B Corp - Business as a Force for Good
What is B Corp Certification?
B Corporation (B Corp) certification is a third-party certification that demonstrates high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
B Corps are required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders and are dedicated to continuous improvement.
B Corp Certification goes beyond product or service-level certification; it assesses the overall positive impact of the company that stands behind it.
We are proud to see the B Corp movement growing exponentially in the last couple of years, with now over 860 certified B Corps in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and over 7,000 globally.
Becoming B Corp Certified
To become Certified B Corps, companies must achieve a minimum score of 80 on the B Impact Assessment (BIA) — a rigorous assessment of a company’s social and environmental impact. This score is verified by the non-profit B Lab, and companies must publish their B Impact Report on the B Corp directory.
Companies are also required to recertify every three years, using the BIA as a roadmap for continuous improvement.
From navigating the B Impact Standards to identifying areas for impact improvement, becoming a B Corp can be a complex and rigorous process. Engaging a B Consultant to guide you through certification can make this process a lot simpler and easier for your team. If you’re curious as to how a B Consultant can help your business, check out this blog from B Lab for five compelling reasons why you should engage a B Consultant.
As a trained B Consultant, CEO Mei Ling has a deep knowledge of the BIA and can help you successfully navigate the B Corp certification process.
We use the B Corp standards and the BIA tool to help businesses measure and manage their impact. We have worked with SMEs across a range of industries, from professional services and manufacturing to wholesale/retail, to help them better understand their impact in the world and how to improve it. Find out more about how we helped B Corp Geowise certify.
Regardless of where you are in your B Corp journey, we’re here to help every step of the way. Whether you’re just starting out, seeking to improve your score, preparing for recertification or facing any roadblocks along the way, our team can provide expert support and guidance.
How we can help:
ESG Health Check
We conduct an ESG health check on your business using the BIA tool to measure your business across five key impact areas; governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
BIA Audit
If you have already had a first pass at completing the BIA we can conduct an audit of your existing assessment to ensure its accuracy, address areas of confusion, recommend additional impact improvement, analysis and evidence-gathering required to make sure that you have fully captured your business’ impact.
Identification of Priority Areas
We can help you narrow down and identify priority areas for focus. We help to ensure that these areas align with your broader business strategy and goals.
Policy & Process Development
We provide guidance and assist in the development and implementation of required policies and processes for B Corp certification (e.g. Code of Ethics).
Action Plans
We help create effective impact improvement initiatives that bring to life the overarching strategy and goals and collaborate to develop a clear roadmap to certification.
Support through Verification & Evaluation Process
This involves gathering evidence and preparing documentation for the evaluation and verification process and acting as a liaison with your B Analyst throughout the Certification process.
B Corp Recertification
Certified B Corps are required to recertify every 3 years. When approaching this timeline we help simplify this process, by helping identify the changes you’ve made and ensuring that you continue to meet the evolving standards and progress on your journey of continued improvement.
Becoming a B Corp is all about aligning your business with your values. To complement your business’ certification process we offer support with strategy development that is anchored by the BIA framework. This not only better prepares your business for certification, but also establishes a robust foundation for future sustainability initiatives. Find out more about strategy development.
Why Become a B Corp?
Becoming a Certified B Corp means joining a global community of leaders using business as a force for good.
B Corp certification demonstrates a commitment to measuring social responsibility, environmental sustainability and stakeholder orientation. It builds credibility for your business, earning trust and loyalty from conscious customers. It also serves as a powerful tool for attracting the right talent as potential employees increasingly prioritise social responsibility from their employers.