Etsy announced that it is launching Etsy Manufacturing in beta for Etsy designers. The offering will let designers connect with the manufacturing community as announced last month.

In September, Etsy announced the launch of the Etsy Manufacturing Marketplace and invited manufacturing businesses and individual makers to apply for that. The company works with its seller community to build “responsible partnerships.”

“Since we announced Etsy Manufacturing, we’ve already received interest from more than 500 manufacturers, from our own backyard in Brooklyn to the wide open spaces of Montana to the suburbs of Ontario,” an Etsy spokesperson said in an email. “Many of the applications have come from Etsy sellers themselves. Sellers are no stranger to collaborating with other sellers, and we’ve heard over the years that many work together in a production capacity. Community between sellers has always been one of the most vibrant things about Etsy, and we’re thrilled this marketplace can help foster this ecosystem.”

“Our principles of authorship, responsibility and transparency have guided us for two years and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson added. “We’ve reviewed and approved manufacturer applications on an individual basis according to a number of criteria, such as their commitment to transparency, the degree to which they allow subcontracting, and their size. Manufacturers on Etsy Manufacturing must also agree to a series of commitments on transparency, safe and just workplaces, and customer service.”

For the marketplace, Etsy started with the apparel and textiles, machining and fabrication, printing, and jewelry and metalwork categories.

Etsy Manufacturing is being made available in the United States and Canada. More on what the offering means for designers here.

Image via Etsy