FAQ

There is one application cycle per year for the BFU℠ program. The online application typically opens in October the year prior, and closes in early August.

The 2025 submission deadline will be August 7, 2025.

Find the full schedule of annual BFU deadlines and award announcements here.

Yes, there is a $100 application fee for each application that is submitted.

Discounts are available for the following institutions: 

• An existing Bicycle Friendly University℠ that is scheduled to renew this year (their last application was 4 years ago).
• Previous BFU℠ applicants that received No Award or Honorable Mention on their most recent application.
• Institutions that are a current Affiliate/organizational Member of the League and maintain their membership for the full 4 years of their BFU designation.
• HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions.
• All-Women's Colleges.
• Community Colleges.

Contact [email protected] to learn more if your school is eligible for a discount. 

Invoicing is available for schools with Purchase Order systems.

Once your online application is finalized, there will be an option to "add to cart." From there, you will be prompted for payment before you can submit the application. You will be able to select whether you want to pay by credit card or request an invoice to pay by check or purchase order. Payment is due within 30 days of the application submission deadline.

Any university, college, community college, or other institution of higher education with a physical campus is eligible to apply for the BFU℠ program. Your bicycle, sustainability, or transportation program manager should review the application and resources. University administration should work alongside campus bicycling groups to complete the form. BFU℠ staff are available to answer questions about eligibility, the application process, and best practices.

Visit the Getting Started page to learn more about the application process. Or start your application here.

To complete the most comprehensive application, the applicant should be aware of all aspects of the university’s bicycle-related activities and efforts. We encourage the applicant to consult bicycling students and staff to help advise on the campus’s true environment for cycling.

Please be certain that the leaders of the college or university are consulted before applying.

New and renewing applicants fill out the same application form. However, renewing/returning applicants whose most recent application was in 2016 or later can now simplify the application process by duplicating their previous submission answers into the current online form. Learn more here.

Before the Submission Deadline:

The BFU review process will begin only after each annual BFU submission deadline passes. Early submissions will not be reviewed early.

If you submit your application early and need to make an update before the review process begins, all submitted applications are still editable by the primary applicant up until the annual submission deadline passes.

To edit your completed submission, please log in to the online BFU application and navigate to My Forms >> Complete, and then click 'Edit' next to your submission. (Note this option is available before 11:59pm PT on the submission deadline date.)

Following the Submission Deadline:

As part of our review process, the League will email each applicant a BFU Campus Survey link to distribute to students, staff, and faculty on campus, so that we can hear directly from students and employees about their bicycling experiences at the institution.

Applicants should typically expect to receive this survey link from the BFU team in September, shortly after Labor Day, and we encourage applicants to wait until students are on their campus for the new school year before attempting to distribute the survey.

The campus survey is optional but highly encouraged. The League will also reach out directly to local bike advocates in your area for their input (both those identified on your application, as well as from our member database).

Your submitted BFU application, along with this local input from the BFU Campus Survey, will then be reviewed by a national team of experts. Awards are normally announced 3-4 months after each deadline, and campus survey input will be included (anonymously) in each applicant's BFU feedback materials following the announcement.

Applications that are not submitted by the application deadline will be automatically transferred to the next year's application. However, any questions that were changed or added may not transfer data correctly, so it is important to double-check all of your answers before submitting an application that was started in a previous round.

Applicants that just fall short of a designation receive an Honorable Mention. Universities that receive an Honorable Mention are being promoted on the League website for one year. However, they do not receive a certificate, seal or award. The names of applicants that do not receive any recognition are not published. All applicants that do not achieve Bicycle Friendly status still receive a detailed feedback report that can be used to work towards a designation next time the campus applies.

The BFU℠ designation is given on a four-year basis, after which time the university must reapply to maintain or improve its status. Universities that do not maintain their cycling environment over the years may also lose their BFU℠ status.

The Bicycle Friendly University awards program

To determine if a college or university merits a Bicycle Friendly University award, League review teams use the "5 E" Awards Criteria to evaluate each application. Each application is assessed holistically as every campus must approach making biking better based on the unique needs of the people who live, learn, and work there.

Utilizing the 5 Es, judges recommend award levels ranging from Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Applications that do not meet our standards receive Honorable Mention or no award. All applicants are provided tailored feedback on how to improve biking in their communities.

Learn more about the BFU Awards Criteria for each award level here.

An important part of the BFU℠ designation is the official presentation of the award to the college or university. The following steps are usually involved in setting up an award ceremony:

1. Choose a date and location.
2. The League will identify a representative to present the award – the representative may be a League staff person or board member, the head of a local club, a member of the bike industry, or another appropriate person. If you have a preference, please let the League staff know. The League will provide talking points for the presentation.
3. The League can assist you in developing a press release for your business announcing the award ceremony. Most universities use their communications department to distribute the press release.