EC3 Membership Program

Join our community and support EC3 as global, open data infrastructure!

Building Transparency's membership program gives the practitioners, manufacturers, and organizations that rely on EC3 a way to help sustain this shared infrastructure while gaining recognition and opportunities to engage more directly with the team.

Join Now Individual Membership Organizational Membership

No core functionality is gated behind membership. Everyone can continue to access EC3's core functionality, including:

EPD Repository Find & Compare Materials, now including Pilot Categories! Project Planner

Membership never affects EPD content, data quality standards, ranking, or visibility.

Meet Our Members

Why the industry joins EC3

Architects want verified EPD data at their fingertips. EC3's API puts it right into the Acelab workflow, Building Transparency handles the digitization and makes everyone's life easier.

Andre LH Baros

Senior Director of Material Research, Acelab

Reliable, comparable EPD data is the foundation for every low-carbon decision our customers make. We've worked alongside Building Transparency on PCR and EPD initiatives for years and have seen how much the industry depends on EC3. Membership is how we invest in keeping that infrastructure open, neutral and growing, and it keeps us engaged as EC3 2.0 evolves.

Shane Mulligan

Manager, Market Solutions and Development, Heidelberg Materials

Every Buy Clean program we support for governments runs on open EPD data. EC3 is that foundation, and Building Transparency has been a strong partner in keeping it public and reliable.

Taylor Linnell

Co-Founder and CEO, BuiltCold

Individual Membership

Knowledge, connections, and impact — at the individual level.

For practitioners, consultants, and students who rely on EC3 and want to more fully engage with and support BT.

Professional Member

$250 / year

For individuals in AEC firms and LCA consultants who want to support and engage with BT.

Annual Member Briefing (1×/year)
Annual EC3 Trends Report (detailed)
Annual roadmap survey (advisory, non-binding)
Webinars, convenings & Technical Working Groups
30-day EPD data view/usage history
10 projects/year
3 business-day EPD data-quality response

Join Now

Student Member

$50 / year

Eligibility is confirmed during registration.

All Professional Member benefits
Annual Member Briefing
Annual EC3 Trends Report
Webinars & member convenings
Eligibility verification required

Join Now

Interested in sharing projects among colleagues, office hours, and deeper data access? See organizational member benefits →

Organizational Membership

Help sustain the embodied carbon data infrastructure your work depends on

Organizational tiers add seats, deeper analytics, more project capacity, higher API rates, and direct engagement with the EC3 team.

$1,000 / year

EC3 Community Member

Small AEC firms

Up to 5 seats (+$250/seat/yr)
20 projects/year + advanced structure
Named recognition
Annual briefing & Trends Report (detailed)
Quarterly EC3 Office Hours
Early visibility into releases (informational only)
90-day EPD data history
3 business-day EPD data-quality response
10% off select Technical Partnerships

Join Now

$5,000 / year

EC3 Practitioner Member

Mid-size AEC firms, LCA software, data integrators, manufacturers

All Community benefits, plus…
Up to 10 seats (+$250/seat/yr)
50 projects/year + portfolio analytics
Logo recognition
All-time EPD data history
1 business-day EPD data-quality response
White Label EPD Catalogue (coming March 2027)
API rate limits @ 100 tokens/min

Join Now

$10,000–$25,000 / year*

EC3 Sustaining Member

Large enterprises (additive to existing contracts)

All Practitioner benefits, plus…
Unlimited seats
Unlimited projects + sharing + custom fields
API rate limits @ 1,000 tokens/min
Full SOC 2 compliance report (under NDA)
Logo recognition
10% off select Technical Partnerships

Join Now

* Dues are self-selected within the range above based on your capacity to support BT's mission.

50% discount for nonprofits, government & academia

Memberships are discounted 50% for government agencies, 501(c)(3)s, and international not-for-profit organizations. Indicate eligibility during registration — our team verifies before activation.

Coupon code

BTNONPROFIT50

Apply at checkout for your 50% discount

Have questions?, please email to membership@buildingtransparency.org

Beyond Membership

Build a broader partnership

Pair organizational membership with a Fee-for-Service Partnership for custom services, one-on-one advisory sessions, EC3 training, and dedicated technical support. We'll help you build an engagement that meets your goals.

Explore Partnerships

Unsure which tier is right for you? Review detailed tiers & benefits comparison or contact our team to talk through your goals.

Full Benefits Comparison

Compare membership tiers

Full Benefits & FAQ — EC3 Membership Program 2026

Complete benefit details, FAQ, and terms in one document

Download PDF

Benefit	Registered User	Individual $250/yr	Community $1,000/yr	Practitioner $5,000/yr	Sustaining $10k–$25k/yr
Access & Pricing
Core EC3 tools (EPD Repo, Find & Compare, Planner, Declare)	Free for all	Free for all	Free for all	Free for all	Free for all
Annual dues (50% discount for gov't agencies & 501(c)(3)s)	—	$250	$1,000	$5,000	$10k–$25k*
Best for	Open to all	AEC individuals, LCA consultants	Small firms	Mid-size AEC, LCA software, data integrators, manufacturers	Large enterprises
Seats & Recognition
Seats with membership benefits	0	1	Up to 5	Up to 10	Unlimited
Additional seats	—	—	$250/seat/yr	$250/seat/yr	Included
Recognition	—	—	Named	Logo	Logo
Community & Engagement
Annual Member Briefing	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Annual EC3 Trends Report	High-level	Detailed	Detailed	Detailed	Detailed
Annual roadmap survey (advisory, non-binding)	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Webinars, convenings & Technical Working Groups	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Quarterly EC3 Office Hours	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Early visibility into releases (informational only)	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Data & Platform
EPD data view/usage insights history	30-day	30-day	90-day	All-time	All-time
EPD data-quality response time	7 bus. days	3 bus. days	3 bus. days	1 bus. day	1 bus. day
Project Planner	5/yr	10/yr	20/yr + advanced structure	50/yr + portfolio analytics	Unlimited + sharing + custom fields
White Label EPD Catalogue (coming March 2027)	—	—	—	✓	✓
EC3 API rate limits	Free tier (rate limited)	Free tier (rate limited)	Free tier (rate limited)	100 tokens/min	1,000 tokens/min
Full SOC 2 compliance report (under NDA)	—	—	—	—	✓
Discounts
10% discount on select Technical Partnerships	—	—	✓	✓	✓

* Sustaining tier dues are self-selected within the $10,000–$25,000 range based on your capacity to support BT's mission.

** Batches including more than 5 EPDs reported on the same day may take longer to process. Response-time commitments affect only how quickly BT processes correction requests — membership never affects EPD content, data-quality standards, ranking, or visibility in EC3.

Bespoke work remains available through the separately priced Fee-for-Service Partnership track.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I start the membership process?

Select Join Now to open the membership registration page. Choose a tier, provide your contact and billing information, and continue to payment there.

Does membership change access to EC3's core tools?

No. The EPD Repository, Find & Compare Materials (including Pilot Categories), Project Planner, and Declare Your Product remain free and open to everyone, member or not.

Can I add more seats to my organization's membership?

Community and Practitioner tiers can add seats for $250/year each. Sustaining tier includes unlimited seats. Seats can be reassigned mid-year.

Is a discount available for nonprofits or government agencies?

Yes — a 50% discount applies across all Member tiers for government agencies, U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, and nonprofits outside the U.S. It doesn't apply to Student Membership, which is already discounted. Indicate eligibility when completing the membership registration page — our team will verify before activating your membership.

How is the Sustaining tier priced?

Sustaining members self-select their annual dues within the $10,000–$25,000 range, based on their capacity to support BT's mission.

Does membership come with voting rights or a seat on the Board?

No. EC3 Membership is a non-voting membership class. It doesn't confer governance rights, Board representation, or a vote on BT decisions.

Is my membership dues payment tax-deductible?

Membership dues support BT's charitable mission. Because Members receive benefits, only the portion of dues above the fair market value of those benefits may be deductible as a charitable contribution; many organizations treat dues as a business expense instead. Your dues acknowledgment will include a good-faith estimate of the fair market value of member benefits. Please consult your tax advisor.

I already give as a supporter/donor — do I need to become a Member too?

No. Membership and Supporter giving are separate ways to engage with BT, and you're welcome to do either or both — whichever combination best fits how you want to support the organization.

My organization already has an Enterprise Instance — does membership replace that?

No. Enterprise Instance and Fee-for-Service Partnership agreements continue alongside membership — membership doesn't change or replace them. Increased API rate limits are now offered through membership, so if your organization has an EC3 API agreement, our team will reach out about how it fits.

How does API access work with membership?

Everyone can use the free, rate-limited EC3 API. Practitioner and Sustaining Members receive higher rate limits. All API use, including commercial use, is governed by the EC3 API Terms of Service. For high-volume, redistribution, or custom API needs, contact membership@buildingtransparency.org.

Is membership billed annually, and does it auto-renew?

Yes. Membership is billed annually and renews automatically for one-year terms. At least 60 days before your renewal date, we'll send a reminder with your dues amount and give you the option to adjust tiers. You can cancel anytime before renewal by emailing membership@buildingtransparency.org.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my tier?

Yes. You can upgrade to a higher tier at any time, with the difference prorated for the rest of your term. Downgrades take effect at your next renewal.

How do I pay?

We accept payment by invoice, credit card, or ACH. Payment is completed on the Join EC3 registration page after you select a membership tier and enter your information.

What counts as a "seat," and can I reassign one during the year?

A seat is one named individual with access to your tier's membership benefits beyond the core free tools. Yes, seats can be reassigned mid-year.

Can benefits change during my term?

We'll keep improving the program, but we won't materially reduce your tier's benefits during a term. Any changes take effect at renewal, with advance notice.

My organization doesn't cleanly fit one of the tiers — can we talk about a custom arrangement?

Yes — reach out to membership@buildingtransparency.org and we'll work with you to find the right fit.

Who do I contact with questions before joining?

membership@buildingtransparency.org

Need help deciding?