Membership
The Velocity Interoperability Network is made up of organisations that connect their systems to one another under common standards and deal with the world outside the Network through the Ministry. Membership is open to any organisation that is able and willing to meet the obligations described on this page. Decisions on membership are taken by the Council of Members; the Ministry assesses applications, consults members and records the result.
- 16
- Member organisations as of 6 September 2026
- 12
- Full members
- 4
- Associate members
- 5
- Stages between an expression of interest and admission
Categories of membership. Three categories exist. Full and associate members are recorded in the Register of Member Organisations; observers are invited for particular meetings and are not recorded as members.
| Category | Who is eligible | Rights | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full member | An organisation that connects its systems to the Network and applies Network standards to them. | Sits and votes in the Council of Members; may be the member concerned in an agreement; may propose agreements and candidates for membership. | Indefinite, subject to review every five years. |
| Associate member | An organisation that works with the Network but does not yet connect its systems to it, or connects them for a limited purpose. | Sits in the Council of Members and votes on all matters except the admission of members and the adoption of common positions. | Three years, renewable once; thereafter the organisation applies for full membership or leaves the Network. |
| Observer | An outside organisation with an interest in a matter before the Council of Members. | Attends the meetings to which it is invited and may address them at the invitation of the chair. Does not vote. | For the meeting or series of meetings named in the invitation. |
Obligations of members. Every member, whether full or associate, undertakes the obligations below on admission. They are the basis on which other members and outside organisations rely on the Network, and the Council of Members may suspend a member that fails to meet them.
- Apply the standards of the Network
- A member applies the interoperability standards of the Network to every system it connects to the Network, and notifies the Ministry before making a change to a connected system that may affect other members.
- Deal with outside organisations through the Ministry
- A member conducts its external relations, so far as they bind the Network, through the Ministry. It does not conclude agreements that bind the Network separately and it follows every common position that has been settled.
- Appoint and maintain a representative
- A full member appoints a permanent representative, and an associate member a delegate, and notifies the Ministry in writing of the appointment and of any change. The representative attends meetings of the Council of Members or arranges a substitute.
- Answer notices and consultations
- A member acknowledges notices that require action within ten working days and replies to consultations within the time the Ministry sets, which is not less than fifteen working days.
- Keep the Register accurate
- A member notifies the Ministry of any change in its name, its sector or its constitution that affects its entry in the Register of Member Organisations.
- Contribute to the costs of the Network
- A member contributes to the common costs of the Network on the scale fixed by the Council of Members and administered by the Treasury of the Network.
How an organisation is admitted. Admission passes through five stages. The Office of Member Relations guides applicants through each of them and will say, on request, at which stage an application stands.
Step 1: Expression of interest
An organisation wishing to join writes to the Office of Member Relations describing its activities, the sector in which it operates, the systems it proposes to connect to the Network and the category of membership sought. A full member may sponsor the application, but sponsorship is not required.
Step 2: Assessment
The Office assesses whether the organisation is able to meet the obligations of membership. The standards committee reports on the systems proposed for connection and on the work required to bring them to Network standards.
Step 3: Consultation of members
The Ministry circulates the application and the assessment to all members. Members have twenty working days to comment. Any member may ask that the application be discussed in the Council before a decision is taken.
Step 4: Decision of the Council of Members
The Council decides on the application at an ordinary meeting. Admission as a full member requires the agreement of two thirds of the full members; admission as an associate member requires a simple majority. The Council may attach conditions, such as the completion of work on systems within a stated time.
Step 5: Admission and entry in the Register
The Ministry notifies the organisation of the decision, records its admission in the Register of Member Organisations and announces it in the Newsroom. Membership takes effect on the date of entry, and the new member's representative is entitled to sit in the Council from its next meeting.
Common questions
Expressions of interest and questions about membership may be sent to contact@ministry.gov.vin. The current members are listed in the Register on the Member Relations page, and the terms used here are explained in the Glossary.