Becoming a B Corp Everything you need to know about achieving B Corporation status

A Certified B Corporation, or ‘B Corp’, is a company that has been publicly certified by B Lab as having high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

• B Corps commit to positively impact all stakeholders - workers, communities, customers and the planet.
• B Corps take account of the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders, when making decisions and in the way they run their businesses.
• Becoming a B Corp allows your business to display the B Corp logo, which is a very public demonstration that the aims and purpose of your company are aligned with ESG-focused values and benefiting wider society and environment.

B Lab is a global not-for-profit organisation created in the United  States in 2006, with the mission to inspire and enable people to use business as a force for good.

• There are B Labs across the world, including in the United States, Australia, mainland Europe and East Africa, together forming the B Global Network. B Lab was launched in 2015.
• Globally, there are more than 5,500 B Corps across 86 countries, covering 158 industries with more than 485,000 workers.
• In the UK there are now more than 1,000 B Corps, spanning 58 industries.

• Consider first whether B Corp status is right for your business – discuss with your senior leadership team.
• Have an initial call with B Lab about certification - they will assign you a case officer to guide you through the process.
• Identify your B Corp team – you will need buy-in from representatives across your organisation, including those with responsibility for HR, Real Estate and HSE, and Legal & Compliance.
• Recognise that it’s going to take time  and resources - ensure you have the commitment to what you need from the outset.
• Data management is a big part of the process - make sure you are organised and your systems are fit for purpose.
• It’s an iterative process  – achieving the 80+ points score required to pass the B Impact Assessment can take time and may require your business to adopt new or changed policies and procedures. 
• There may be scoring advantages to be had – for example, an element of employee ownership of the business can mean extra weighing when it comes to your score.
• It's not a one-size-fits-all process - the larger you are as an organisation and depending on your industry, the more questions you may need to answer.
• Don't let your listed status put you off - two UK B Corps are currently listed on the London Stock Exchange.
• Don't stop once you achieve certification - B Corps need to recertify every three years. On average, UK B Corps increase their score by thirteen points in their recertification cycle.
• Commitment is key - a successful B Corp certification is more likely to come to those who demonstrate patience, discipline and commitment to the process and working diligently through the B Corp requirements.