Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) around eligibility and mark use

OVER the years we have received lots of questions from members and we continue to respond to all queries. Some questions pop up more than once and so if we have answered them a couple of times already we have added them to this list of FAQs.

Have a quick look through these Q&As to find out if your question is here. If it isn’t email it to membership@madeinbritain.org

Q We have designed a product and own the trademark and patents for our product. However, the product is made for us by a sub-contracted manufacturer. Can we use the logo on our products made by them?

A If you own the trademark and designs for the product, i.e. your manufacturer makes it to your specification/designs, and you are contracting a British manufacturer then yes, you can join as a member. You will need to provide us with the name of the British manufacturer you use and provide evidence of a trading relationship.

Q Can we use the Made in Britain logo on a white label box I am designing for a product we are selling? The manufacturer of the product is a member of Made in Britain, the box states the product is made for us under licence.

A The logo can only be applied by a member. If the manufacturer is a member of Made in Britain then they will need to apply the logo to your product under our white label sub-licencing process. Please ask your manufacturer to get in touch and we can help them with this.

Q My business sells a selection of the best of Great British manufactured products, all sourced from local suppliers. Can we become a member?

A If you are a re-seller of British made products, i.e. you do not own the brand or designs for the products then you cannot be a member of Made in Britain.

Q I have made a partnership with a business that is a member of Made in Britain and all the products on my websites will be produced by them.  Can I use the logo on my product marketing assets to promote them and to promote Made in Britain philosophy?

A The business that makes the product you are selling (the MiB member) may put the logo onto your product at the point of manufacture, and you can sell the product with the logo on, but in order for you to use the logo in your marketing you would need to be a member. 

Q We are a British company but some of our components are manufactured in China, we assemble our product here in the UK using a mix of imported and locally sourced parts, are we eligible for membership?

A To be eligible for membership you must be a manufacturer making physical goods where raw materials/components have undergone a substantial and transformative change as a result of your manufacturing processes in Great Britain. One hundred per cent of labour/human resource that makes the finished product must be in Britain at the time the product was first offered for sale. We allow components to be sourced from overseas, but they must undergo a substantial change and be transformed into a finished product in a manufacturing facility in Britain.

Q We are a contract manufacturer providing a manufacturing service (we don’t make our own products), are we eligible?

A Yes, so long as you are manufacturing a finished product and one hundred per cent of the labour/human resource that makes the finished product is in Britain you can join. 

Q If we were to become a member, would we be able to change the colours of the collective mark to suit our corporate colours.

A Unfortunately not. You would only be able to use our colour version, a greyscale version or a single colour version. Members can download a guide to use of the mark from the members' downloads area.

Q As a member, are we able to share the mark (artwork and usage guidelines) with our retailers for use on their websites  - if explicitly used for pages about our Made In Britain products?

A To comply with the terms of your membership, the mark may only be displayed on your own products and marketing materials. It cannot be unilaterally applied or used by your customer in any format or on media that isn’t provided by you -  which, in turn, would only be in a format that complies with our terms and conditions of use. To facilitate the sharing of the mark with your clients, you would need to place or embed the mark in images and brochures (printed or digital) that you provide for third-party use (i.e. by your direct customers only) and each image or use of the mark would also need to show your membership number directly underneath or alongside the mark so as to appear as clearly part of the mark image. This process would be instigated, controlled and managed by you – and you remain responsible for protecting the approved use and display of the mark.

Q As well as producing our own range of products we also produce own-label products. Are these able to carry the mark?

A We have a sub-licensing policy for this, you will need to inform us by completing a sub-licensee form for each customer you produce own-label products for and display the manufacturer code we give you alongside the mark on these products.

Q We manufacture some products here in Britain, but also sell some that are made by our overseas facility, can we still become a member?

A Yes you can become a member. However, you will need to make it clear on your website which products are not made in Britain, for example, by only including the logo on the pages for the British-manufactured products and including a statement on your website to say you are a member of the Made In Britain organisation but some products in your portfolio are not exclusively manufactured by in the UK and the mark is not applicable to these.

OTHER MARKS 
There are similar marks being used by organisations that wish to emulate the success of the official Made in Britain mark. These copy-cat marks are not registered or protected and do not provide the guarantees given by the official Made in Britain organisation. We try to protect unsuspecting organisations and customers from the risks of using these rogue marks so if you do see other organisations passing themselves off as the official Made in Britain organisation, please let us know by emailing, in strictest confidence, info@madeinbritain.org.

Similarly, if you see the official Made in Britain mark being used on a product that you suspect is not made in Britain, we'd like to know about it. Please email us at info@madeinbritain.org, including a photo of the item and the mark.