Become a Member

Benefits of Membership

Why GENA membership is of value to you?

GENA acts as an active not-for-profit international trade association at European level and beyond for a growing and dynamic community of service providers drawn from organisations that provide network, business outsourcing, financial, technology, and EDI services in the e-Invoicing and Supply Chain automation space. We deliver essential value to members by being proactive in promoting and defending member interests and in delivering services and taking the initiative.

Both larger and smaller players work together to reflect the voice of the industry and gain from sharing and solidarity. Our active forum addresses the growing list of issues thrown up by regulators, develops solutions and frameworks for interoperability, and creates a positive industry environment in which industry competitors can flourish.

All full members are entitled to participate in the governance of the association, vote on decisions and in elections for various offices, and take part in meetings and working groups. There is no compulsion to contribute beyond a member’s capacity and willingness.

Our vision is to create a strategic asset for members by delivering industry leadership, influence and a framework of support.

Specific current examples of programmes of activities and areas of attention include:

Public policy and compliance

• Fully understanding the public policy environment for e-invoicing and providing thought leadership in policy debates
• Monitoring and contributing to initiatives such as Directive 2014/55/EU on e-Invoicing in public procurement, e-IDAS, the European Retail Payments Board, and various Member State developments
• Keeping in touch with global supply chain developments, and with legal and compliance requirements and practices
• Contributing to dematerialisation in the international trade arena

Interoperability

• Creating the interoperable eco-system based on easy to use GENA (EESPA) model agreements, which are standardized, tested and widely used
• To reduce the cost of interoperability by removing the need for legal negotiations and generating savings that easily exceed the annual GENA membership fee
• Join forces with OpenPeppol to work towards a common multilateral framework, based on multi-stakeholder governance, to ensure an open, resilient and secure internet
• Promoting the development of the Decentralized Continuous Transaction Controls and Exchange model (DCTCE) on a global basis
• Participating in relevant CEN Technical Committees (e.g. eInvoicing/eProcurement) for the good of the industry

Reach-out and research

• Helping members to scale their investments in their capabilities by providing useful market insights
• Providing a well-regarded web-site and publishing an informative newsletter including global and country developments
• Building a focus on adjacent spaces such as e-procurement, supply chain finance, trust services and work flow to support selective extension of scale and scope in GENA activities
• Creating alliances such as the ones we have with OpenPeppol, VeR, DSPANZ and Amexipac

On top of formal activities, the GENA community provides unrivalled opportunities for informal networking and learning. These relationships can lead to new partnerships based on trust and familiarity.

Building the community

Founded in 2011 as EESPA, GENA has evolved into a dynamic community with over 100 full and associate members as of April 2024. The organization now also operates through Local and Regional Chapters in Germany, Italy, the Nordics, and the Middle East. 

Our agreed formal Mission Statement states that:

GENA will address those challenges in developing the market for e-invoicing and related services, which properly belong in the non-competitive area and require soundly based cooperation among service providers that meet its membership criteria. Such cooperation will be designed to develop best practices, foster influence in the public policy domain, and provide membership services, all to a high standard and to a level which members find appropriate and affordable.

The vision of GENA is to pursue a trustworthy ecosystem of interoperable networks through which end-to-end digital invoices and other commercial data can be seamlessly exchanged and automatically processed by suppliers and buyers anywhere in the world connecting only once to a participating broker acting under a rules framework that encompasses appropriate statutory reporting.

GENA provides a well-resourced secretariat and community management platform that is always ready to provide help and support. The association has established an effective and fully functioning governance framework.

We value your involvement and commitment to our objectives and to delivering this value proposition.

Membership Conditions & Application Process

Membership criteria 

Membership in GENA is reserved for incorporated businesses with allocations made on the basis of one membership per group of companies interconnected through ownership and control. These organisations offer services related to eInvoicing and other business digitalisation solutions in Europe and the World.  

Membership types

1. Full Members

Entities whose primary business activities include providing eInvoicing services can only choose to join GENA as Full Members. These services encompass the creation, transmission, and management of electronic invoices, as well as ensuring compliance with applicable electronic invoicing regulations and standards.

Full members hold the privilege of voting on all organizational and financial matters, embodying a pivotal role in steering GENA’s direction. Representatives of Full Members are eligible to apply for esteemed positions within the Executive Committee and can take on leadership roles in Working Groups.

2. Associate Members (Non-voting)

This membership category is designed for organizations that do not meet the criteria for Full Membership. For the avoidance of doubt, the criteria for Full Member status should be interpreted broadly with the objective that only organisations that are not providers of software and/or technology services in the e-invoicing and B2B data interchange ecosystem may qualify for Associate Member status.

Associate Members may participate in relevant open meetings and working groups of the Association subject to the decision of the Executive Committee.

3. Chapter Members

Chapter Members are organizations, whether already member of GENA or not, that express a keen interest in participating in local or regional Chapters to engage in discussions pertinent to localized or regional topics. 

Chapter Members can participate in relevant open meetings and working groups of the Chapter but Chapter Membership does not give access to the regular activities of the GENA association.

General Assembly Meetings

GENA organises two General Assembly meetings each year (May and November). GENA Full members may delegate two representatives to each of these meetings, Associate members may delegate one person. Elected Chapter Chairpersons may join the General Assembly meetings as Observer.  

Application and Agreement for GENA Membership (Full and Associate Members)

When applying for membership in the Global Exchange Network Association (GENA), applicants are required to adhere to the following terms and conditions:

1. Acceptance of Statutes:

   • Applicants must formally accept GENA’s statutes, agreeing to comply with all provisions and guidelines outlined therein.

2. Confirmation of Eligibility:

   • Applicants are required to confirm that they meet the necessary membership criteria as stipulated in GENA’s statutes.

3. Consent to Publication and Communication:

   • Applicants must consent to the publication of their name and contact information on the GENA website.
   • Applicants agree to receive communications related to their GENA membership at the provided contact details.

4. GENA Membership Fees (Full and Associate):

   Applicants agree to be liable for membership fees as determined by the Association, which are subject to change.
   • A one-time entrance fee of €1,000 is applicable, along with the following annual membership fees for 2024:
     • Full Member: €2,750
     • Associate Member: €1,650
   • Note: The one-time entrance fee is waived for VeR (German Chapter) members who join GENA as a Full or Associate member.

Membership Fee - Chapter Member

Companies have the option to join one or more chapters, for which they will be required to pay a membership fee for each chapter they choose to join. The 2024 fee is to be confirmed by the Executive Committee. Chapter members that apply to join GENA as Full or Associate members are eligible to pay the entrance and yearly fees as specified above.

By submitting an application to the Executive Committee, applicants affirm their agreement with these terms, ensuring a mutual understanding and commitment to the principles and operations of GENA.

Companies complying with these membership criteria can submit their application via the application forms. 

• GENA Application form
• Nordics Chapter Application Form
• Italian Chapter Application Form