Founded in 2012 by a group of businesspeople, the British-Iranian Network Alliance (BINA), connects like-minded people through networking events and business training in an environment where members have the opportunity to promote their business, and to trade and invest. They also have more enjoyable arts and culture events and social walks for members to participate in, which are part of their networking.

The mission behind BINA is to empower the British-Iranian business community using networking and training, as well as creating business and investment opportunities. BINA is a platform for British entrepreneurs to promote the products and services to the Iranian community. In turn, Iranian businesses are also able to promote their services and products in the United Kingdom. BINA also facilitates connections from its growing database of business contacts.

To join BINA, one would need to receive an invite from a current member and meet their membership criteria. Alternatively, one may also enter the BINA application process. In doing so, BINA ensures that only select individuals join their network so as to keep within their standards.

How exactly do members benefit from joining BINA? The various networking events organized by BINA aim to generate business for members by exposing them to people in other environments and locations. They also offer a broad range of training events where members can learn more about business skills from experts within the industry. In addition, there are also mentoring sessions for members to discuss their business issues and find solutions. There are many instances where BINA members can meet other like-minded individuals and investors while gaining valuable skills and promoting their businesses.

One may ask whether BINA is only for Iranians. Well, the open networking, social, and arts and culture events are open to anyone interested in attending. There are, however, members-only events which of course, may only be attended by members, these include roundtable discussions. There are no restrictions on nationalities attending events, and past guests include a variety of different nationalities.

When it comes to their selection process, BINA carefully selects their members based on their business and experience and their compatibility with the existing members. Anyone applying for membership should be a British citizen, although their residency is not restricted to the United Kingdom. One must provide evidence of an existing company which has been up and running for two years or show that you have been working in your profession for at least two years. You will need to agree to BINA's code of conduct and also have two references available should these be required.

Is it possible for all businesses to join BINA? As a networking organization, BINA is aware that networking is possible for all businesses. However, it may not be the right thing for all individuals. As previously mentioned, they select members based upon their compatibility with the existing members, which is vital to them. It is suitable for not only experienced networkers but also for those who wish to improve their networking skills and build new contacts.