AFP offers fleet bursaries for corporate members

A range of new fleet bursaries have been launched for 2022, designed to add value to corporate memberships offered by the Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) as well as increasing access to the organisation.

They mean that service provider members will be able to offer a number of AFP memberships to their own fleet operator customers free of charge. At platinum service provider level, four bursaries are included; at gold level, two; and at silver level, one.

AFP chair Paul Hollick said: “This move will add value for our corporate members, allowing them to provide a benefit with genuine value to a number of their own customers with a need for the kind of specialist support the AFP provides.

“However, the bursaries should also simply allow more people to join us. We’ve been having a debate within the AFP for a while about the fact that there is a huge demand for the services and support that we offer but quite often, those individuals that most need our help can’t get the membership fee signed off, even though it is as low as £99 for individuals.

“The bursaries will provide a valuable new route into the AFP for some of those people.”

AFP corporate memberships for fleet service providers are priced at platinum (£2,000), gold (£1,000), silver (£500) and bronze (£299) levels offering graduated benefits including the number of individual registrations provided, discounts on training and other activities, and the degree of presence on the AFP web site.

There are also two levels of fleet operator membership. The £99 AFP Individual Membership is for single applications from individuals employed in any fleet operator role while the AFP Fleet Operator Membership at £299 is for companies that directly manage car or light commercial vehicle operations and provides membership for a single individual plus registration for other employees within the business who have a fleet stakeholder interest.

Membership benefits include use of the Member of the Association of Fleet Professionals (MAFP) designation and full access to the AFP and ICFM website member area that provides best practice process and procedural guides, an online library of reference material, and access to the AFP Fleet Directory. There is also support from the AFP helpline and unlimited attendance at AFP webinars, seminars and the annual national member conference.

Hollick said: “We’ll be having something of a recruitment drive in 2022 for fleet managers because it does feel as though with issues such as post-pandemic fleet management and the drive for electrification, the AFP has a genuine responsibility as a professional industry body to make our expertise available to whoever needs it.”