Demystifying the B Corp review process

Are you considering becoming a Certified B Corporation (or B Corp) but feeling unsure about the certification process or how your assessment gets verified? In this blog on Reinventing Business, we’ll walk you through what to expect once you hit that submit button and help you navigate any confusing terminology you may come across during the review process. 

It’s important to note that B Lab is currently evolving the standards for B Corp Certification —  moving towards specific requirements across core topics, which will be finalised during the next round of consultation (learn more here). The majority of these topics are already covered in the existing standards and methodology, so this evolution marks a shift towards making them mandatory across all B Corp Certified businesses.

So, how does a company start the review process?

First, let’s start with the basics. To become a B Corp, companies need to achieve a minimum score of 80 points in the B Impact Assessment across 5 impact areas:  Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. We recommend aiming for at least 85 points at the point of submission, as scores can fluctuate during the review process. 

Once a company is ready, they will submit their assessment to enter the review process. This is conducted in two phases — Evaluation and Verification. 

Evaluation is an initial ‘health check’ of the B Impact Assessment conducted by B Lab UK

The first step in the process is the Evaluation Queue. This is a time to prepare for the review. Companies complete a few tasks here, including paying the submission fee and uploading some basic company information. The B Impact Assessment will still be editable, so this is also a great opportunity to keep improving impact and updating answers. 

During Evaluation, a B Lab UK analyst will check the company’s structure, assessment track, eligibility for certification, and look into any Impact Business Models they may have opted into. These initial checks are designed to avoid delays down the line, and make sure everything goes smoothly during the verification stage. 

Next up is the Verification Queue, where companies upload supporting documentation (check out our tips on getting ahead). This is an important milestone in the process and an exciting moment to evidence the company’s impact! We encourage companies to use this time to start getting involved with the B Corp movement, by learning about our campaigns or connecting with a B Local. 

Verification is the full review of the B Impact Assessment conducted by B Lab Global

Once documentation is uploaded, the next step is Verification. An Analyst at B Lab Global will independently assess the company’s impact and review all documentation provided. This involves a deep dive into the company’s practices, policies and behaviour and, by the end, companies can feel confident that their impact has been accurately and independently verified.  

If a company’s score drops to between 75-80 points, a 90 day Improvement period will be added to the timeline. If the score remains above 80 points, then the company will officially become a Certified B Corp, and we’ll share all the information needed to start getting active within the B Corp community. 

Cynthia Davis, Founder & CEO Diversifying Group:

“It was a meticulous and long process which certainly had rigour in abundance! The process helped us to articulate our work in different ways which raised awareness of how we communicate our work and vision and helped us to better understand where we are on our journey. Throughout the process we were also able to identify gaps that we hadn’t previously been aware of and introduce strategies as well as tools to ensure that we’re even better equipped to create the positive change that we’re seeking to achieve.”

How challenging is the review process?

The process is a robust, holistic review of a company’s practices, policies and behaviour that will challenge you and your business. Even if a company doesn’t achieve certification the first time around, completing the assessment is never wasted effort - it will provide a good understanding of where the business currently is, and we encourage companies to keep going on their improvement journey and resubmit again when they’re ready. 

Sepas Seraj, CEO - Founder, Pixeled Eggs;

“At Pixeled Eggs we’re proud to be part of the B Corp movement; we believe in creating a better world where business benefits society. The verification process helped us to have confidence in the way in which we do business. It’s more than a certification, providing a benchmark for change, pushing us to improve our impact and metrics, whilst providing guidance and inspiration to do so”

Is there any financial support?

UK-based entrepreneurs facing systemic barriers to business ownership can receive a 40% discount on certification fees. To find out more about certification fees and the equity discount read here, and please note that you must apply for the equity discount before the Verification stage is completed. 

How long does this all take? 

Timescales can vary depending on the size and complexity of a company, how quickly companies can respond to requests and the level of documentation needed. Check our website here for the latest timelines for each stage, and for more detail on the review process itself. 

We know that the certification process can seem daunting, but we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, contact us at certification@bcorporation.uk. 

We look forward to working with you on your journey to certifying as a B Corp!