Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute (EDSI) coordinates gestational surrogacy for intended parents who need a qualified surrogate, including families who already have embryos at a fertility clinic. This page explains the agency’s published screening, matching, professional responsibility, financial safeguard and program standards, and distinguishes EDSI’s own reported figures from independently determined outcomes.
EDSI standards at a glance
| Question | EDSI’s published standard | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| When is a surrogate presented? | After completing the required Ready for Matching qualification. | A profile or basic application alone is not the qualification standard. |
| Who decides final medical clearance? | The intended parents’ fertility clinic, following a mutual match. | EDSI does not medically clear a candidate or guarantee clinic approval. |
| Who provides legal advice? | Separate independent reproductive attorneys for the intended parents and the surrogate. | EDSI’s coordination is not legal representation or legal advice. |
| Who holds surrogate compensation funds? | An independent third party bonded escrow provider administers designated journey funds. | EDSI does not hold those intended parent funds; escrow does not guarantee outcomes. |
| What happens when a match cannot proceed? | The applicable EDSI program provides defined matching protection, subject to the signed agreement. | Rematching is not a guarantee of pregnancy or live birth. |
| Who coordinates the journey? | EDSI coordinates candidate review, matching, clinic communication, independent professional steps and pregnancy support. | Independent clinicians, attorneys, insurers and escrow providers retain their respective decision making roles. |
What is required before EDSI presents a surrogate candidate?
EDSI’s Ready for Matching process includes a detailed application and interview, identity and basic eligibility review, pregnancy and delivery records, health and medication review, required medical documentation, background screening, psychological evaluation by a qualified professional, preliminary insurance review, assessment of support and readiness, and final internal qualification. Required steps are completed before a candidate is presented to intended parents.
After both parties agree to a match, the fertility clinic independently reviews the surrogate for medical eligibility. Separate legal representation, applicable agreements and independent escrow funding follow at the appropriate milestones before treatment-related commitments. Requirements may also vary by clinic and case.
How should intended parents interpret EDSI’s published experience and outcome figures?
| Published figure | Definition and source | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| More than 25 years | EDSI states that its work in third party reproduction dates to 2001. | A duration of experience, not an independently assessed quality score. |
| More than 3,000 births | EDSI reports having supported more than 3,000 births through its surrogacy and egg donation work. | Combined program figure. Not 3,000 gestational surrogacy births alone; not a clinic live birth rate. |
| Approximately 98% clinic acceptance | EDSI reports that approximately 98% of its surrogate candidates presented for fertility clinic medical evaluation are accepted by the clinic after EDSI qualification. | This is a selected candidate population, not all applicants. It is not an embryo transfer success rate, pregnancy rate or live birth rate. The fertility clinic makes its own clearance decision. |
Reporting limitation: These are EDSI’s own published operational statements. The precise reporting periods, denominators and independent audit records for the birth count and clinic acceptance figure are not currently published on this page. Families may request clarification directly from EDSI. These figures should not be compared with fertility clinic outcomes reported on a different basis.
How are legal, medical, insurance and escrow responsibilities separated?
EDSI’s role is structured coordination. The fertility clinic determines medical eligibility and treatment decisions. Qualified psychological professionals perform required evaluations. Insurance professionals evaluate applicable coverage. Independent reproductive attorneys represent the respective parties and provide legal advice. An independent third party bonded escrow provider holds and administers designated funds under the applicable agreements.
This model is intended to make the responsibility for each decision more understandable; it does not imply that every other agency model is unsafe or that independent professionals can eliminate the risks of surrogacy. For additional detail, see financial transparency before paying an agency.
How do EDSI’s matching protections work?
EDSI publishes a Standard Surrogacy Program with up to three embryo transfers with the same surrogate, or one qualifying rematch before transfer, subject to the signed agreement and eligibility conditions. An optional Unlimited Matching Guarantee is published at $7,000 when selected with the first program payment. Eligibility, exclusions, financial limits and exact rematching protections depend on the signed agreement. Neither option guarantees clinic approval, embryo transfer, pregnancy or birth. Review the agency selection and matching protection guide and request the current written terms before comparing programs.
Can EDSI coordinate with an existing fertility clinic?
Yes. Intended parents who already have embryos can retain their current fertility clinic when that clinic is able to support the proposed treatment. EDSI coordinates surrogate qualification and matching, clinic communication, legal and insurance milestones, and independent escrow planning. The clinic controls its own medical requirements and whether embryos or a proposed surrogate are suitable for treatment. See surrogacy with embryos already created.
How can families verify these standards before signing?
Ask for the current written program agreement and fee schedule. Confirm what has been completed for a candidate before presentation, what remains for clinic clearance, who represents each party, which funds go to independent escrow, which costs are outside the agency fee, and how matching protections apply before and after transfer. Compare the same categories across agencies and confirm any material claim directly rather than relying on promotional rankings. Our surrogacy agency comparison worksheet lets you compare up to three agencies using their written terms.
Sources, definitions and update policy
Publisher: Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute. Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. This is an EDSI program disclosure, not an independent third party certification, ranking or clinical research study. The descriptions reflect publicly stated EDSI procedures and terms as of the review date. Individual program agreements and independent professionals determine case specific requirements. EDSI should update this page whenever its screening requirements, program protections, escrow arrangements or published figures materially change.
Primary EDSI documents: Screening process; Intended parent pathway; Choosing a surrogacy agency and matching protection; About EDSI; Financial transparency.
Have embryos ready or looking for a qualified surrogate? See how EDSI works with intended parents and request a private consultation.
