Boy Scouts of America :: Councils and Units

What this Means to Council Suppliers

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BSA has the sole and exclusive right to use its proprietary marks, but a failure to regulate the use of these marks by third parties may result in their passing into the public domain and out of BSA control. The protection and enforcement of BSA trademarks and the BSA brand requires centralization to know which uses of the marks and brand are infringements, and which have been properly authorized and are consistent with the values, purposes and Charter and Bylaws of BSA.

BSA National Council groups, divisions and departments, as well as local councils, are responsible to adhering to these same requirements and standards for product purchases and must use either Supply Group or an Official Licensee. Supply Group, which is specifically charged with serving as the designated product supplier for Boy Scouts of America, holds its vendors to a review process very similar to that of licensees.

BSA proprietary marks, (i.e. insignia, words, phrases, designation marks, pictorial representations, and descriptive marks relating to the BSA) may be used on materials created solely for the council in the promotion and delivery of the Scouting program. Specifically, a local council may use these marks on items such as printed-paper materials (i.e. local council brochures, Friends of Scouting materials, council stationary, annual reports and newsletters), council and unit websites, and in other appropriate non-commercial instances to support the Scouting program. A local council may not use BSA proprietary marks for commercial purposes (i.e. selling items bearing BSA proprietary marks).

All suppliers providing materials, which use BSA proprietary marks, must be licensed by BSA to engage in this activity. The license will establish the standards under which BSA proprietary marks may be used. Any current council supplier seeking to license BSA proprietary marks may request a licensing application by sending an electronic request to: licensing@netbsa.org

In instances where a local council wishes to work with a local supplier, the supplier can request a Local Council Product Sourcing Agreement. The supplier must be located within the service area of the local council and the products may not be sold for resale.

Getting Started
Please review the steps of our licensing process below before requesting a licensing application. If you have questions after reviewing this information, please send an email that includes your name, company name, and phone number to our licensing team at: licensing@netbsa.org.

The application process is divided into three steps and typically takes thirty to forty-five days to complete, depending on how complete your application is and whether additional information is needed for review, and your responsiveness to our requests.

Please note that we will work with council suppliers to meet deadlines for council deliver dates once the application has been received and documented.

Step 1: Use the form on this Web site to submit a Request for Licensing Application.

If BSA is interested in your proposal, we will email a Licensing Application Package for you to complete. Please be sure to include in your proposal the list of councils with which you are currently doing business.

This step typically takes up to two weeks from the time we receive your request.

Step 2: Complete and submit the Licensing Application Package we send to you.

Your Licensing Application Package needs to include:

A business and marketing plan (even if you're just planning to sell to councils, you need to answer the questions provided as it relates to your business)
Licensing Application
Licensed Product Request form(s) (for information on specific products you desire to license)
Certificate of insurance (current insurance coverage)
Financial information on your company

Once we review your Licensing Application Package, we will contact you to discuss and additional information or clarifications we may need.

This step typically takes 2-6 weeks from the time we receive your application, depending on the completeness of your application and your responsiveness to questions and additional information.

Step 3: We work with you to finalize the Licensing Agreement.

If your application is accepted, BSA will work with you to finalize terms and execute a final agreement.

This step typically takes 2-6 weeks.

If you are interested in applying for a license to sell selected products to more than one BSA council, please click on the link below to begin Step 1.

Insurance Requirements
For your protection and ours, licensees are required to furnish satisfactory certificates of insurance to the BSA for the required coverage listed below. Such certificates shall be from insurance companies acceptable to BSA, name "Boy Scouts of America" as an additional insured, and include 30 days written notice to BSA for cancellation or change in coverage.

The coverage ranges and minimums are identified below.
The specific coverage required will be discussed with you once your application is in review.

TYPE OF COVERAGE	AMOUNT OF COVERAGE
Comprehensive General Liability, including the following:	$2,000,000–$10,000,000 depending on product category and classification
1. Contractual Liability 2. Products Liability (minimum $2,000,000.00), including Vendors’ Coverage 3. Publishers Liability, if applicable

You must have product liability insurance that includes broad form licensee's endorsement or limited licensee's endorsement specifically naming Boy Scouts of America as an additional insured for primary coverage. Please submit your current certificate of insurance with your application and we'll review and notify you of necessary changes should your be licensed.

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