Book Industry Communication Ltd
Book Industry Communication Ltd (BIC) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation founded in 1991 that develops and maintains book supply chain standards (ONIX, Thema, BIC Realtime, LCF), training, accreditation, and best-practice guidance for publishers, booksellers, libraries, and service providers in the UK and Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersCity Of London, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Book Industry Communication Ltd does
Book Industry Communication Ltd (BIC) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation founded in 1991 by The Publishers Association, The Booksellers Association, The British Library, and CILIP (The Library and Information Association) to coordinate standards, guidance, and training for the book and library supply chain in the UK and Ireland. BIC develops and maintains the book industry's core interoperability standards, including ONIX for Books (an XML-based product information standard), Thema (an international multi-lingual subject classification scheme), BIC Realtime and BIC Realtime for Libraries (API suites covering Price & Availability, Quotes, Orders, Order Status, Order Cancellation, and Metadata retrieval), the Library Communication Framework (LCF), and EDI standards (Tradacoms/EDIFACT). It also operates the Metadata Capabilities Directory benchmarking tool, the BIC Green Hub and Accessibility Hub resource centres, three accreditation schemes (Metadata Excellence Award, Supply Chain Excellence Award, Technology Excellence in Libraries Award), Technical Clinics for implementation support, and UK National Groups for ONIX and Thema that feed into international standards bodies.
BIC generates revenue primarily through annual membership subscriptions tiered by UK turnover bands (£1,775 to over £13,000 plus VAT) and through paid training courses offered at three pricing tiers (BIC Members, Friends of BIC partner organisations, and Non-Members) covering Metadata & Technical, Production, and Library subjects. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored around the London Book Fair, training courses distributed via Eventbrite, the Resource Centre website, mailing lists, LinkedIn, Bluesky, YouTube, and earned media through press releases. The organisation serves over 100 member, supporter, and patron organisations spanning publishers, booksellers, libraries, distributors, printers, and service providers across the UK and Ireland, with international reach delivered through standards partnerships including the Green Book Alliance with BISG (US) and BookNet Canada, representation on the EDItEUR Board, and participation in the International ISBN Agency.
Book Industry Communication Ltd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Book Industry Communication Ltd
- Legal name
- Book Industry Communication Ltd
- Website
- https://bic.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Book Industry Communication Ltd (BIC) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation founded in 1991 that develops and maintains book supply chain standards (ONIX, Thema, BIC Realtime, LCF), training, accreditation, and best-practice guidance for publishers, booksellers, libraries, and service providers in the UK and Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Book Industry Communication Ltd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- City Of London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Book Industry Communication Ltd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees based on organization UK turnover bands. Trade members pay between £1,775 and £6,573 plus VAT depending on turnover. Library members and patrons have bespoke fee arrangements.
- Training Course Fees: Revenue from training courses across Metadata & Technical, Production, and Library categories. Three pricing tiers: BIC Members, Friends of BIC, and Non-Members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | UK Turnover Band 5 (0-25 million) |
| Subscription | Annual | UK Turnover Band 4 (£25-50 million) |
| Subscription | Annual | UK Turnover Band 3 (£50-100 million) |
| Subscription | Annual | UK Turnover Band 2 (£100-200 million) |
| Subscription | Annual | UK Turnover Band 1 (over £200 million) |
| Subscription | Annual | Patrons and Library Members |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Training Courses - BIC Members |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Training Courses - Friends of BIC |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Training Courses - Non-Members |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Book Industry Communication Ltd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Book Industry Communication Ltd (BIC) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation that develops, maintains, and promotes technical standards, best practice guidance, and training for the book and library supply chain. Its core deliverables include the ONIX product information standard, the Thema subject classification scheme, BIC Realtime API suites (trade and libraries), and the Library Communication Framework (LCF), supplemented by training courses, accreditation schemes, and resource hubs.
Product overview
BIC is a not-for-profit membership organization that develops and promotes standards, best practice guidelines, and training for the UK and Ireland book industry supply chain. The core offerings are industry standards including ONIX for Books (XML-based product metadata standard), Thema (international subject classification scheme), BIC Realtime and BIC Realtime for Libraries (API suites for supply chain communication), and the Library Communication Framework (LCF). These standards are complemented by services including the Metadata Capabilities Directory (benchmarking tool), the BIC Green Hub and Accessibility Hub (specialized resource centers), training courses (Metadata & Technical, Production, Library), three accreditation schemes (Metadata Excellence Award, Supply Chain Excellence Award, Technology Excellence in Libraries Award), and Technical Clinics for implementation support. BIC also coordinates UK National Groups for Thema and ONIX standards development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BIC Training: Training programme offering courses in Metadata & Technical, Production, and Library sectors for the book industry.
- BIC Green Hub
- BIC Realtime
- BIC Realtime for Libraries
- The Green Book Alliance
Products and services
- ONIX for Books
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 25% discount on training and events for members
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Book Industry Communication Ltd
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Book Industry Communication Ltd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Book Industry Communication Ltd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Green Book Alliance (GBA)coreThe Green Book Alliance is a partnership between BIC (UK), BISG (US), and BookNet Canada for international collaboration on environmental sustainability in the book supply chain. BIC's Executive Director Karina Urquhart was instrumental in its creation in June 2020. The alliance focuses on sharing information, joint planning, environmental events, and supply chain sustainability initiatives.
- EDItEURcoreEDItEUR is the international group responsible for developing and maintaining book trade standards including ONIX, Thema, and EDItX. BIC Executive Director Karina Urquhart sits on the EDItEUR Board. BIC collaborates with EDItEUR on standards development and hosts the UK National Groups for Thema and ONIX that feed into international steering committees.
- International Thema Steering CommitteecoreBIC participates in the International Thema Steering Committee which meets twice yearly at Frankfurt and London book fairs to discuss and agree updates to the Thema subject classification standard. Karina Urquhart and Jon Windus both sit on this international committee.
- London Book FairmajorBIC maintains an annual presence at the London Book Fair with a dedicated stand (Stand 5G107 in 2026) and hosts seminars. The fair provides a platform for BIC to engage with members and the wider industry on current projects and standards.
- International ISBN AgencycoreJon Windus, Board Chair of BIC, serves as a board director of the International ISBN Agency and currently holds the position of Treasurer. This connection ensures UK interests are represented in international ISBN administration.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Book Industry Communication Ltd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BookNet Canada: Canadian non-profit technology standards organization for the book industry. Direct peer: GBA coalition partner with BIC, develops similar metadata, supply chain, and accessibility standards for the Canadian market, mirroring BIC's role in the UK/Ireland.
- International ISBN Agency: International body overseeing the global ISBN standard. Direct peer: BIC Board Chair Jon Windus serves on its board as Treasurer, evidencing BIC's integration with international identifier governance that complements BIC's ONIX/Thema standards work.
- EDItEUR: International group responsible for developing and maintaining book trade standards including ONIX, Thema, and EDItX. Direct peer: BIC hosts the UK National Groups that feed into EDItEUR's international standards governance, and the BIC Executive Director sits on EDItEUR's Board.
- Book Industry Study Group (BISG): US non-profit membership organization that develops standards, best practices, and research for the book supply chain. Direct peer: BIC's Green Book Alliance partner and the closest functional equivalent in North America, operating the same standards-body and industry-convening model for the US market.
Others
- Independent Publishers Guild (IPG): UK trade body for independent publishers. Ecosystem participant: 'Friend of BIC' partner organization offering training discounts, representing one of the smaller publisher segments BIC serves through its standards and training programs.
- The Booksellers Association: UK trade body for bookshops and bookselling chains. Ecosystem participant: founding member of BIC and endorses BIC membership publicly; overlapping remit on retail-side supply chain efficiency but focused on retailer advocacy rather than standards development.
- CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals): UK professional body for library and information professionals. Ecosystem participant: founding member of BIC and a 'Friend of BIC' partner for training; related remit on library standards and professional development, complementary to BIC's library-facing standards work (LCF, BIC Realtime for Libraries).
- Nielsen BookData (NielsenIQ): Leading global provider of book product information, bibliographic data, and the UK ISBN Agency operator. Ecosystem participant: BIC's Board Chair Jon Windus is Head of Product Leadership at NielsenIQ BookData, evidencing a deep strategic relationship with the metadata services provider that complements BIC's standards role.
- Publishers Association: UK trade body representing publishing companies. Ecosystem participant: founding member of BIC and a key stakeholder in the standards and policy agenda BIC addresses; overlaps with BIC on supply chain advocacy but focuses on trade representation rather than standards.
Regional players
- Bowker: US-based ISBN agency and bibliographic data services provider (affiliated with the publishing industry standards ecosystem). Regional peer: operates the US ISBN Agency and provides book metadata services analogous to Nielsen BookData's UK role, with indirect overlap with BIC's standards and data quality agenda.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Book Industry Communication Ltd social profiles
Digital presenceBook Industry Communication Ltd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Book Industry Communication Ltd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Book Industry Communication Ltd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Book Industry Communication Ltd 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 Book Industry Communication Ltd
What does Book Industry Communication Ltd do?
Book Industry Communication Ltd (BIC) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation that develops, maintains, and promotes technical standards, best practice guidance, and training for the book and library supply chain. Its core deliverables include the ONIX product information standard, the Thema subject classification scheme, BIC Realtime API suites (trade and libraries), and the Library Communication Framework (LCF), supplemented by training courses, accreditation schemes, and resource hubs.
Is Book Industry Communication Ltd a public or private company?
Book Industry Communication Ltd is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Book Industry Communication Ltd founded?
Book Industry Communication Ltd was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Book Industry Communication Ltd based?
Book Industry Communication Ltd is headquartered in City Of London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Book Industry Communication Ltd make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are training Course Fees.
Who are Book Industry Communication Ltd's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BookNet Canada, International ISBN Agency, EDItEUR and Book Industry Study Group (BISG). Others are Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), The Booksellers Association, CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), Nielsen BookData (NielsenIQ) and Publishers Association. Bowker is listed as a regional player.
Does Book Industry Communication Ltd have an API?
Yes. BIC Realtime for Libraries is a suite of standard Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for use in the library community, specifically addressing use cases between libraries and their suppliers of physical books, eBooks and metadata. The APIs include: Price & Availability (P&A), Quotes List, Quotes, Order, Order List, Order Status Enquiry, Order Cancellation, and Retrieve Metadata – MARC for specified quality levels (e.g., Skeleton, Best). BIC Realtime (launched 2016) is the corresponding API suite developed for the book trade.