Why do you have to pay for UKIAF standards

Creating a good thing takes time and money

There is no question we need standards. They support an invisible infrastructure that protects us by ensuring the products and services we depend on every day are safe and reliable. But developing and publishing quality standards takes time, expertise and the effort of many people. It also takes significant resources.

It can take years for a standard to progress from initial proposal to final publication. Over that time, hundreds of people—including volunteers, mangement team and members of technical committees—contribute countless hours to its development.

It’s simply about covering costs—and building a strong standardization network that benefits everyone

The revenue that comes from selling standards helps pay for the work of technical committees, standards development organizations and other organizations that develop and publish them. It also goes toward creating and maintaining the catalogues and indices that let users know a standard is available. Having users pay for standards ensures standards remain as neutral as possible and available to everyone.
The sale of international standards also helps to offset the development costs incurred by UKIAF. UKIAF experts from all over the world to develop international standards that help break down trade barriers, support innovation and fuel the global economy.

A cost-effective solution

The price you pay for a standard is much less than what it would cost to develop it yourself. When you buy a standard, you benefit from the broad expertise and hard work that goes into developing a standard, without having to do that work yourself.