FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the Bicycle Friendly Business Program
General FAQs
When bicycling is infused in an office or corporate culture, great things happen. People who are encouraged to commute by bike to and from work, run errands by bike, take a spin at lunchtime, or bike in their leisure time perform better at their jobs because they’re energized and alert.
Studies have shown that people who lead an active lifestyle have significantly lower costs for health care. Since employers typically pay a significant portion of health care costs, it benefits employers and the employees to promote healthy living. A healthy workforce also reduces the rate of absenteeism.
Businesses that promote bicycling are recognized for being green and socially responsible. They are conscious of their carbon footprint, aware of their impact on the environment, and are willing to think and act creatively in order to improve the quality of life for employees, their families and the greater community. A Bicycle Friendly Business attracts and retains employees, because people want to be part of a positive environment.
The Bicycle Friendly Business program also provides technical assistance on how to become more bicycle friendly. The program offers great resources to help improve a business’s bicycling accessibility, promotion and awareness within the workplace.
The Bicycle Friendly Business resource page contains several reports on the benefits of cycling, design guides, case studies and other useful information to aid your application process and bicycle-friendly efforts.
Applicant FAQs
The next application deadline is October 30, 2024.
See the full schedule of deadlines and award announcements here.
Yes. All businesses pay an application fee based on the number of employees at the applying location of the business (only one location is allowed per application).
The application fee is only due at the time of a new or renewal application submission; There are no other fees between application cycles for existing BFBs.
Corporate Sponsors and Business Members of the League apply to the Bicycle Friendly Business program for free (limit one free application per year per business membership). Learn more about Corporate Membership giving levels and additional benefits here.
| Number of Employees at Applying Location | Application Fee |
| 1-49 employees or Non-profit/Government (of any size) | $50 |
| 50-499 employees | $100 |
| 500-999 employees | $250 |
| 1,000 or more employees | $500 |
The Bicycle Friendly Business program welcomes applications from any business, corporation, organization, association, government agency, or nonprofit group located in the United States with two or more employees.
Businesses with only one employee or that are entirely volunteer-run (no paid employees) may receive exceptions ONLY if they have a permanent physical location and 2 or more customers, volunteers, or guests visiting their business on a daily basis.
Generally speaking, individuals and small businesses that work out of a home office or private residence are not eligible for the BFB designation; however, we have made exceptions for bike-focused organizations and companies without a physical location. Please email [email protected] to find out if your business might also receive an exception.
We encourage applications from large and small businesses with single or multiple locations; however, only one location may be considered per application. Businesses with multiple locations may submit separate applications for each location.
A campus with more than one building in the same area may apply as a single location.
Review the Getting Started page to learn more about the application process.
To complete the most comprehensive application, the applicant should be aware of all aspects of the business's bicycle-related activities and efforts. We encourage the applicant to consult workplace cyclists to help advise on the business's true environment for cycling.
Please be certain that the leaders of the business (for example the CEO, CFO, CSR) are consulted before applying.
New and renewing applicants fill out the same application form. However, returning BFBs can now simplify the renewal process by duplicating their previous submission into the current online form. Learn more about this option here.
Applications that are not submitted on or before the application deadline will be automatically transferred to the next application cycle so that you can pick up right where you left off to apply in the next round. You will receive an email notification when the new application round opens (normally within a few days of the previous deadline) to let you know your application is available again.
Please note that 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.
If you submitted an application in a previous round and are now reapplying, you can contact us at [email protected] for a PDF of your previously submitted application, or find instructions to duplicate a previous submission into a new online form here.
Applicants that fall just short of a designation receive an Honorable Mention. The names of applicants that do not receive any recognition (below Honorable Mention) are not published. All applicants that do not achieve BFB status (Honorable Mention or no award) still receive a detailed feedback report that can be used to work towards a designation the next time the business applies, and their next BFB application fee will be waived.
Feedback reports for Honorable Mention and No Designation BFB applicants will include a discount code to waive the applicant's next BFB Application Fee.
The BFB designation is given on a four-year basis, after which time the business must reapply to maintain or improve their status. Businesses will be reminded to reapply through email. If your business has significantly improved sooner than four years, we welcome your application in pursuit of a higher designation before the expected renewal date. Businesses that do not maintain their cycling environment over the years may also lose their BFB status.
A committee of specialists reviews each application and considers feedback from cyclists in the workplace and local bicycle advocates in order to determine an organization’s level of recognition. Qualifying organizations are then awarded Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze status. Learn more about the crtieria for each award level here.
The League of American Bicyclists recognizes each designated Bicycle Friendly Business with an award letter, certificate, and a national press announcement. Awardees will also be profiled on the League website.
An important part of the BFB designation is the official presentation of the award to the business. The following steps are usually involved in setting up an award ceremony:
- Choose a date and location.
- 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 other appropriate person. If you have a preference, please let the League staff know. The League will provide talking points for the presentation.
- The League can assist you in developing a press release for your business’s announcement of the award ceremony. Most businesses use their communications department to distribute the press release.
Employees and Advocates
- The BFC, BFB, BFU, and BFS programs are described in one booklet.
- The digital BFA Booklet is designed to give advocates, elected officials, business leaders, students, and university administrators a comprehensive look at the BFA programs. A visual and written tour of the four programs, the small booklet also includes a brief self-assessment tool to evaluate the bicycle-friendliness of your community, business, or university.
- The booklet is available for download and print. Print your desired quantities and place a local organization sticker on the back of the booklet.
- Promoting the BFA programs on your website is a terrific way of highlighting the success stories in your area (i.e. awarded businesses, communities, and universities). Using your website as a connector for all your local or regional BFA awardees makes for a more robust bicycle-friendly network.
- Use this guide and download the logos here.
- Hosting a BFA presentation is a cost-effective and efficient way of distributing information about any of the four programs. This could be done onsite or through a webinar by a local advocate, League staff, or both. Organization of a BFA presentation is easy and is a great way to bring together various local partners and build momentum. Download an overview of the BFA program below or request a copy in PowerPoint format, email [email protected]. The presentations are each about 10-15 minutes in length with the script and can be presented at your convenience.
- BFA Overview Slides and Script (updated 10/6/20)