Research & Product Testing practice. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve via the BIP website for individual beekeepers, and direct field engagement for commercial operations. The organization is structured as a coalition of researchers, advisors, and industry stakeholders spanning both pollination services and honey production, with stated collaboration with international initiatives.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Services and educational resources are provided free or on a donation basis; the Bee Together Campaign functions as a fundraising initiative. There are no disclosed pricing tiers, no enterprise contracts, and no parent company, institutional investors, or venture capital involvement. Operating geographies are national with international research collaboration rather than formal international operations.

Name

Bee Informed Partnership

Legal name

Bee Informed Partnership, Inc.

Website

https://beeinformed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bee Informed Partnership is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses citizen science and field diagnostics to improve U.S. honey bee health. It collects survey data from thousands of beekeepers and 10,000+ field samples annually, delivering Tech Transfer Team services, lab diagnostics, and the BIP ArcHive research portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apiculture Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bee Health Management & Treatments (Mite/Disease Control Products & Services) (AFAEAHAK), Apiary Management Services (Contract Beekeeping, Hive Maintenance) (AFAEAHAJ)

Keywords

• Honey bee research
• Beekeeper field services
• Apiary diagnostic testing
• Pollinator health data
• Citizen science beekeeping

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BIP relies on donations from individuals, organizations, and supporters. The Bee Together Campaign is a fundraising initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bee Informed Partnership delivers data-driven research and field support services to beekeepers to improve honey bee colony health. Its core offerings include hands-on Technical Transfer Team inspections, Research & Product Testing of beekeeping protocols, Diagnostic Test Kits for pest and disease identification, Emergency Response Kits for colony health crises, and the Bag of Bottles (BOB) sample collection system feeding a national laboratory. Underpinning these services is the BIP ArcHive Research Portal, which makes aggregated survey data and field sample findings accessible to beekeepers and the public.

Product overview

Bee Informed Partnership is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a service-based platform providing data-driven research, technical assistance, and citizen science programs to improve honey bee health. The core offerings include field services through the Technical Transfer Team, diagnostic laboratory testing via Diagnostic Test Kits and the Bag of Bottles sample collection system, emergency response resources, and large-scale research and product testing. These services are complemented by citizen science programs including the Sentinel Apiary Program and Loss & Management Survey, which gather data from thousands of beekeepers annually. The organization also provides public-facing data products through the BIP ArcHive Research Portal, along with educational resources including publications, webinars, and a blog. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where field data collection, laboratory analysis, research publication, and beekeeper education work together to provide relevant, timely data that helps beekeepers make informed management decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Transfer Team Field specialist team that provides hands-on technical assistance, inspections, and guidance to beekeepers on colony management and health practices.
• Research & Product Testing Scientific research services and testing of beekeeping products, protocols, and management practices using data-driven approaches.
• Diagnostic Test Kit Laboratory diagnostic testing services for identifying pests, diseases, and other health issues affecting honey bee colonies.
• Emergency Response Kit Resource kit provided to beekeepers for emergency situations involving colony health crises or disease outbreaks.
• Bag of Bottles (BOB) Sample collection and submission service providing bottles for beekeepers to collect and submit field samples for laboratory analysis.
• Data Explorer / BIP ArcHive Online research portal and data visualization platform allowing users to explore and analyze aggregated honey bee health data collected by the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved colony survivorship through data-driven management decisions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Industry StakeholderscoreOthersBIP is built on a coalition of researchers, advisors, and stakeholders from various sides of the industry that rely on honey bees for pollination and honey production.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• UC Davis Honey Bee Research Facility: University-based honey bee research and extension program producing publications on bee biology, breeding, and management. Overlaps BIP's research-and-advisory mission but operates within an academic rather than nonprofit-coalition model.
• The Bee Corp: Technology startup providing hive monitoring and analytics for commercial beekeepers. Adjacent to BIP's data mission but commercial rather than nonprofit, focused on IoT-driven pollination metrics rather than research.

Direct peers

• Pollinator Partnership: Nonprofit dedicated to pollinator health across honey bees, native bees, and other species, producing educational resources and engaging in advocacy. Directly comparable as a pollinator-focused 501(c)(3) operating at national scale.
• Project Apis m. National nonprofit that funds and directs honey bee health research in collaboration with commercial beekeepers and growers. Operates a similar coalition-driven model with industry funding, making it the closest mission-aligned peer to BIP.
• Honey Bee Health Coalition: Multi-stakeholder coalition including beekeepers, researchers, and agribusiness focused on honey bee health best management practices. Shares BIP's coalition governance and education/advisory orientation toward beekeepers.

Others

• Betterbee: Beekeeping supply and education retailer serving hobbyist and small commercial beekeepers. Comparable as an ecosystem participant delivering education and supplies to the same end customers BIP serves.
• American Beekeeping Federation: National trade association representing the beekeeping industry, providing legislative advocacy and education. Adjacent rather than direct — not a research nonprofit, but the principal industry body BIP engages through its stakeholder coalition.
• Apiary Inspectors of America: Professional association of state apiary inspectors who conduct colony health diagnostics and pest/disease surveillance. Overlaps BIP's diagnostic and emergency response role at the regulatory interface.

Broad incumbents

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Larger and more established invertebrate conservation nonprofit covering bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Comparable as a peer nonprofit in pollinator conservation but with a broader mandate than BIP's honey bee focus.
• USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory: Government laboratory conducting applied and basic research on honey bee health, pests, and diseases. Comparable as a peer producer of bee health research and diagnostic science, but backed by federal funding rather than donations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beeinformedinfo
• Facebookfacebook.com/BeeInformedPartnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bee Informed Partnership