B Corp certification is complex, rigorous and thus expensive, but it is the rigour that delivers the credibility, and in turn value for B Corps. So whilst we are working to lower costs and improve efficiency we need to shift pricing closer to true cost.  

In the past, the certification fees, especially in the lower tiers for very small organisations, have not adequately reflected the cost of the support provided to these businesses through the certification process. In the early days of establishing a community of B Corps, B Lab made a conscious decision to absorb additional costs in order to support the growth of the community. 

Now years later, the B Corp Movement in Europe and globally has grown significantly and the number of companies, looking to certify, is fast increasing. We need to invest in more resources to meet the growing demand. It is vital that we resource our verification process to keep abreast of these demands in a sustainable way and invest in continuing to support this powerful movement of businesses whose actions every day are making the systems change we so need possible.

We realise the timing might be difficult for some companies, however we have not raised certification fees in Europe since 2016. The demand for certification is growing at a considerable rate. The volume of certification demand we have now reached and the strain this is placing on B Lab’s resources mean we need to review our model. We are aware that some B Corps have experienced substantial losses due to the extraordinary conditions of 2020 and beyond. Nearer the time of implementation of the fee increase for our existing B Corp community (January 1st 2022), we will assess where the impact has hit hardest and will introduce a support structure for those community members accordingly.

This revenue will support and strengthen the B Corp Movement in a range of ways, including scaling up the Standards Analyst team and further developing tools that support existing and aspiring B Corps. Throughout 2021, B Lab aims to hire up to 19 additional analysts to meet the growing demand and strengthen this intensive evaluation and verification process. In Europe, we are bringing on new team members in the early stages of the review process to create high quality submissions for certification.

Working alongside our network of Country Partners, we also want to keep providing community services to B Corps across Europe, the funding of which comes from  certification, the only revenue stream we have.

The fast growing B Corp network has the potential to inspire meaningful systems change across economies. Our pan-European Public Policy group, in partnership with The Good Lobby, engaged more than 60 B Corps in responding to EU regulation of Sustainable Corporate Governance, and underlined the power of B Corps’ collective voice in action. Partnering with the UN Global Compact to engage businesses in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals through the SDG Action Manager tool has already  resulted in more than 5000 goals being set globally. It is vital that we continue to invest in these collective actions and systems change initiatives to multiply the impact of individual B Corps, and realise the potential of business to meet the needs of people and the planet.

This fee is only for companies submitting their BIA for the very first time. It doesn’t apply to existing B Corps and won’t be applied for recertifications. This fee is designed to focus the review processes on companies that are committed to completing the B Corp Certification. This fee is non-refundable and will be charged at the point at which companies submit their first BIA for verification. 

We still have fee bands in place, so yes, if your income drops  and takes you to a lower fee band, then your annual certification fee will be applied at the appropriate fee band rate. The annual fee refers to the turnover of the company in the last audited accounts.  Conversely, if your income rises to a new fee band, your annual fee will be charged at the higher fee rate.

We are aware that some B Corps have experienced substantial losses due to the extraordinary conditions of 2020 and beyond. Nearer the time of implementation of the fee increase for our existing B Corp community (January 1st 2022), we will assess where the impact has hit hardest and will introduce a support structure for those community members accordingly.

B Lab has always and remains committed to ensuring free access to all its tools that drive impact performance, so that size is in no way a barrier to creating and improving impact-focused businesses. Small companies are at the core of the B Corp Movement; they are the foundation on which its growth has been built. Many of these B Corps which were ‘Born B’ have now grown ‘B’, and we are incredibly proud of their progress. At this stage we have reached a volume at which we can no longer scale the subsidisation of the certification process, so we need to adapt our model. As the community has grown, so has the breadth of support and initiatives we have made available to B Corps; from the SDG Action Manager, to countless opportunities to collaborate and learn from the extensive network of B Corps around the world. To continue to offer this support to the thriving European and global B Corp community, we need to ensure we are on sustainable financial ground. 

Cost of verification isn’t proportionate to company size. The new fee structure was adjusted to be in line with global certification fees, in terms of tiers as well as fee lifts, and to better reflect the real cost of verification. With the new fee structure, we’re ensuring our work in supporting the growing community of B Corps is on sustainable financial ground, so we’re able to continue to support this movement to use business as a force for good. We hope having significant advanced notice will help you plan for this fee increase.

All existing B Corps will pay certification fees based on the new fees after January 1st 2022. Any recertification fees due before January 1st 2022, will be charged at the previous rates.

If you submitted your BIA before April 15th 2021, and become a Certified B Corp in 2021, you will pay at the previous rates. After January 1st 2022, all B Corps will be charged the new fees, so after this date, your certification fee will be adjusted to the new rates.

B Lab Europe Team and European Country Partners will be available should you have any enquiries – you can find their contacts under “Our European Network” under “About” in the main menu. If you are located in one of the countries below, reach out directly to your country partner. If you are located in another country, you can reach out to B Lab Europe directly at info@bcorporation.eu.