How to Recertify as a B Corp

The Recertification process, which serves to regularly measure and manage your company’s impact, is a core principle of the B Corp Community that helps maintain the credibility of the B Corp Certification. The principle of continuous improvement is integrated into the B Corp Certification – B Corps are required to update their B Impact Assessment every 3 years, and are encouraged to continue implementing improvements to their social and environmental practices after becoming B Corp Certified. The Recertification process is an opportunity for companies to measure and verify these improvements, as well as set goals for the future.

In order to maintain their certification in good standing, and successfully renew their certification every 3 years, Certified B Corps must meet the following requirements:  

1. Every 3 years, submit an updated B Impact Assessment (BIA) at least 6 months prior to their Recertification Date. This submission requirement is being implemented in 2024, and will first impact B Corps due for recertification in January 2025**. Submitting 6 months prior to the Recertification Date will:

   • help to ensure that a company’s recertification process progresses in a timely manner, 

   • ensure that a company’s certification is maintained in good standing,

   • avoid the risk of a company’s certification being made inactive.

2. Actively participate in and maintain engagement and communication during all stages of the recertification process, every 3 years, from Evaluation to Post-Verification.
3. Provide supporting documentation during the review process to validate the company practices and policies reflected in the B Impact Assessment
4. Maintain a score of 80 points or higher by the end of the verification process during each recertification term, and fulfill any required outcomes of the Disclosure Questionnaire review and/or the Background Check or Formal Complaints procedure.
5. Complete the legal requirement in the time outlined in the signed B Corp Agreement, or by the Legal Requirement Deadline provided via a formal extension from B Lab Global (i.e. legal commitment letter).
6. Participate in the Site Review process, if selected during a company’s recertification year or based on a company’s certification terms (see B Corp Agreement). 
7. Pay the annual B Corp Certification fee in a timely manner, in accordance with the payment policies established by the company' regional B Lab Partner. This fee is to be paid annually and is not linked to the status of the company’s recertification review process timeline.

If the requirements outlined above are not met in accordance with the explicit timelines provided throughout the review process, the company’s B Corp Certification will be at risk of being made inactive and the company will risk losing its Certified B Corp status.

B Lab, and B Lab’s Global Partner in your region will send reminders via email when your company’s recertification date is approaching. You can also find your Recertification Date by logging into your company’s B Impact Assessment account and clicking on Dashboard on the left-side menu.  B Lab will notify you if and when your company’s certification is at risk of being made inactive due to non-compliance with the Recertification guidelines. In order to receive these important email notifications, please make sure that the “Team Members” section of the B Impact Assessment portal is up-to-date with the current contact information of representatives from the company. Learn how to add new team members or remove outdated contacts from the Assessment portal here.

If you have any questions about the status of your certification, legal requirement or recertification requirements, please reach out to the B Lab Partner in your region, or submit a ticket to the B Lab Global Support Team here. 

**Please note that this submission requirement does not apply to companies undergoing 

recertification on the Large Enterprise (LE) or Multinational Company (MNC) approach.