Trust Levels
Every entity in the BETMA directory carries a trust level that tells you how much we know about it and how it was verified.
BETMA Member
Amber ring on map markers
Members of the Balkan Engineering, Tech & Makers Association. To become a BETMA member, organizations go through a vetting process and agree to our ethical and business conduct policies. Members are trusted by default and represent the highest level of trust on the platform.
- ✓Passed the BETMA membership vetting process
- ✓Agreed to BETMA ethical and business conduct policies
- ✓Active member of the association
- ✓Capabilities confirmed through the membership process
Vetted
Emerald ring on map markers
Organizations from the wider BETMA network that have been individually reviewed for quality and reliability -- for example, associated companies, partners, or entities recommended by BETMA members. Vetted status confirms not just legitimacy, but a level of quality and trustworthiness, without requiring full BETMA membership.
- ✓Individually reviewed by the BETMA team or a trusted partner
- ✓Quality of services, facilities, or track record confirmed
- ✓Associated with the BETMA network (e.g. partner, supplier, collaborator)
- ✓Recommended as a reliable organization to work with
Verified
Blue ring on map markers
Confirmed legitimate businesses or organizations. These entities have been cross-referenced with trusted data sources and have enough publicly available information to confirm they are real, active operations.
- ✓Has an active, accessible website
- ✓Business description confirmed from public sources
- ✓Cross-referenced with at least one trusted source (see below)
- ✓Contact information available
Listed
DefaultWhite ring on map markers (default appearance)
Entities that appear in the directory but have not yet been verified. These may come from automated discovery (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata) or community submissions. The information may be incomplete or outdated. Listed entities are candidates for verification.
Trusted sources for Verified status
An entity is promoted to Verified when we can confirm it is a legitimate, active business or organization. We use a combination of the following sources:
Company websites
Active websites with business information, contact details, and service descriptions. We crawl and verify website content directly.
Google Maps / Business listings
Verified business listings from Google Maps with confirmed addresses, phone numbers, and business categories.
OpenStreetMap
Community-maintained geographic database. Entities tagged as industrial, workshops, or research facilities with confirmed locations.
Wikidata
Structured knowledge base linked to Wikipedia. Organizations with Wikidata entries have been documented by the open-data community.
EIT Manufacturing Agora
European Institute of Innovation & Technology's manufacturing network directory. Organizations listed here are part of the EU innovation ecosystem.
EU CORDIS database
European Commission's research project database. Organizations that have participated in EU-funded research projects.
Chambers of Commerce
National and regional chambers of commerce registries across the Balkans. Official business registrations with sector classifications.
Hackerspaces.org
Global directory of hackerspaces, fab labs, and maker spaces. Community-maintained with location data and facility descriptions.
Community submissions
Submissions from verified community members that include verifiable business information and contact details.
How verification works
Discovery
Entities are discovered through automated pipelines (OSM, Wikidata, web crawling) or community submissions.
Data enrichment
We crawl entity websites to extract descriptions, services, contact information, and certifications. This enrichment happens automatically.
Automatic verification
Entities with a confirmed website and a substantive business description are automatically promoted to Verified. This confirms they are real, active operations.
Manual vetting (optional)
For higher trust levels, the BETMA team or trusted partners review entities individually. This includes confirming service quality, visiting facilities, or establishing a working relationship.
Want to get verified?
If your organization is listed on BETMA and you'd like to update your information or apply for a higher trust level, submit your details and we'll review them.