Everyday there are more companies and business people looking for transparency and metrics of their social and environmental impact.
Certified B Corps are not perfect, but they take on the commitment to continuously improve and place their socio-environmental business purpose at the center of their business model.
They measure and analyze the five most relevant areas for their company: Government, Workers, Customers, Community and Environment, allowing a detailed revision of all of them, with the objective of identifying all the possible improvement points and opportunities to be an agent of change in the economy, protecting the mission and maximizing the triple impact.
B Corp certification is administered by B Lab, a non-profit entity in the United States. B Corps redefine the meaning of success for a company, receiving a collective company mark as market identity. They undergo a comprehensive sustainability evaluation with certification and recertification instances, and carry out amendments to their legal
They measure and analyze the five most relevant areas for their company: Government, Workers, Customers, Community and Environment, allowing a detailed revision of all of them, with the objective of identifying all the possible improvement points and opportunities to be an agent of change in the economy, protecting the mission and maximizing the triple impact.
B Corp certification is administered by B Lab, a non-profit entity in the United States. B Corps redefine the meaning of success for a company, receiving a collective company mark as market identity. They undergo a comprehensive sustainability evaluation with certification and recertification instances, and carry out amendments to their legal
B Corps have
4 key elements
Purpose
They are motivated by the creation of positive impact on society and the environment
Legal requirement
Extends the fiduciary duty of shareholders and managers to include non-financial interests
Certification
It is evaluated and is committed to improve its management and transparency standards
Interdependence
They are part of a community: declaration of interdependence
Minimum Requisites to
become B Corp:
Be in operation for over 12 months.
The companies that have been operating less than that time will obtain the Pending B Corp status.
Operate in a competitive market
The company must operate in a competitive market and be exposed to normal company risks, competitors, taxes and changes in the market. The companies that operate in a monopoly, are controlled by the government or have significant benefits in relation to taxes, for example, will not be eligible for the B Certification.
Legal requirement
The B Certification process depends on the size and complexity of the company, its group and subsidiaries. Please check this link. In addition, for further details, check the following guide.
For profit entity
The philosophy of B Corps is to prove that companies can take responsibility for solving socio-environmental issues through their business. Consequently, non-profit entities such as fundations, NGO’s, among other civil society organizations, will not be able to access B Corp certification as they have been specifically created to resolve these issues.
Full and Distinct Business
B Corp certification is for full businesses, ones that include all areas of management in the company. It isn’t possible to obtain the certification individually for the different divisions, brands, units or companies that don’t have control of their product or service.
B Corp Certification Process:
step by step
1. Complete the B Impact Assessment
In order to become a B Corp, you must complete the B Impact Assessment (B Assessment or BIA). This is a free, confidential tool, designed to help you measure and manage the positive impact of your company in relation to the workers, community, consumers and the environment.
This tool includes a detailed analysis of how your company interacts with its interested public: government, workers, customers, community and environment.
Complete here the B Impact Assessment to measure or start the certification process. The tool includes a detailed analysis of how your company interacts with its stakeholders: government, workers, customers, community and environment. Complete Impact Assessment B to measure your impact or start the certification process.
This tool includes a detailed analysis of how your company interacts with its interested public: government, workers, customers, community and environment.
Complete here the B Impact Assessment to measure or start the certification process. The tool includes a detailed analysis of how your company interacts with its stakeholders: government, workers, customers, community and environment. Complete Impact Assessment B to measure your impact or start the certification process.
2. Disclosure Questionnaire and Controversial Industries
In addition to completing the B Impact Assessment, the company must declare the relation the company has with controversial or negative industries or practices.
While the B Impact Assessment focuses mainly on evaluating the positive impact of a company, any significant negative impact is considered through the Disclosure Questionnaire, the background check and a public channel for complaints.
The Disclosure Questionnaire allows the company to share with B Lab in a confidential manner any sensitive practice, penalties or sanctions received by the company or its partners.
The answers of the Disclosure Questionnaire will not affect the numerical result obtained in the B Impact Assessment, however it may require more transparency, remediation or even mean a halt in the certification process. For more information about the Disclosure Questionnaire, see here.
While the B Impact Assessment focuses mainly on evaluating the positive impact of a company, any significant negative impact is considered through the Disclosure Questionnaire, the background check and a public channel for complaints.
The Disclosure Questionnaire allows the company to share with B Lab in a confidential manner any sensitive practice, penalties or sanctions received by the company or its partners.
The answers of the Disclosure Questionnaire will not affect the numerical result obtained in the B Impact Assessment, however it may require more transparency, remediation or even mean a halt in the certification process. For more information about the Disclosure Questionnaire, see here.
3. Sending Impact Assessment B for review
Once Impact Evaluation B has been completed, the company must obtain a score of at least 80 points in order to send its evaluation for review and thus formally start the certification process.
4. Eligibility Analysis
En esta etapa Sistema B Internacional confirmará que la empresa cumpla con los requisitos básicos para optar a la Certificación de Empresa B y requerimientos adicionales dependiendo de las características de la Empresa.
5. Application Fee
Starting April 15, 2023, companies that begin the certification and recertification process must pay the Application Fee. This fee will correspond to a fixed amount based on the company’s annual turnover, it will not be refundable and will not be deducted from the Certification Fee. The Initial Payment will be eliminated as of April 14, 2023.
Please note that at the time of certification, companies must pay 100% of the Certification Fee, since the Application Fee will be a complementary payment and, unlike the Initial Payment, it will not be deducted from the total price.
- TURNOVER RANGE (US$)
- FEE DE APLICACIÓN (US$)
- 0 - $499.999
- $400
- $500.000 - $999.999
- $400
- $1MM - $2.499.999
- $600
- $2.5MM - $4.999.999
- $600
- $5MM - $7.499.999
- $1.000
- $7.5MM - $9.999.999
- $1.200
- $10MM - $14.999.999
- $1.200
- $15MM - $19.999.999
- $2.000
- $20MM - $29.999.999
- $2.500
- $30MM - $49.999.999
- $2.500
- $50MM - $74.999.999
- $3.000
- $75MM - $99.999.999
- $3.000
- $100MM - $174.999.999
- $4.000
- $175MM - $249.999.999
- $4.000
- $250MM - $499.999.999
- $4.000
- $500MM - $749.999.999
- $5.000
- $750MM - $999.999.999
- $5.000
6. Verification
After completing the B Impact Assessment, having achieved 80 points or more, the company may request the certification process.
As soon as the B impact assessment has been sent to revision, each company goes through an initial evaluation prior to doing the verification with B Lab.
In order to initiate the verification stage, documents and evidence is required to support the practices, policies and processes reported in the B Impact Assessment.
If after the verification the company still remains with 80 points it is eligible to become a Certified B Corp paying an annual fee and signing the commitment with B Lab. All companies are subject to a possible and random Site Review. In addition, there are companies that must have a mandatory Site Review, being determined in the Initial Eligibility stage.
As soon as the B impact assessment has been sent to revision, each company goes through an initial evaluation prior to doing the verification with B Lab.
In order to initiate the verification stage, documents and evidence is required to support the practices, policies and processes reported in the B Impact Assessment.
If after the verification the company still remains with 80 points it is eligible to become a Certified B Corp paying an annual fee and signing the commitment with B Lab. All companies are subject to a possible and random Site Review. In addition, there are companies that must have a mandatory Site Review, being determined in the Initial Eligibility stage.
7. Annual Fee
The fee for a B Corp Certification is annual and varies according to the company’s last fiscal year’s turnover. It works as a membership and must be paid every year, in the same month of the initial certification. This also applies if the company is in the process of recertification.
As of April 15, 2023, a unified pricing table will be in effect for all markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The new values in the certification table will be effective as of April 15, 2023 for any company that submits its B Impact Assessment.
*Values are in US dollars.
** Important: does not include local taxes (depending on the country).
Click here to view the Official Statement on Application Fee and Price Tables.
Click here to download the Application Fee FAQ.
- TURNOVER RANGE (US$)
- APPLICATION FEE (US$)
- $0 - $149,999
- $500
- $150,000 - $1,999,999
- $1,000
- $2 MM - $4,999,999
- $1,500
- $5 MM - $9,999,999
- $2,500
- $10 MM - $19,999,999
- $5,000
- $20 MM - $49,999,999
- $10,000
- $50 MM - $74,999,999
- $15,000
- $75 MM - $99,999,999
- $20,000
- $100 MM - $249,999,999
- $25,000
- $250 MM - $499,999,999
- $30,000
- $500 MM - $749,999,999
- $37,500
- $750 MM - $999,999,999
- $45,000
- ANNUAL TURNOVER (US$)
- ANNUAL CERTIFICATION FEE (US$) FROM 15/04/2023
- $0 - $149,999
- $1.000
- $150.000 - $499.999
- $1.000
- $500.000 - $999.999
- $1.250
- $1MM - $1.999.999
- $1.350
- $2MM - $2.499.999
- $1.350
- $2.5MM - $4.999.999
- $2.000
- $5MM - $7.499.999
- $3.000
- $7.5MM - $9.999.999
- $3.500
- $10MM - $14.999.999
- $5.000
- $15MM - $19.999.999
- $7.500
- $20MM - $29.999.999
- $10.000
- 30MM - $49.999.999
- $12.500
- $50MM - $74.999.999
- $17.500
- $75MM - $99.999.999
- $25.000
- $100MM - $174.999.999
- $30.000
- $175MM - $249.999.999
- $35.000
- $250MM - $499.999.999
- $40.000
- $500MM - $749.999.999
- $45.000
- $750MM - $999.999.999
- $50.000
8. Modify your statutes.
To become a B Corp a company must commit to a change of statutes.
B statutes provide legal protection for the company’s directors and managers to consider the interests of their public, not just stakeholders, when making decisions.
This change creates additional rights for stakeholders, allowing them to request that directors and managers are accountable in the relationship with the interested public.
These accountability rights are exclusively given to shareholders.
9. Recertification Process
In order to maintain the B Corp Certification, a company must update its B Impact Assessment every 3 years, provide additional documents to verify their answers and achieve at least 80 of the 200 points available in the assessment. The recertification gives an opportunity to define improvement goals in line with the new standards and be able to compare their performance.
To certify, a company must sign the B Corp Agreement in which they commit to carry out this legal change.
For the Sistema B region you can find the approved statutes for your country below.
If there is a law for Benefit and Collective Interest Corporations sanctioned in your country that grants a legal framework to the company, you may also opt for this option.
For the Sistema B region you can find the approved statutes for your country below.
If there is a law for Benefit and Collective Interest Corporations sanctioned in your country that grants a legal framework to the company, you may also opt for this option.
Check the process to follow according to each case:
To see more information about the legal requisites in the world, click here.
* Important: Depending on the size of the company, it will be required to comply with the legal requirement of Company B before finalizing the certification process.
What does Pending B Corp mean?
Companies and start-ups with less than 12 months in operation may obtain the Pending B Corp Status for two year term without possibility of renewal, while they wait for the B Corp Certification.
In order to obtain the Pending B Corp status it is necessary to meet the legal accountability requirement, complete 100% of the B Impact Assessment, sign a Pending B Corp Agreement and pay the US$500 fee which entitles the company the use the logo.
Why be a
B Company?
Global Movement
B Corps are leaders in the new economic forces, inspiring many others to join a global and interdependent community.
Continuous Improvement
B Certification is a tool for continuous improvement, that allows B Corps to increase the positive impact in a permanent way.
Transparency
B Impact Assessment and certification are tools to show the world how to operate internally with all your value chain in a transparent way.
Commercial Alliances
B Corps have comparable, verifiable and reliable metrics that bring consistency to the dialogue with impact investors and ESG investors (Environmental, social and governance); this is also an opportunity to generate commercial and collaboration alliances with other companies, in addition to being attractive to impact investors.
Positioning
B Corps share characteristics that make them differentiate and stand out in the media, mass events, forums and seminars. They also have a differential in the value chain, including investors, workers, suppliers and consumers.
Attract talent
B Corps attract professional talent that more and more look to work in companies with a purpose.
Mission Protection
The purpose of B Corps endures the test of time as it protects itself legally.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of the certification must be paid annually. It varies according to the annual turnover of the company.
See the examples below:
B companies are companies that seek to be better FOR the world and not just the best in the world. They are committed to a continuous development plan, which goes from the logic of mitigating negative impacts to a new logic of generating positive impacts. Use the strength of your business to build a new, more sustainable and inclusive economy.
Certified B Companies pay an annual certification fee. This fee starts at $ 500.00 and increases the company’s income accordingly. You can see the full price list on the “Be B” page.
The duration of the certification process varies depending on the size and complexity of the company. For companies that invoice up to US $ 50 MM, the process usually takes between 6 and 12 months. Large multinationals or companies with many related entities may take more than a year to be certified.
The entire certification process as Company B begins with the completion of the Impact Assessment B, a confidential, online and free tool developed by B Lab. 5 dimensions are analyzed in it: Governance, Employees, Environment, Community and Customers. By completing 100% of this questionnaire, the company receives a score from 0 to 200 points. If you have more than 80 points, you are eligible to start the certification process with the B Lab Standards Trust.
El proceso de auditoría y validación de la información varía según el perfil (tamaño) de la empresa interesada en la certificación. Este es un proceso que involucrará a las áreas de RI (para comprender la estructura organizativa y operativa de la empresa y responsable del pilar de Gobierno); RRHH (responsable del pilar de los trabajadores); Compras / Cadena de suministro (responsable del pilar comunitario); Sostenibilidad (responsable del pilar Medio Ambiente) y Ventas (responsable del pilar clientes).
Any for-profit company with at least one year of operations can apply for Certification as Company B. There is no minimum or maximum size.
Non-profit organizations cannot be certified, but they can use the assessment as a tool to improve their practices.
The company must obtain a verified score of 80 points on the B Impact Assessment (BIA), which examines the overall impact of a company on its workers, the community, customers and the environment.
Subsidiaries, franchises and companies with related entities can apply for Certification as Company B, with certain limits. Subsidiaries of publicly traded companies must also meet additional transparency requirements.
La certificación como Compañía B se basa en parte en el desempeño verificado de una compañía en la Evaluación de Impacto B, que hace preguntas sobre el año fiscal anterior de la compañía. Esto significa que las empresas con menos de un año de funcionamiento aún no son elegibles para la certificación. En cambio, pueden perseguir el estatus de Pending B Corp, diseñado para empresas con menos de un año de operación o que quieran nacer con este diferencial.
Yes! There is no minimum size for certification as a Company B. The size of your company will influence the questions you must answer on Impact Assessment B to meet the performance requirement for certification.
The standards are overseen by the B Lab Trust Standards Advisory Board. Members of the Standards Advisory Board bring industry and stakeholder expertise to support during the three-year update cycle for Impact Assessment B, claims made against certification and material disclosures made by companies seeking to become a Certified B-Company.
All B Corps share their overall B Impact Assessment scores and category scores on their public profiles on bcorporation.net. Public companies and their subsidiaries have additional transparency requirements and make their entire B impact assessment public, with especially confidential information such as written income. Companies that have material elements, such as claims, in their Disclosure Questionnaire may also be required to make this disclosure transparent. Learn more about certification requirements.
Each year, B Lab publishes a list with scores in the top 10% of the global community, divided by size and area of impact, called Best Lists for the World. Take a look at the world’s best recipients of 2019!
The B-Business community reflects the global business landscape, from small and medium-sized companies to publicly traded companies. Most of the 3500+ businesses are small businesses.
Benefit Corporation is a type of corporate legal framework that is available in 35 jurisdictions. B Companies are companies certified by the non-profit organization B Lab to meet strict verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
