To be Certified as a B Corp?

For most organisations, getting certified depends on more than one person. First, key leaders need to support the certification efforts. But the rest of the organisation will play a key role as well. From HR to sales. To help collect the necessary information, first of all. But secondly, to enact the B Corp mentality after certification. This is when the power of B Corp truly comes to life!

Est. time: Depends on your decision making structure and requires continuous engagement and activation

To become a B Corp, you will need to formally change the by-laws of your company at the notary to go beyond being for-profit and pursue social and ecological impact as well. This is called stakeholder governance. No worries, the adaptation text is supplied by B Lab, so all it takes is a call to your notary. But take care of it, because without it you won’t get certified.

Est. time: In no(tary) time

The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is the cornerstone of B Corp certification. You’ll need to show exactly how you perform as a company across the five impact areas. And prove your claims as well. So expect an intense process of data collection with a healthy dose of frustration. But the result will be worth it. We promise!

Est. time: 2-6 weeks

After completing the BIA, you’ll get a moment to breathe before an official B Lab Evaluation Analyst reaches out to ask more questions. They will confirm the accuracy of your answers to understand if you’re eligible to certify. Afterwards, a Business Sustainability Analyst will dive deeper into the proof you have supplied to back up your claims.

Although, admittedly, this might sound pretty intense, it ensures that only those truly pursuing business as a force for good can certify. It is possible that you fall below 80 points in this phase. But don’t worry. B Lab will give you extra time to increase your score by providing additional proof or changing certain practices. And in case it’s really not working out, see it as a learning opportunity for next time. Implement new practices and change the way you work. It might just B in the cards at a later stage…

Est. time: 6-10 months

Once you made it through the verification phase, it’s time to celebrate. You are now officially part of the B Corp community making business a force for good. Expect a warm welcome from the community, fruitful partnerships and lots of fun events and gatherings.

Just don’t forget to do your recertification every three years ;)

Est. time: Until the bar closes