Below you’ll find the answers to the questions we get asked the most about our programs
In 2006, three friends left careers in business and private equity and created an organization dedicated to making it easier for mission-driven companies to protect and improve their positive impact over time. The first 82 B Corps were certified in 2007.
To be a B Corp is to be part of a global community of companies that use the power of business as a force for good. It also means being recognized as a company that meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal responsibility.
The positive impact of B Corp-certified companies is supported by requirements for transparency and accountability. B Corp certification not only proves that your company excels where it excels today – it commits you to consider the long-term impact of stakeholders by integrating it into your company’s legal structure.
B Corp Certification is administered by Standards Analysts at the non-profit B Lab Global. Standards Analysts are located at B Lab Global’s Pennsylvania, New York, and Amsterdam offices. The standards for B Corp Certification are overseen by B Lab Global’s independent Standards Advisory Council (SAC).
Probably! There are more than 7,800 Certified B Corps in more than 92 countries around the world. Use our Ecosystem Dashboard to search by keyword, location, or industry.
B Lab Global takes complaints seriously and appreciates those who come forward with them. Material complaints are overseen by B Lab Global’s independent Standards Advisory Council. Learn more about our complaints process here.
Any for-profit company with at least a year of operations may pursue B Corp Certification. There is no minimum or maximum size requirement. Some companies have additional considerations and requirements, such as those with less than a year of operations, those with related entities, large multinationals, and publicly listed companies.
While B Lab and its Standards Advisory Council (SAC) may determine that an industry as a whole is ineligible for certification because of its negative impacts or practices, they also recognize that in controversial industries, it may be possible for companies to be meaningfully managing those potential negative impacts or controversies, and thereby obtain certification under certain conditions. You can find more details on controversial issues addressed by B Lab and the SAC here.
Yes! Changing a company’s legal status is part of the certification process. All Certified B Corps must meet a legal accountability requirement to obtain and maintain Certification. Your company’s legal requirements will vary based on your legal structure. Find your specific requirement using our Legal Requirement tool.
Start-ups that have less than 12 months in operations can pursue the Pending B Corp Status, specifically designed for startups and young companies. The only requirements to obtain this Status are to amend the company’s articles of association with the B Corp Clauses (legal requirement) and to fill a B Impact Assessment with prospective information. Because the B Corp Certification is in part based on a company’s verified social and environmental performance from the company’s past fiscal year, companies with less than one year of operations are not yet eligible for the B Corp Certification. Therefore, they have to apply for the Pending B Corp Status as a first step.
Below are the main steps for certification. Get all the details on how to meet the requirements for B Corp Certification here.
SIGN AGREEMENT AND PAY ANNUAL FEES
To finalize certification, sign the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence, sign your B Corp Agreement, and pay your annual certification fees.
The length of the certification process varies based on a company’s size and complexity. Completing the B Impact Assessment the first time requires a minimum of several hours. Identifying and implementing the necessary improvements to meet the 80-points bar for certification takes a couple of weeks to several months. Large multinationals or companies with many related entities should expect a longer process, up to a couple of years.
After completing and submitting the B Impact Assessment (BIA) for B Corporation Certification, businesses undergo a Review process. The Review process takes place in five to six stages, which are outlined above with a brief description, timeline, and links to resources with more details. After the company submits its BIA, its team members can view where the business is within the process at any time on its Reviews page on the BIA platform. Please find the Review Process and Timeline Overview for Certifications here.
The internal resources necessary for the certification process will vary depending on the size of the company. In general, companies have either one person or a small CSR committee in charge of the certification who will fill in the BIA and gather information from the different departments of the company.
At B Lab Switzerland, we have elaborated a training that dives into the use of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) tool to enable practitioners to measure a company’s impact on their different stakeholders and to learn how to identify opportunities for material improvement, and how to develop effective improvement strategies and action plans for operationalization.
We also have a pool of Affiliated B Leaders who can offer advice and guidance to companies thinking about, preparing for, or going through the B Corp certification process.
The certification is valid for 3 years. After these 3 years, the company has to recertify.
Certified B Corporations pay an annual certification fee, which licenses them to use intellectual property like the Certified B Corp logo. This fee starts as low as 2000 € and scales with revenue. You can see the full pricing schedule on the Certification page. In addition, all companies submitting their BIA for their first certification will be subject to a non-refundable €250-900 submission fee (according to the company’s turnover). Your company may also be subject to additional costs depending on size and structure. Accessing and using the evaluation tool B Impact Assessment is entirely free.
Certification fees are calculated according to the revenue of your company and based on principles of inclusivity, transparency, and fairness. As a non-profit organization, your certification fees only cover a portion of B Lab’s operating expenses. Forty percent of B Lab’s expenses are covered via philanthropy, with the remaining coming from earned revenue streams that include B Corp Certification. In general, B Lab costs associated with B Corp Certification are broken into four groups:
Verification and standards: Much of the annual fee you pay goes to cover costs associated with verification, including expenses related to staff time for the review process and development of the standards underpinning the certification.
Technology platforms: In addition to the certification, we offer the B Impact Assessment as a free tool for companies to measure and improve their impact. These fees support the ongoing development and improvement of this tool alongside the B Hive, B Analytics, and our back-office administration platforms.
Licensing fees: This is what you pay us to license the growing ‘B’ brand on your products, services, and marketing platforms and to support efforts to grow brand awareness.
Local and global movement building: Depending on the size of your company, the surplus from your fee goes to cover costs associated with growth and engagement efforts, both in the market and in service to a growing global movement.
The standards for B Corp Certification are set and overseen by B Lab Global’s independent Standards Advisory Council. Members of the Standards Advisory Council bring their industry and stakeholder expertise during the whole three-year update cycle of the free and confidential evaluation tool B Impact Assessment. They also address complaints made against Certified B Corps and material disclosures made by companies pursuing the Certification.
The B Impact Assessment examines a company’s impact on its Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. The BIA also asks questions about a company’s Governance structure and accountability. Questions are split into two categories: Operational questions, which cover a company’s day-to-day activities, and Impact Business Models, which award additional points for business models specifically designed to create additional positive impact. The BIA is lightly updated every year to incorporate feedback and improve upon the standards, and entirely updated every three years to reflect evolutions in the standards and metrics. Learn more about the performance requirements for Certification.
All Certified B Corps share their B Impact Assessment overall scores and category scores on their public profiles on bcorporation.net. Public companies and their subsidiaries have extra transparency requirements: they ought to make their entire B Impact Assessment public, with particularly sensitive information like revenue redacted. Companies that have material items on their Disclosure Questionnaire, such as lawsuits, may also be required to make that disclosure transparent as well.
At B Lab, we use two major tools: the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager.
The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a free tool that evaluates your governance and how your company interacts with your workers, customers, community and environment. Users are assessed on all five stakeholder groups and cannot pick one over another. Companies are expected to answer an average of 200 questions, which can vary depending on their size, sector and geography, in all impact areas. The B Corp Certification requires companies to use the BIA tool to measure their impact and score minimum of 80 points to obtain B Corp Certification.
The SDG Action Manager (SDG AM) is a free tool that incorporates some of the B Impact Assessment questions and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption – essential responsibilities related to people and planet. It then advises companies on which of the SDGs they should start their journey with (the ones that impact the most), and invites them to explore all others.
Many of the tools and resources to help a company improve its score can be found on the company’s B Corporation portal page (log in here). After logging in, please look to the left-hand side of the screen to find the following:
Improvement Report – Click on “Reports” to see your customized “Improvement Report.” Here you will find all the questions where your company can earn more points. For each question, you’ll find the answer given, the points attained, the points still available, and the average level of difficulty in attaining those outstanding points.
Revisit Report – Click on “Reports” to see your “Revisit Report.” This list includes all the questions from a company’s assessment that were marked “revisit this” (the small check box to the right of each question) or that were skipped. Answering the questions that you were initially not able to answer is another opportunity to potentially increase your score.
Goals – The “Goals” tab makes it easier to achieve a practice highlighted in the assessment. You can add notes on how to apply the question to your company, set a target due date, and opt-in to email reminders.
Many initiatives can be undertaken to maintain the “sustainability health and vitality” of the Certified company:
Use the BIA as a Management Tool: The BIA is a great structuring tool to define a company’s sustainability strategy. Many companies use the BIA to drive their impact management decisions, according to their priorities and resources.
Establish a multiple-year Plan of Action to improve your company’s impact: This way, the company will engage in a continuous improvement process, getting it ready for recertifications.
Formalize processes and practices: The BIA requires companies to prove their asserted impact. It is thus relevant to document the positive-impact actions of the company.
Plan for recertification: A company should start getting ready for recertification 6 months before the recertification date.
Points will be updated at the recertification.
You can update your BIA gradually (e.g. when you implement a new practice, or annually as the BIA can be used as a management tool). It can be very useful to keep track of your company’s evolution. You can also choose to update your BIA only at the end of the three years in order to recertify.
The best time to submit the B Impact Assessment is 6 months before your recertification date. You can find your recertification date on your Dashboard when you log into the B Impact Assessment platform. Since the assessment is an annual reporting tool, please update the Assessment with the most recently completed fiscal year information.
Based on your assessment and its changes from the previous verification, you will be initially checked via our evaluation process. This may take 1 to 2 months. Once this is complete, and we confirm your availability for review, reviews can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months.
Companies are encouraged to recertify by their due date; this means having updated and submitted the assessment for another 3-year term as a B Corp by the renewal date.
As there are challenges to certification at this time, we recommend at least submitting your assessment no later than the due date to remain in good standing; we cannot guarantee the standing of the certification if the company doesn’t submit it in time.
If your company has any extenuating circumstances, please contact us to let us know the specific circumstances of your company by reaching out to certbcorp@blab-switzerland.ch.
Applying for the Pending B Corp Status allows you and your business to understand the B Corp Certification requirements by working through the B Impact Assessment. During your 12 months, you are able to use the Pending B Corp logo on your business website and social media accounts. Pending B Corp Status also sends a strong signal to your company’s stakeholders (clients, investors, business partners): your company is committed to using business as a force for good, and it’s structuring its operations to achieve this goal.
Businesses should apply for Pending B Corp Status when they are at least 1 month in operation but under 12 months of operation. We explain what we consider as ‘in operation’ here, as this largely depends on when formal employment or engagement with a supplier or client begins.
Complete your legal requirement (B Corp Clauses) as soon as you want to submit your B Impact Assessment and Pending B Corp application. The legal requirement must be completed before obtaining the Pending B Corp Status.
As an eligible Pending B Corp, your business must be under 12 months of operations, so you should complete the B Impact Assessment prospectively or with goals of practices you plan to implement in the next 12 months. B Lab does not verify the assessment for your Pending B Corp application and only verifies the legal requirement for your business.
The Triple Impact represents : People, Planet, Prosperity. A growing movement of people and businesses is aware of the need to redefine the notion of success in the economy, so that companies not only prosper, but also have a positive impact on people and the planet. The Swiss Triple Impact (STI) is designed to enable Swiss companies to achieve this triple impact.
B Lab Switzerland and the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland are members of the steering group for the STI programme. B Lab worked closely with the UN Global Compact at international level to launch the SDG Action Manager, a new SDG measurement tool used by participating companies during the Swiss Triple Impact programme. The two organisations share the same commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Although they have different mandates, they have decided to join forces around the STI programme, bringing their own networks to bear in pursuit of this common goal.
Le SDG Action Manager est un outil d’évaluation en ligne confidentiel et gratuit destiné à aider les entreprises à mesurer leur contribution à l’Agenda 2030 pour le développement durable. Le SDG Action Manager rassemble l’outil d’évaluation B Impact (BIA) de B Lab, les dix principes du UN Global Compact et les Objectifs de Développement Durable, afin de permettre aux entreprises de prendre des mesures significatives grâce à une auto-évaluation dynamique, une analyse comparative et des améliorations. Il s’appuie sur les travaux et les commentaires de diverses parties prenantes, notamment des experts en matière de durabilité des entreprises, de la société civile, des Nations Unies et du monde universitaire, et s’inspire de la communauté des entreprises certifiées B Corp et des entreprises participantes au UN Global Compact.
In addition to the tools provided during the programme (i.e. access to the SDG Action Manager, reports, reference guides, case studies, etc.), the following activities are being organised to roll out the programme across Switzerland and enable companies in all regions to benefit from tailor-made workshops. – Three half-day workshops (prioritisation, structuring, transformation) – Thematic workshops – Regional platform events
The training workshops provide participating companies with dedicated resources and expert knowledge to effectively measure the impact of their business on people, planet and prosperity using the SDG Action Manager tool, and work to identify opportunities to take concrete action on these practices. Companies benefit from three training workshops: – Prioritisation workshop – Structuring workshop – Transformation workshop During these workshops, companies are encouraged to examine the sustainability issues in their sector of activity, to understand and measure the impact of their activities, and to identify areas for improvement. They leave the programme with concrete commitments and action plans to implement them.
B Lab Switzerland and its partners organise ‘thematic workshops’ on selected engagement themes. These themes may include measuring the impact of a company’s value chain (including human rights issues), product lifecycle, carbon footprint, governance, participative management, gender equity in business, communication, etc. These workshops will be tailored to the specific needs of participating companies and will aim to help them put their commitments into practice.
Stage 1 – Prioritisation – During a half-day workshop, you prioritise the main impacts, risks and opportunities of your business model and discuss with other companies the actions you can put in place.
Stage 2 – Structuring – During a follow-up workshop, together we structure and plan your strategic approach to sustainable development around objectives and measures tailored to your business model.
Stage 3 – Transformation – During this workshop, participating companies make ambitious sustainability commitments and prepare to submit them to the STI Directory.
The STI programme is aimed at companies from all economic sectors, of all sizes and all income levels in the Swiss private sector, as well as organisations with a significant economic footprint (for example, social organisations with a large value chain, a large number of employees, etc.).
You’ll hear all about it at the ITS introductory workshop. Just make sure you have enough time and resources to commit to the programme. On average, it takes a company 3 to 6 months to complete the 3 stages of the STI pathway. These 3 to 6 months include the 3 workshops, the thematic workshops, and participation in the Swiss Triple Impact events and celebrations.
B Lab Suisse has defined the participation fees as follows, based on the turnover of the participating organisation. The table of fees is available on the STI page of the B Lab Switzerland website.
These are flexible structures whose main responsibility is to bring together a wide range of local economic players around ad hoc platforms and forums. The main role of a regional platform is to act as a relay for the STI programme in the various regions, in particular by organising ad hoc events and workshops, promoting the programme with partner networks and providing practical support to participating companies (by facilitating company self-assessment using the measurement tool provided). The STI programme is being rolled out in 10 cantons (BE, FR, NE, ZH, VD, VS, GE, TI, BS, ZG). The regional STI platforms are run by an STI coordinator.
Led by B Lab Switzerland’s partners, regional events are organised within the regional platforms to support the implementation of the ITS programme, including promotional events led by key local partners targeting their own network and/or supply chain. These events contribute to the transfer of know-how, enable peer-to-peer exchanges and facilitate the understanding and adoption of the theory of change.
No, there is no certification behind the STI programme. However, validation and monitoring of the implementation of commitments are an integral part of the programme. The aim is to put participating companies in a good position to continue making commitments and developing their business.
B Corp certification is provided by the global non-profit organisation B Lab. The STI programme is initiated by the B Lab Foundation Switzerland, the Swiss representation of the B Lab organisation. The STI programme is specifically designed to engage all Swiss companies on the path to positive impact, whether or not B Corp certification is a goal for their organisation. The STI programme mainly uses the SDG Action Manager as a measurement tool. Moving towards B Corp certification may be part of a company’s internal strategy, but it is not one of the final objectives of the STI programme. In addition, there are no prerequisite scores or standards for companies wishing to participate in the ITS programme, whereas B Corps certified companies go through a different process. B Corps adhere to rigorous employee, community, environmental and transparency standards, and are therefore subject to a more thorough assessment process. B Corps requirements include a minimum performance of 80 points in the B Impact Assessment and a legal obligation to consider stakeholders in decision-making.
Swiss Boards for Agenda 2030 (SBA2030) is an alliance co-initiated by Jonathan Normand, CEO of B Lab Switzerland, and André Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman of Roche.
It is an alliance of Swiss CEOs and Board Members committing their company to a high level of board accountability to drive sustainability. Member companies are diverse in size, sectors and sustainability maturity.
They all share the strong desire to place sustainability at the heart of their strategy and board agenda. They will benefit from sustainability training for their board and face-to-face and virtual events to foster collaboration and best practice exchanges.
Jonathan Normand (Founder & CEO of B Lab Switzerland) and André Hoffmann (Vice-Chairman of Roche) have joined forces to onboard companies for the launch in Davos the 23rd of May 2022. Initial signatories are companies that together represent the diversity of Swiss industries as well as the different stages of the sustainability transition.
The SBA2030 is one of the highest profile national initiatives that B Lab Switzerland has launched, building on the success of the Swiss Triple Impact (STI) programme. It aims to bring credible sustainability training to board members and C-levels, and to build support for sustainability strategies from top-levels management.
To join the SBA2030, a company has to have a turnover of more than CHF15 mio and a well structured board. Besides, it has to commit to:
Train their board for sustainability: Either through the 1-Day Masterclass offered by IMD to the members of the SBA2030 or through other accredited sustainability online/offline programmes, two third of the members of the boards should have followed a sustainability training.
different regions of Switzerland,
different industries,
different sizes (yet all being significantly large with 15+mio turnover and a well structured board)
different stages in the sustainability journey. Indeed, some are starting to make their public pledges, whereas others are already B-Corp certified
They all share the strong and honest desire to drive the sustainability transition.
Companies that already have a strategy to meet the SDGs can reach out to us and we will evaluate and validate the strategy without them having to follow all the steps of the STI programme.
Companies’ failure to address the negative impact they have on environment, inequality and inclusion has led to some of the major issues that humanity faces today.
To deliver the SDGs, stakeholder capitalism must become THE economic model. Businesses and particularly CEOs and board members have a major role to play in providing lasting solutions to the social and environmental challenges we face. The SBA2030’s purpose is to engage Board Members in Switzerland to design and build positive impact companies that contribute rigorously to Agenda 2030.
Through the SBA2030, we are promoting the interdependence principle, foundation of B Lab’s theory of change :
“We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good.
This economy comprises a new type of corporation – designed for stewardship – which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
As leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.”
B Lab Switzerland
Foundation of public utility
Using Business as
a force for good
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Lausanne
Rue du Bourg 43
1003 Lausanne
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