Membership Criteria

The AIBEF offers a range of grades that recognise different levels of business management experience, business counselling experience, accredited training courses completed, continuing professional development and supporting skills, whilst requiring uniformly high standards of excellence in the performance of all relevant activities. Applicants can join as a Member or Associate Grade and then apply for upgrading after gaining relevant experience and training.

All applicants must satisfy the Institute as to their:

  • knowledge and experience of business;
  • acceptance of the Code of Conduct;
  • commitment to professional development;
  • proposer’s and seconder’s support.

There is no minimum age limit, but relevant experience and maturity are essential.

Nomination requires a proposer and a seconder with letters, documentation and evidence to support nomination.

Associate

Associates have full voting rights but are not permitted to use letters after their name.

Eligibility Criteria

Completion of a module of basic business counselling, i.e. a module from the Certificate IV in Business Facilitation recognised by the AIBEF Board or recognition of prior learning which may include 12 months of public interface with coaching/mentoring by a supervisor and/or acceptance of formal course/courses taken at Institutes that are recognised nationally or internationally.

Member

Members are eligible to have the letters MAIBEF after their names (Member of the Institute of Business and Enterprise Facilitators). Members should be current in the field and show evidence of undertaking a minimum of 16 hours each year of professional development. Members have full voting rights.

Eligibility Criteria:

Completion of a series of modules covering the Business Facilitation Certificate recognised by the AIBEF Board, or recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the above, and completion of 200 hours of enterprise facilitation conducted in a formal structure.

Maintenance of membership is subject to payment of the annual fee and compliance with the membership requirements. Non compliance may mean reverting to Associate status.

Fellow

Fellows are eligible to have the letters FAIBEF after their names (Fellow of the Institute of Business and Enterprise Facilitators)

Objective of the Fellow Grade:

Fellows should be:

  • role models for others to aspire to; and
  • people who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession.

Definition of Outstanding Contribution:

The outstanding contributor should have:

  • advanced the profession of business facilitation through outstanding activity provided skilled facilitation of the development of small/medium business;
  • delivered services to the profession over and above the requirements of regular employment; and
  • shared knowledge and expertise widely with colleagues in the profession

Process for Attaining Fellow Status:

A member can obtain Fellowship by being nominated by other Members of the Institute or by an Organisation.

Life Member

Life Members are nominated and accepted by the Institute as being worthy of the honour of receiving Life Membership. Life Members will have full voting rights.

Friends of the Institute

Friends of the Institute are organisations and individuals that provide financial and in-kind support to the Institute.

Friends of the Institute are recognised in the various items of literature and website produced by the Institute.

Friends of the Institute are not eligible to have letters after their names and will not be entitled to have voting rights unless they fulfill the Membership Criteria.

Associated Organisations

These are organisations that have amongst their members or employee groups, people who may qualify for AIBEF membership. By becoming an associated organisation it allows their members to join the AIBEF without paying a joining fee. Similar to Friends of the Institute, Associated Organisations have no voting rights and are not eligible to have themselves, members or employees use letters after their name, unless they fulfill the Membership Criteria.