Even companies that are not considering certification could learn a lot by spending the two hours to take the free assessment. assessing the b corp assessment Monday, April 10, 2017 by Corey Kohn It was recently time to re-certify as a B Corp - we were happy to do it and pleased to pass with flying colors.Just like the original assessment, the recertification took some serious time and energy, but we've been really pleased to be a B Corp these last two years and so it felt well worth it. For B Corps; B Corp Directory; B Impact Assessment; SDG Action Manager; COVID-19 ; A global community of leaders. They set out on a 10-week programme to complete their BIA, the first step on the journey to becoming a B Corp certified company. B Corp certification is available to companies with at least six months of revenue. Get Started. It’s a great tool designed to help you continue to make improvements to your practices. Companies. Via an extensive B Corp assessment, a company must demonstrate that it meets strict social criteria in areas such as governance, employees, customers and the environment. The B in B Corp is open to interpretation. The B stands for benefit and the B Corp certificate is awarded to a business that can prove it has a triple bottom-line, one that counts its impact on people and the planet, as well as its profits. B Corp certification is conferred by B Lab, a global nonprofitorganization with offices in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a partnership in Latin America with Sistema B. When you do this, you’ll be prompted to set a goal. Have you started working on your B Impact Assessment, or are you thinking about it? Technology platforms: In addition to serving as the primary tool for B Corp Certification, we offer the B Impact Assessment as a free tool for companies to measure and improve their impact. The assessment grades your company’s accountability and transparency, its impact on employees, the community and the environment, as well as the beneficial impact of its products or services. In general, the B Impact Assessment provides a judgment (via an objective, comprehensive rating) on how significant a company’s current impact is.The B Impact Assessment is commonly confused with reporting systems or definition frameworks that detail how a company should go about collecting that impact data, but not From raising capital to attracting new clients and employees, this gold standard of Corporate Social Responsibility accreditations offers a … Important: Nonprofits can not pursue certification but can use the Assessment as a tool to improve their practices. Some of the benefits include: Begin working on your Impact Assessment. Interested in becoming a B Corp? The bookmark allows you to flag measures to revisit them later; this is useful for when you’re not sure about an answer and you want to come back to it later. This assessment must be repeated every three years. Hey all! Nonprofits can not pursue certification but can use the Assessment as a tool to improve their practices. B Corp certification helps consumers filter out potential greenwashers through the BIA’s rigorous assessment processes and high standards. The Impact Assessment is a great tool to use to assess your company’s sustainability practices. These fees support the ongoing development and improvement of this tool alongside the B Hive, B Analytics, and our back office administration platforms. The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a tool to assess a company’s overall social and environmental performance. Certified B Corps are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. Start the B Impact Assessment to continue the journey towards B Corp Certification. B Corps have been around in the US since 2007, with brands like Ben & Jerry's and Patagonia achieving certification. Fetzer scored an 80. Certified B Corporations are social enterprises verified by B Lab, a nonprofit organization. Countries. What You Ought to Know About Certified B Corps, Top 10 Best Benefits of Green Business Certification, How A Sustainability Framework Can Improve Your Business. Benefit Corporations adopt a corporate form that is legally recognized, similar to a C Corporation or S Corporation (the key difference being, of course, the consideration of all stakeholders). Since your business is under 12 months in operations, the B Impact Assessment is organized to capture 12 months of business operations. B Corp Certification is a mark of trust: a promise that a company is doing business in a way that meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. What does B Lab use the B Impact Assessment for in my Pending B Corp application? The time it takes to complete the assessment will vary based on your company's size and complexity. LEARN MORE ABOUT B CORPS Certified B Corps are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Used by over 50,000 businesses, the B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a free, online platform that evaluates how your company interacts with your workers, customers, community, and environment. Measure what matters most: your social and environmental impact Help us improve this article with your feedback. Start-ups can be eligible for the B-pending status during the first 12 months of operations in order to get certified as a B-Corporation after one year in the countries where a legal status for B-Corporations exists. The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a tool to assess a company’s overall social and environmental performance. Check out "The Path To B Corp Certification" webinar and our website for more resources. Work on your assessment in between the sessions, and get your questions answered by experts. B Corp certification is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. The BIA is divided into 5 different sections: In each section, you will be asked a series of questions about your business practices. B Corp Quick Impact Assessment [22/200] Backbone.ms wants to become a B-Corporation . See where you stand to meet the 80 point bar for B Corp certification and benchmark your results against 40,000 other businesses. This is a sample question that you will see as you begin your assessment. B Leaders complete an intensive 5-day training programme covering all areas of B Corp certification and the B Impact Assessment. Some of the benefits include: Objectively assessing your business. Facebook Twitter Pinterest. The sections are weighted differently depending upon the type of business (service, wholesale/retail, manufacturers, and agricultural/growers), the number of employees, and whether the business is located in a developed vs. emerging economy. The two icons in the upper right-hand corner are quite useful. Quick disclaimer: there is more to becoming B certified than simply scoring a minimum of 80/200 on the assessment. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. To be granted and to maintain certification, companies must receive a minimum score from an assessment of "social and en… The latest version of the B Impact Assessment standards is now available! Get started on your B Corp assessment. Learn more about B Corporations and view Ben & Jerry’s Impact Assessment. Snapshot Report. Certified B Corps earn a certification by scoring a minimum of 80 points on the B Impact Assessment. To certify your business as a B Corp, your company needs to be in operation for one year (if you’ve been in business for less than a year, check out the B corp guide for startups). In the first installment of this series, we focused on the reasons why you should consider pursuing B Corp certification for your company. Benefit corporations can use the B Impact Assessment to generate a free B Impact Report for Benefit Corporations. But earning the right to add the B Corp seal to your business is not like slapping a … 3,499. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. This assessment must be repeated every three years. Certified B Companies are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. From your supply chain and input materials to your charitable giving and employee benefits, B Corp Certification proves your business is meeting the highest standards of verified performance. Yes As a Certified B Corp, your company will be committed to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility in business. You can read more about the requirements for a third party reporting standard and a list of options here. You can start wherever you are and be a great B Corp consultant,†says Honeyman. Establish a Baseline by Taking the B Corp Assessment. B Lab delivers the B Corp Certification to companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, legal accountability and public transparency. A simple look at which questions your company already excels at and which practices it could improve on B… The full B Corp assessment, which takes two to four hours to complete Both assessments are free to complete and the information remains completely confidential. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving of a global movement of people using businesses as a force for good. Complete and submit the BIA to begin the performance requirement of certification. In fact, there’s even an alert at the beginning of the assessment that prepares you for what you can expect as you go. Certified B Corporations (B Corps or B Corporations for short) are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. It was originally derived from “benefit corporation”, a type of US corporate structure, but B Corp means many things to many people. The Path To B Corp Certification" webinar. Also, becoming a Certified B Corp does not change your tax status, nor does meeting the B Corp legal requirements. A 90-minute workshop followed by a 90-minute Q&A session 2 weeks later. This was the first billion-dollar acquisition by a B Corp—and it was a surprise to many people that a B Corp was the acquirer. The blend of for-profit and mission-driven design differentiates a B Corp from both conventional for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations and helps attract clients who share the company’s values. See where you stand to meet the 80 point bar for B Corp certification and benchmark your results against 40,000 other businesses. Sorry we couldn't be helpful. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. A simple look at which questions your company already excels at and which practices it could improve on B… The questions on your company’s B Impact Assessment are determined by company size, sector, and market, with around 200 questions total. Five weeks ago, three Future Space businesses joined the B Corp Business Impact Assessment (BIA) cohort with Andy Hawkins. The B Impact Assessment and B Corp certification The B Impact Assessment is the most credible tool a company can use to measure its impact on its workers, community, environment and customers. It isn’t meant to be easy – this isn’t a 10-question checklist that you complete quickly. Measure what matters most: your social and environmental impact B Corporation (also B Lab or B Corp) certification of "social and environmental performance" is a private certification of for-profit companies, distinct from the legal designation as a Benefit corporation. The Impact Assessment is a great tool to use to assess your company’s sustainability practices. Fill out the form below so that we can talk about how you can complete your assessment quickly and easily. You’ll also have the opportunity to provide feedback if something is unclear or missing; this feedback is then used to make improvements to future versions of the assessment.  “The great part about B Corp consulting, the value that the assessment brings, is that you don’t need a long, deep history of sustainable knowledge to help businesses be better. The assessment is free and confidential, you can add multiple team members, set goals and compare your answers to thousands of other businesses. The benefit corporation is a legal structure for a business, like an LLC or a corporation. In the assessment, a company must score at least 80 points on a scale from 0 to 200 to become a certified B Corp. Snapshot Report. Consider what Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, had to say about the B Impact Assessment: Although we submit to other audits of labor and environmental practices, the B Impact Assessment (a free tool that helps companies measure, compare and improve their social and environmental performance) provides us with the only comprehensive view of our standing with all our stakeholders: owners, employees, customers, local communities, suppliers’ communities and the planet.”. The initial step is to complete an on-line assessment (B Impact Assessment). Learn more here. Modified on: Mon, 10 Feb, 2020 at 12:41 PM. This first step is a simple one. What is the B Impact Assessment? Benefit corporations can use the B Impact Assessment to generate a free B Impact Report for Benefit Corporations. Today, there is a growing community of more than 1,700 Certified B Corps from 42 countries and over 130 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business. The B Impact Assessment is one of the third party standards that meets the statutory requirements for a benefit report. They must also earn a … To obtain B Corp certification, a company must complete a B Impact Assessment (BIA) and earn an audited minimum score of 80 out of 200 possible points and recertify - with the aim to continuously improve - every three years. B Corporation certification (assessed by the not-for-profit B Lab) is given to for-profit organisations who achieve at least a minimum score against a set of social and environmental standards. Certified B Corporations achieve a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment—a rigorous assessment of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community, and environment—and make their B Impact Report transparent on bcorporation.net. It was originally derived from “benefit corporation”, a type of US corporate structure, but B Corp means many things to many people. 150. But whoah - it was a process. Unifying Goal. Find a B Leader. 74. Nov 05, 2014. B Corps aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problem. The B Impact Assessment is one of the third party standards that meets the statutory requirements for a benefit report. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The BIA is a comprehensive survey of your business practices that determines your impact on all stakeholders. The BIA is broken up into five different sections: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Ben & Jerry's. You’ll also be joining a growing, international movement for sustainability in business. B Corps are for-profit businesses throughout the globe that have earned B Corp certification. My name is Becky from Harvey. The B Corp assessment scores applicants on a scale between 1 and 200, with a score of 80 required to receive certification. B Impact Assessment (BIA) Company Size Definitions. I agree it’s a big process - and a long one - and it requires patience especially pulling together all the documents needed however, it’s such a critical and important thing to do especially as it’s a public statement and commitment to community good. Completing the Impact Assessment is also the first step in certifying as a B Corp, which I encourage you to consider. • Certified B Corporations have been certified as having met a high standard of overall social and environmental performance, and as a result have access to a portfolio of services and support from B Lab that benefit corporations do not. Expect to take 60-90 minutes to take a first pass, but since it’s an online checklist, you can work on it, save it, and then return to it later to complete it. Certified B Corporations (B Corps or B Corporations for short) are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good.B Corps are for-profit businesses throughout the globe that have earned B Corp certification. These trained professionals can offer guidance and support to companies thinking about, preparing for or going through the B Corp certification process. Certified B Corps are companies that are committed to using the power of business as a force for good. The full B Corp assessment, which takes two to four hours to complete Both assessments are free to complete and the information remains completely confidential. 1. The star allows you to mark a question for improvement. No. To become a Certified B Corporation, a company have been in operation for one year (though there are steps a startup can take to prepare for B corp certification) and must earn at least 80 points out of 200 on the Impact Assessment. B Lab delivers the B Corp Certification to companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, legal accountability and public transparency. In the assessment, a company must score at least 80 points on a scale from 0 to 200 to become a certified B Corp. We recently got certified in August yay! Fill out some basic information about your company to get started and then complete the different sections. To become certified as a B Corp, companies must complete an assessment of their impact in five categories: environment, workers, customers, community and governance. This assessment is the tool that Patagonia uses to evaluate its own impact, and it’s available to you as well! Also, becoming a Certified B Corp does not change your tax status, nor does meeting the B Corp legal requirements. The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is one of the most rigorous tools available to measure your company’s impact. The B stands for benefit and the B Corp certificate is awarded to a business that can prove it has a triple bottom-line, one that counts its impact on people and the planet, as well as its profits. Taken together, the Impact Assessment and Disclosure Questionnaire comprise a holistic framework for any company that is seeking to do good through its business – which is, of course, what B Corps are doing! Join the global community of Certified B Corps . You’ll then need to complete the BIA and score a minimum of 80 points out of 200. MEET THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS B Corp Certification requires a minimum verified total score of 80 across all impact areas. Certified B Corps • Certified B Corporation is a certification conferred by the nonprofit B Lab. Did you find it helpful? Go here and take the assessment (BIA). You can read more about the requirements for a third party reporting standard and a list of options here. B Corp certification is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. To date, our community includes over 3,500 B Corps in 70 countries and 150 industries, over 8,000 benefit corporations, and more than 100,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager. We are currently going through our accreditation (continuation) with B-Corporation and Ailanit from there is helping us out. BC Assessment provides current actual value assessments for tax purposes on all properties in British Columbia and provides expertise in real estate data, mass appraisal systems and management. How to Raise Your B Corp Assessment Score. To become B Corp certified, companies have to complete the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a comprehensive questionnaire that determines a company’s impact on their community, employees, the environment, and beyond. You will receive two types of feedback: A. But earning the right to add the B Corp seal to your business is not like slapping a meaningless label like “All Natural” on your product. The B Corp Certification is a third-party certification administered by the non-profit B Lab, based in part on a company's verified performance on the B Impact Assessment. 1,000+ full-time equivalent workers. The Certification is supported by Unilever, and is fully aligned with their own ambitious sustainability agenda. The B in B Corp is open to interpretation. Via an extensive B Corp assessment, a company must demonstrate that it meets strict social criteria in areas such as governance, employees, customers and the environment. Certification requires a score of at least 80 (out of 200) against 5 areas of impact: Governance, Community, Workers, Environment and Customers. Do you need help with completing the Impact Assessment? The B Impact Assessment The most credible tool a company can use to measure its impact on its workers, community, environment, and customers. Get Started The image below shows the format for each question. Visit B Cop™ website Certification costs $500 to $25,000 annually, depending on company size; reassessment is required every two years. B Corp Certification is the next chapter for socially responsible businesses. B Lab, a third-party non-profit certifies it. See how Certified B Corps* use this tool to build a better business *You don't have to be the CEO to use this tool Rob Michalak. We spoke to Kate Sandle, Community Manager for B Corp UK, whose favourite interpretation of B Corp comes from Ghandi – “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. Industries. The BIA company size determination is based on the number of workers in full-time equivalents (FTEs) to categorize a company as having 0, 1-9, 10-49, 50-249, 250-999. Using the B Corp Assessment The Impact Assessment is a great tool to use to assess your company’s sustainability practices. You will receive two types of feedback: A. We put together a blog on the steps we took and shared some tips and templates we used to get through the assessment to help those starting out. The items in the blue bar will provide you with explanations, examples, and resources for each question. We spoke to Kate Sandle, Community Manager for B Corp UK, whose favourite interpretation of B Corp comes from Ghandi – “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. You can then choose your goal (the options are based on the answers provided for that particular question), choose a due date, and receive an email reminder. There’s also a Disclosure Questionnaire, which asks about specific items where a company must disclose if it is involved in activities such as gambling, payday lending, or wildlife or wildlife products. The B corp guys appear to have done some heavy research to put this together. Taken together, the Impact Assessment and Disclosure Questionnaire comprise a holistic framework for any company that is seeking to do good through its business – which is, of course, what B Corps are doing! BC Assessment Special Notification for 2021 Farm Classifications Aug 20, 2020 On July 29, 2020, the Provincial Government announced that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all 2020 existing Farm Class properties will automatically retain Farm Class for the 2021 Assessment Roll. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their … Learn more about the B Corp legal requirements here. B Corporation status can be achieved by receiving accreditation from B Lab (a non-profit organisation). Words by Ryan Honeyman. The B Impact Assessment evaluates how your company’s operations and business model impact your workers, community, environment, and customers. 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