Questions and answers about Food Data Finland membership

The member network of the Food Data Finland program offers an open and equal meeting place for all organizations committed to the development of the food chain that utilizes data. Its goal is to encourage members to come up with ideas and implement development projects together to strengthen the transparency and sharability of data in the food chain.

Members can participate in:

• events promoting cooperation and development projects of the food chain, and propose themes for their agendas
• ideation and planning of joint development projects
• trainings and webinars targeted at the member network
• sub/theme groups established by the member network
• setting the guidelines for the Food Data Finland program. In addition, they can have a dialogue with the management team about the project's vision and goals and propose themes for the management team's agenda.

Network members can take advantage of:

• new information generated through the cooperation of the program in the development of their business
• the network's expertise in preparing their own joint development projects
• networks of the program in Finland and abroad.

Network members receive:

• a welcome package with information about membership and materials for communicating about membership
• a regular market review newsletter
• visibility on Food Data Finland's communication channels.

The member network meets two to three times a year for events that promote cooperation in the food chain and encourage joint development projects. The meetings offer information on the development projects of the Food Data Finland program and thought-provoking speeches, as well as the opportunity to network and bring forward your own development ideas.

The member must commit to the following cooperation principles:

• promoting the jointly agreed goals of the program
• joint development of the food chain
• open and solution-oriented cooperation and exchange of information
• providing human resources to support joint development
• identification and planning of joint development projects
• utilizing open, compatible, global standards
• protection of trade secrets and compliance with competition legislation.

Joining the member network does not oblige you to participate in or finance the joint development projects of the Food Data Finland program. The member also has the right to choose which development project to participate in. The parties to each development project decide themselves about the conditions and details related to the implementation of their project.

The member network decides separately on the establishment of possible subgroups or theme groups and their membership rules (including possible membership fees).

The members of the member network must pay an annual membership fee, the amount of which is graduated according to the nature of the organization's operations and turnover as follows:

• large companies, turnover over 10 million euros: 5,000 €/year
• SMEs, turnover 1–10 million euros: 2,000 €/year
• small businesses, turnover less than 1 million euros: 1,000 €/year
• universities and research institutes: 2,000 €/year
• non-profit and public organizations: 1,000 €/year

The membership fee is paid every project year from the start of the Food Data Finland program. Each member is responsible for his own expenses arising from participating in member network activities.

You join the network until further notice, and the membership is renewed automatically one year at a time.

A member can leave the network:

• when the membership fee period changes: by notifying GS1 two months before the end of the period
• in the middle of the membership fee period: by notifying GS1, no refund.