Bipm

What Bipm does

BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) is an intergovernmental organization established by the Metre Convention in 1875, headquartered at the Pavillon de Breteuil in Sèvres, France. It serves as the global authority for the International System of Units (SI) and the international reference time scale (UTC), coordinating measurement comparability across 64 Member States plus an expanding cohort of Associate States and Economies. BIPM works through National Metrology Institutes (NMIs), six Regional Metrology Organizations (AFRIMETS, APMP, COOMET, EURAMET, GULFMET, SIM), and a network of consultative and joint committees that include JCGM, JCTLM, and JCRB. Its core deliverables include the SI Brochure and SI defining constants, the KCDB (Key Comparison Database), JCTLM database, and Time Department Database, the Metrologia peer-reviewed journal, the GUM and VIM reference guides, and the SI Digital Framework anchored by the SI Reference Point released in Version 1.0.0 in June 2026.

The underlying technology centers on the maintenance of international reference standards, calibration services, and the coordination of global measurement comparability through the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA). Notable technical infrastructure includes the international reference time scales (UTC and rapid UTC), practical realizations of SI base units, and digital initiatives that provide versioned, machine-readable representations of measurement units. BIPM also operates technical departments covering acoustics, ultrasound and vibration; electricity and magnetism; length; mass; and time and frequency metrology, staffed by specialized scientists.

BIPM's business model is non-commercial: it is funded by mandatory contributions from its 64 Member States, governed through the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM). It does not generate commercial revenue, does not have shareholders, and does not operate a traditional pricing model. Its customers are effectively its Member States and participating NMIs, served through institutional coordination rather than transactional sales. The organization additionally runs capacity-building programs (CBKT) and an e-Learning platform to extend metrology expertise to developing economies, and pursues regulatory positioning through the redefinition of the second and digital transformation of measurement standards.

Name

Bipm

Legal name

Bureau International des Poids et Mesures

Website

https://www1.bipm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BIPM is the intergovernmental organization established by the Metre Convention in 1875 that maintains the International System of Units (SI) and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), serving 64 Member States' National Metrology Institutes through measurement standards, calibration coordination, and the CIPM MRA framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Metrology Standards & Coordination Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation & Metrology Cooperation (Calibration, Measurement Standards) (BPADANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC)

Keywords

• International measurement standards
• Metrology coordination services
• Calibration and traceability
• Reference time scale
• Measurement unit definitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BIPM maintains and disseminates the International System of Units (SI) and the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) reference time scale, enabling globally traceable measurements across scientific, industrial, and regulatory domains. It coordinates the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA) among National Metrology Institutes, operates reference databases (KCDB, JCTLM, Time Department Database), publishes authoritative metrology guides, and runs capacity-building programs. The organization is funded by Member State contributions rather than commercial revenue.

Product overview

BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) is an intergovernmental organization, not a commercial technology company. It provides international measurement standards and metrology services. The core offerings include the International System of Units (SI) and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Supporting infrastructure includes databases (KCDB, JCTLM, Time Department Database), publications (Metrologia journal, SI Brochure, GUM, VIM), and educational resources (e-Learning Platform, CBKT). Recent digital transformation efforts include the SI Digital Framework with the SI Reference Point. BIPM serves Member States through their National Metrology Institutes and Regional Metrology Organizations, not through commercial product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Armenia (Republic of Armenia)minorOthers · 17 June 2026Armenia became an Associate State of BIPM on 17 June 2026, strengthening its participation in the international measurement system through the CIPM MRA framework.
• AFRIMETScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Metrology Organization - Regional metrology organization for Africa, participating in the CIPM MRA and coordinating metrology activities across African member states.
• APMPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsia Pacific Metrology Organization - Regional metrology organization for the Asia-Pacific region, participating in CIPM MRA and facilitating measurement traceability in the region.
• COOMETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation in Metrology - Regional metrology organization covering Eastern European and Central Asian countries, participating in the CIPM MRA framework.
• EURAMETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Association of National Metrology Institutes - Regional metrology organization for Europe, a key partner in CIPM MRA and SI implementation in Europe.
• GULFMETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGulf Metrology Organization - Regional metrology organization for Gulf Cooperation Council countries, participating in CIPM MRA and capacity building activities.
• SIMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSistema Interamericano de Metrologia - Regional metrology organization for the Americas, participating in CIPM MRA and coordinating inter-American metrology cooperation.
• JCTLMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine - Joint committee focused on international traceability standards for laboratory medicine measurements, co-hosted by BIPM, ILAC, and IFCC.
• JCGMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Committee for Guides in Metrology - Produces the GUM (Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement) and VIM (International Vocabulary of Metrology), fundamental reference documents for metrology worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/thebipm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bipm/posts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Bipm