Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can start using the general CIBD post nominal for your membership category from the date of transition.

 It is the organisation which is becoming Chartered but we will be working towards being able to offer individual chartership in the future.

At the moment you will be a member of a Chartered Institute rather than an individual Chartered member- we will have to show that our members are committed to the Code of Professional Conduct and to undertaking CPD for a period of at least two years before we are able to apply to update our Charter to include individual Chartered Membership.  

Your membership category at the CIBD would be the equivalent to the one you currently have with the IBD, i.e. if you are a student/introductory member of the IBD, you will become a student member of the CIBD, life or standard members of the IBD will become Members of the CIBD. The transition to the category will be automatic and you will not have to do anything. 

Yes, Associate Members will have all the benefits of the membership including participation in section events, the BDI magazine and access to our exclusive content. You will, however, not be able to vote at the AGMs in the future and will not be required to undertake CPD or abide by the Code of Conduct. 

Due to the breadth of the membership criteria we will initially transfer all IBD members across to full member status of the CIBD. As part of your 2025 renewal you will have the chance to self select if you want to change your category. There are multiple routes to full member status which combine more or fewer years of relevant work experience depending on your educational background.  We define both the types of degree (where applicable) and the types of work broadly to reflect the industry and we are confident that current full members will have the experience to qualify to be full members of the new organisation. 

Every year Membership subscriptions proposals are reviewed and recommended by the appropriate IBD sub-Committees which are made up of people working across the industry. Recommendations take into account a combination of internal and external factors and Chartership will not automatically lead to an increase in subscription fees. As we invest in additional areas to benefit our members we’ll need to take these costs into account but value and accessibility will always be a charitable  priority.

There are many well-known international Chartered bodies that are highly regarded internationally and the CIBD and the industry may well benefit from that association. Beyond that, the commitment to high standards that Chartership involves is important in itself- for example, the fact that members will be held to a code of professional conduct and will also be expected to show that they are keeping their knowledge and skills up to date in a fast-changing world.

This scheme will be different because it is industry specific and belongs to the CIBD, rather than operating under a license; whilst for some people the transferability of Chartered Scientist was a benefit others felt it did not truly reflect the needs of our industry and stakeholders- we will be able to tailor requirements to our audiences. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to issue you a refund, but please email us on ibdmembers@ibd.org.uk and, once your membership is up for renewal, we will cancel your membership. We think that this is reasonable as over the past two years we have been clear and open about our plans to transition to the CIBD, IBD members have strongly supported these plans and it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

Please note that we will offer an Associate membership that offers all the benefits of the IBD membership, including the exclusive events and the BDI, but doesn’t require any of the Chartership related commitments.

There isn’t a fixed answer to this and in simple terms the requirement is to undertake continuing professional development, and we trust you to choose the right activities. Best practice is to focus on the impact and not just on how much time it took to do. Different people learn at different speeds and you should always factor in time for reflection. If you attend an all-day conference for example, you might have one or two key takeaways that you embed in your work.  There is not one size fits all but on average across all professions, most organisations suggest a minimum of 30 hours per year to devote to your own development. We are confident that most people already do this, for example going to a section event or reading BDI and reflecting on your learning.  

The definition of CPD is very broad and we are sure that most of you are already engaging in CPD and carry out continuous improvement at work.  We are always looking for more ways to help you develop your career and can provide support, mentoring, templates, exemplars etc. to help you fulfil these new requirements. We will try to make it as easy as possible and will accept all forms of CPD submission from audio, video, transcribing, LinkedIn activity, templates already used at work etc.  Ultimately, a commitment to CPD is part of being a Member of the CIBD and shows a willingness to learn and improve. We will continue to review and improve our CPD offer based on how our members are responding to our CPD offer. 

If you are not interested in doing CPD, you can choose to become an Associate Member and have all the membership benefits but will not be bound by any Chartership related commitments. You will also not be able to use the post nominals, vote at AGMs and stand as a Trustee. 

There are multiple ways to undertake record CPD and before you think of switching, we are fairly sure that you are already engaging in some kind of lifelong learning and we will happily accept any format of CPD! If you have end of year reviews at work you could send in those; if you are active on LinkedIn you could share your page with us to show how you engage with your peers; if you prefer to do a video or audio recording on what you have achieved we will accept that, or we can do a phone interview and you tell us everything you have learnt during 2025.  If you really want to become an Associate Member then just let us know and we will switch you over. 

The majority of the work has been undertaken for Chartership  utilising our existing staffing and resources.  There are naturally elements to the transition to Chartership that have required specific legal and other expertise, and these one-off items will be detailed as part of next years’ accounts.  for the year ended 31st December 2024 which will be presented to members in the September 2025 AGM following sign off by our auditors.

We are a few years away from that, and we have not yet defined the criteria, although you will have to be a member at the very least, or the process so we are currently not able to say.  We will likely want to be able to cover the costs of running the process. We will ensure that the individual Chartered membership is accessible to anyone who fits the criteria. 

Ultimately,  Chartership is about raising the professional standards of our fellowship of members and supporting them as an ongoing learning partner for life. Chartership formalises this in a way that is universally beneficial. 

The IBD will eventually be dissolved and all assets and membership transferred to the CIBD. If you do not wish to be a member of the CIBD you can resign your membership. 

We are working to facilitate direct debits for membership payments and further details will be available in due course. 

Yes, retired Fellows still exist as members and they will have to undertake CPD. We are confident that you are very likely to be currently undertaking CPD activities. 

Every Fellowship candidate requires a nomination by the nominee’s IBD Section Chairperson along with recommendations from an additional two IBD Fellows, not necessarily from the same Section, but known to the Nominee. Click here for more information.

This year is significant as we will have two AGM's this year- the final AGM of the IBD, and then we will have the first AGM of the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (CIBD). This is required as once we transition to the CIBD, the IBD will be dissolved and the CIBD will take over the assets and the liabilities of the IBD. 

We intend to transition to become the CIBD on the 1st of January 2025, but this is subject to the approval at the AGM and consent of third parties.