British Printing Industries Federation

What British Printing Industries Federation does

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) is a UK trade association headquartered in Coventry, serving approximately 1,300 member companies that collectively represent over 50% of the spending power in the £14bn UK printing industry. It operates as a nonprofit membership organization offering tiered Corporate Membership (Silver, Gold, Platinum) plus an Associate Member stream for industry suppliers, with annual subscription billing as the primary revenue model. Its service portfolio spans government lobbying (it is the only UK member of Intergraf and operates a European Legislation Tracker), HR, Health & Safety, Legal, and Environmental advisory services delivered by in-house solicitors, HR business partners, and HSE consultants, alongside a Training division positioned as the UK's largest provider of print industry apprenticeships.

BPIF supplements core advisory services with proprietary research products (Printing Outlook quarterly survey, Facts and Figures, Economic Dashboard), a self-developed Carbon Footprinting Calculator (ClimateCalc) for print-specific emissions, the Find a Printer directory marketplace, and Seal of Excellence certification programmes in Health & Safety, HR, and Environment. Sector-specific communities — BPIF Labels (linked to FINAT), BPIF Cartons (representing 90% by value of the UK folding carton industry), BPIF Books, the Environmental Forum, Regional Boards, and the Directors Forum — provide vertical specialization. The organization also maintains related-entity adjacency via the BOSS Federation.

Distribution is built on direct sales via National and regional Membership Development Managers, supported by an events calendar (Members' Day, Rising Star Awards at the House of Lords, Directors Forum dinners, Regional Board meetings, British Book Design & Production Awards) and digital channels including a Virtual Learning Environment for ILM qualifications, Inprint magazine, podcasts, and webinars. Strategic GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, reinforced by data-driven sales enablement where BPIF's industry datasets are cited by enterprise suppliers (Kodak, Duplo UK) as material to their own sales and marketing strategies.

Name

British Printing Industries Federation

Legal name

British Printing Industries Federation

Website

https://britishprint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) is a UK nonprofit trade association headquartered in Coventry, serving approximately 1,300 member companies in the £14bn UK printing industry through tiered membership, government lobbying, advisory services, training, and proprietary industry research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership: Tiered membership fees for printing companies producing print, packaging, or graphic communications. Three levels (Silver, Gold, Platinum) with escalating benefits including lobbying, research, training, HR support, health & safety, legal services, and environmental guidance.
2. Associate Membership: Membership fees for suppliers to the printing industry. Provides access to networking, marketing channels, events, and industry research. Targets suppliers wanting to reach the 1300 companies operating in the UK printing industry.
3. Special Interest Groups: Additional charges for Special Interest Groups including Labels, Cartons, and Books communities. These provide sector-specific networking, advice, and support beyond standard membership.
4. Training & Apprenticeships: Training programmes and qualifications including apprenticeships, National Vocational Qualifications, and professional development awards. As the UK's largest provider of print industry apprenticeships, BPIF Training provides courses covering all areas of the printing industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

BPIF is a UK trade association selling tiered Corporate Membership (Silver, Gold, Platinum) to printing companies and Associate Membership to industry suppliers, bundling government lobbying, business advisory services in HR, Health & Safety, Legal and Environmental matters, industry research (Printing Outlook, Facts and Figures), training and apprenticeships, and special-interest community access (Labels, Cartons, Books). Revenue is generated through recurring membership subscriptions, paid Special Interest Group fees, training programmes, and partner-enabled services such as insurance.

Product overview

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) is a trade association serving the UK printing industry, offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around core pillars: Membership Services (including Find a Printer directory, Inprint magazine, and webinars), Business Services (Health & Safety, Human Resources, Legal, Environmental & Sustainability), Research (Printing Outlook, Facts and Figures, Economic Dashboard), Training & Development (apprenticeships, NVQs, workshops), and Lobbying (government advocacy, Priorities for Print). The organization also operates specialized communities including BPIF Labels, BPIF Cartons, BPIF Books, Environmental Forum, Regional Boards, and The Directors Forum. Additional tools include the Carbon Footprinting Calculator (ClimateCalc), Redundancy Calculator, Compliance Planner, and Business Health Checks. Membership is available in Corporate tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum) and Associate tiers, with progressive access to services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Membership (Silver, Gold, Platinum) Tiered annual subscription membership for UK printing companies providing progressive access to government lobbying, industry research (Printing Outlook, Facts and Figures), Health & Safety, HR and Legal advisory, training programmes, environmental support, 500+ guidance documents, and networking communities. Silver provides core trade association benefits; Gold adds professional services with email/phone support; Platinum includes site visits.
• Associate Membership Annual subscription membership for suppliers to the UK printing industry (equipment manufacturers, consumables, software, service companies), providing marketing channels, networking, events access, and industry research to reach BPIF's member print companies.
• Health & Safety Services Industry-specific Health & Safety advisory service for print businesses covering compliance guidance, health checks, Seal of Excellence certification, legislation updates, audits, and consultancy. Delivered by BPIF's regional Health, Safety & Environmental Consultants to Gold and Platinum members.
• Human Resources Services HR advisory service tailored for the printing industry covering employment law, HR health checks, Seal of Excellence certification, redundancy planning, and Employment Tribunal representation. Delivered by BPIF's HR Business Partners covering South West, North East, Midlands, South/London/South East, and Help Desk regions.
• Legal Services In-house commercial and employment legal services for members including contract review, overdue accounts toolkit, GDPR support, and Employment Tribunal representation, delivered by BPIF's Head of Legal and Commercial Solicitor and Employment Solicitor.
• Environmental & Sustainability Services Environmental and sustainability advisory service for print businesses covering Environmental Road Map, ClimateCalc carbon footprinting calculator, Climate Change Levy Scheme savings, environmental health checks, and the Environmental Forum community.
• Training & Development The UK's largest provider of print-industry apprenticeships, National Vocational Qualifications, professional development awards, and 'Intro to' workshops covering all areas of the printing industry. Delivered via BPIF Training and accessible through the Virtual Learning Environment.
• BPIF Research BPIF's internal research unit providing primary and secondary research on the UK printing industry, including the Printing Outlook quarterly trends survey, Facts and Figures industry data, the Economic Dashboard, and bespoke industry research reports.
• Lobbying Services Government lobbying and policy representation service for the UK printing industry including the Priorities for Print policy documents, Meet Your MP programme, consultations and representations, the European Legislation Tracker (via Intergraf membership), and the BPIF Election Manifesto.
• Find a Printer Self-service online directory at findaprinter.britishprint.com allowing businesses and individuals to find and connect with BPIF member print companies across the UK. Functions as a member-promotion and lead-generation channel for Corporate Members.
• BPIF Labels Special Interest Group for UK label printers providing sector-specific advice, training events, and representation to UK Government and the European community through the federation's association with FINAT.
• BPIF Cartons Folding carton Special Interest Group representing 90% by value of the UK Folding carton industry, providing networking, sector-specific advice, cartonboard advocacy, and government representation.
• BPIF Books Community for UK book printers and their suppliers providing education, information and support across the UK books supply chain, and hosting the British Book Design & Production Awards.
• Regional Boards Regional networking boards across Eastern, Midlands, North West, North East, South West, and South East England that enable members to influence BPIF policy from a regional perspective and participate in local networking events.
• The Directors Forum Exclusive peer network for print and packaging industry directors and senior leaders featuring expert speakers, networking dinners, and industry discussions.
• Environmental Forum Industry-wide network for environmental sustainability discussion, best practice sharing, and standards development with focus on ESG requirements and greenwashing legislation.
• Seal of Excellence Certification Certification programme recognising businesses achieving excellence in Health & Safety, HR, or Environmental standards with minimum 80% score requirements across the audited scope.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% sales growth attributed to BPIF market data usage
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IntergrafcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPIF is the only UK member of Intergraf, a trade association advocating for the print and graphics industries at a European level. This membership provides BPIF with exclusive insights into European policy and legislation affecting the printing industry, and enables representation of the UK industry across the EU.
• FINATcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPIF Labels is associated with FINAT, the European label industry association. Through this membership, BPIF Labels provides UK label printers with access to the wider European community and represents the sector's interests at the European level.
• Howden InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrint Insurance by Howden is offered as a membership benefit, providing insurance products tailored to the printing industry.
• Aston Lark LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBPIF Partner providing insurance services. Data may be passed to this partner for member offers and discounts.
• Albion LegalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Employment Protection Insurance for Platinum members, covering litigation costs, agreed settlements and compensation payments in employment disputes.
• PackUKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPIF references PackUK's Updated EPR RAM for 2027, indicating collaboration on Extended Producer Responsibility regulations and recycling assessment methodology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PRINTING United Alliance: US-based printing industry trade association (formerly SGIA) providing training, certification, events, and advocacy for print service providers. Directly comparable as a national trade association serving print businesses with similar membership, events, and training revenue models.
• Intergraf: European federation for the printing industry of which BPIF is the only UK member. Directly comparable as a print trade association operating at a supranational level with lobbying, research, and member services for the same constituency.
• Chartered Institute of Printing and Allied Trades (CIoPAT): UK professional body for the printing industry offering qualifications and professional membership. Comparable as a UK print-focused membership organization with training and professional development overlap with BPIF's training and apprenticeship business.
• Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI): UK industry body representing paper manufacturers, converters, and recyclers. Comparable as an adjacent UK trade association covering the upstream supply chain that BPIF's printer members depend on, with similar advocacy and member service model.
• Pro Carton: European association of carton and cartonboard manufacturers, comparable as a folding carton sector trade body. Award programs (Pro Carton Awards) and promotion activities mirror BPIF Cartons' model of verticalized advocacy.
• BOSS Federation: UK trade association for business supplies and stationery, already operating in a related vertical relationship with BPIF (shared Policy & Public Affairs Adviser). Comparable as a UK trade association providing representation and member services to a related commercial constituency.
• FINAT: European label industry association partnered with BPIF Labels. Highly comparable as a sector-specific trade body providing representation, events, and technical support for label converters, operating the same business model as BPIF's vertical communities.

Emerging players

• Two Sides: Non-profit promoting the sustainability and environmental benefits of print and paper. Overlaps with BPIF's Environmental Forum services and the ClimateCalc carbon tool but focuses specifically on sustainability advocacy rather than full trade association services.
• The Publishers Association: UK trade association representing book and journal publishers, overlapping with BPIF's Books community. Comparable as a UK trade body with lobbying and events, but serving publishers rather than printers directly.

Regional players

• Fachverband Druck und Medien (bvdm): German printing and media industry association, the largest national print trade body in Europe. Comparable in mission and service mix but operates primarily in Germany rather than the UK, and does not directly compete in BPIF's territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BPIF
• Facebooklinkedin.com/company/bpif
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bpif
• Instagraminstagram.com/bpifofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 British Printing Industries Federation