GBIF is a global public good, with a mandate to assist all countries. We are thus always keen to welcome new Participants, whether countries or international organizations.

New Participants benefit from more than ten years of investment already made in GBIF, immediately receiving a Welcome Box, a kind of starter-kit, encompassing all the learning and access to tools and services developed by GBIF.

As a global public good, everyone benefits from wider and more active participation in GBIF. With a greater geographical and thematic spread of Participants, especially from the most biodiversity-rich regions, the body of data accessible through the GBIF network becomes more complete and representative.

In addition, more comprehensive involvement will increase the funds, tools and human resources available to improve capacity in all countries to mobilize, share and use biodiversity data.

The more truly global the facility, the more useful it is to each country, and to science and society as a whole.

Potential new Participants will, of course, wish to know what specific benefits they can expect from joining the GBIF community, through signature of the Memorandum of Understanding. 

Lower the cost of building a national system of biodiversity data sharing, by using the global information infrastructure built up by GBIF, thus helping to underpin improved policies on sustainable use of resources in your country and beyond.

‘Repatriate’ biodiversity data originating from your country, held by other countries and now freely accessible via GBIF, by following guidelines and best practice developed by GBIF. A table with an overview of data records shared by countries is available on the GBIF data portal .

Gain free access to the informatics tools, standards and protocols developed across the GBIF network, helping to organize and share data within your country as well as internationally.

Obtain free access to all the knowledge, manuals and services built up by GBIF to date, through the Online Resource Centre.

Get trained in biodiversity informatics, taking part in the numerous training options offered to GBIF Participants.

Enhance your country’s capacity to mobilize and share biodiversity data through opportunities such as GBIF’s mentoring programme and Capacity Enhancement Programme for Developing Countries (CEPDEC).

Help meet your international commitments, for example contributing to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), especially Target 19 relating to improving the science and knowledge base, and technology transfer.  

Become part of a global collaborative network, by taking part in regional and global GBIF meetings.

Help drive the global biodiversity informatics agenda and priorities of importance to you by providing input and guidance on GBIF’s facilities and Work Programmes.

Promote and assist the development of biodiversity informatics in your own country by submitting nominations for the Ebbe Nielsen Prize, an annual €30,000 award for early-career scientists supporting the objectives of GBIF in an exciting and novel way and the Young Researchers Award, an annual award aimed at graduate students.

The benefits listed above are available to all signatories of the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding. Through payment of an annual contribution, which varies according to GDP, a country can become a Voting Participant.

Voting participation entitles countries, through their delegations to the Governing Board, to have input in all final governance decisions, in particular on priorities regarding GBIF’s budget, Work Programmes, strategic plans, etc.

Becoming a Voting Participant therefore enables a country to influence the priorities of GBIF, and hence steer the overall direction of investment in global biodiversity information and informatics development.

Voting Participants also receive priority when there are limits on resource allocation, for example, in selecting delegates for training courses.

Each Voting Participant thereby gains a considerable return on investment, as for their relatively small individual contribution, they reap the total investment in GBIF of over €4 million per year.