Following a ground-breaking agreement between the two organisations, the Builders Merchant Federation has created a new pathway to membership for NMBS members who are not yet members of the BMF.
The BMF has approved a new umbrella membership category for NMBS, which will become a Group Affiliate Member of the BMF from 1 April 2024. This will allow NMBS’ existing 814 non BMF members, and any new NMBS members, to access BMF Training Courses and a limited range of Events and Services.
All BMF training will be available to NMBS Affiliate Members under the umbrella arrangement, with a small premium charged over BMF standard rates.
In addition, Affiliate Members will have access to “lite” versions of two of the most popular BMF support services: BMF Intelligent Employment Plus service, provided by Halborns, and the BMF Safety Club, provided by Opus.
Affiliate members will also have full access to several BMF market reports, including the annual Remuneration Report, the monthly BMBI report and the bi-annual Forecast Report. They may also attend one BMF Regional Meeting and one BMF Sector Forum a year.
In common with all BMF members, Affiliate Members will be encouraged to participate in the IoBM as this is an industry wide programme to professionalise the sector.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “The creation of our new umbrella membership category will enable many more NMBS members to benefit from BMF training and services. It exemplifies the strong partnership between our two organisations and our joint desire to support and promote the professionalism and growth of our sector.”
Chris Hayward, NMBS CEO, continued: “We are delighted that our positive relationship with the BMF means we can work together to enhance the service and support package we make available to all NMBS members. The NMBS Group Affiliate scheme will also provide a pathway for those who want to experience BMF services at first hand before taking up full membership.”
Those introduced to the BMF through NMBS’ Group Affiliate umbrella who later chose to upgrade to full BMF membership will benefit from a discount on their first year’s subscription.
