The BCCM's origins go back to 1983, when a study ordered by the Belgian government showed that the patrimony of microbial resources and the human skills available in separate Belgian institutions could be better conserved and optimally exploited by joining forces. At that time, collections of one public scientific institution and two universities decided to accept the challenge:

Over 47.500 well-documented and authenticated strains of bacteria, filamentous and yeast fungi (including the most important test and control strains) and 950 plasmids are readily deliverable by BCCM on a world-wide basis. 18 unique DNA libraries are also made available.

The Belgian government is funding these four Belgian Coordinated Collections of Micro-organisms through a long-term support programme, which is scientifically and financially evaluated each five years. The Belgian Science Policy is in charge of this support programme, and it also provides a coordination team that helps the collections to develop a common strategy in the fields of bio-informatics, quality management and internal as well as external cooperation, while each node of the consortium keeps its own identity and specificity. The support of the Belgian Science Policy also facilitates the extension of the range and the improvement of quality of the services rendered by BCCM to Belgian and foreign scientists, both public and private.

The cooperation within the BCCM resulted in the publication of the first set of catalogues in 1989. The latest catalogues were issued in 1998 both as hardcopy and on-line on the BCCM website. In 1992, it also enabled the BCCM to obtain the International Depositary Authority (IDA) status from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, in the framework of international patent legislation (Budapest Treaty).

Management of culture collections and sustainable valorisation of their patrimony are time and personnel consuming undertakings. The BCCM collections have experienced the improvement of their capacity of conservation, handling and study of microbial resources through collaborative efforts and managerial coordination at consortium level. At world level, culture collections can only improve the execution of their mission through equitable and fair networking. In developing countries especially, there is a shortage of funds, conservation facilities and skilled people to fulfil the needs for ex situ conservation and study of microbial genetic resources. There is no way out without co-operation and, therefore, the BCCM consortium promotes focused collaboration on long term schemes between well-established collections and promising - but as yet unsecured - collections. These collaborations should evolve into long-term equitable partnerships.

Furthermore, for the BCCM, cooperation at global level means involvement, as a consortium but also as individual collections, in international organisations such as the European Culture Collections' Organisation (ECCO), the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and the UNESCO Microbial Resources Centres Network. It also means active participation in projects that facilitate global communication and cooperation between collections, such as the project on Common Access to Biological Resources and Information (CABRI) and the project to write a widely accepted Micro-Organisms Sustainable use and Access regulation International Code of Conduct (MOSAICC).