How to determine which sites are in scope for certification

As part of defining your certification scope, you’ll need to determine which sites (locations) are included in your B Corp Certification. This is an important step because only sites that are included in your certification scope are eligible to use the B Corp IP or refer to being part of your certification. Any site that is not included in scope cannot display B Corp signage at the location or claim to be covered by the company’s certification.

This section explains how B Lab determines whether a site must be included in scope and how to document your sites correctly.

For more information about scoping, read: What to know about scoping your company for certification.

What is a site?

A site is any physical location (permanent or temporary) where your company carries out business activities, or provides services under its management system. This can include offices, factories, warehouses, retail spaces, or other locations where employees work or operations take place.

When is a site in scope?

A site is considered in scope for certification based on whether your company has operational control over the activities conducted there. To decide if a site is in scope, ask: Does our company manage the activities and the people at this location? If your employees are based there and follow your internal management systems, the site is in scope. The determination rests on the nature of the work and the management of workers, rather than physical ownership or control of the site’s infrastructure. 

Sites can include:

• Managed facilities: Locations where the company maintains full control over both the environment and the work performed.

• External & client sites: Locations owned or managed by third parties where the certifying company’s workers perform work activities under the company’s central company policies.

When a company includes multiple sites in one certification scope, it must apply its policies and practices consistently across all locations through a single, company-level sustainability management system (SMS). Learn more about what an SMS is and why it matters, in this guide.

Including and Excluding Sites

For sites where the company lacks full operational control over the building infrastructure (e.g., utilities, or waste disposal), the sustainability management system focuses on factors that can be controlled –  such as workers, or tracking environmental metrics where feasible. This article explains how companies can track environmental impact at sites where direct measurement is challenging.  

This means most sites are included in scope. Only in exceptional cases will sites be excluded. 

Exclusions may include: 

• A worker’s home where work is performed but the location is not registered to the company. These workers are classed as remote and shall be counted towards the company’s total workers at the central function. 

• A co-working office without a designated room or floorspace registered to the company. These workers are classed as remote. 

• A sub-contractor’s site where the company sub-contracts work activities to another company, for e.g. product manufacturing.

If you exclude a site from your certification scope, you must:

• Provide a clear justification to B Lab explaining the reason for the exclusion.

• Ensure the excluded site does not use the B Corp IP for signage or window displays at that location.

Even if a site is out of scope, your company may still sell products at that site that carry the B Corp logo (for example, selling B Corp certified products at a beauty department store).

If you’re unsure whether a site should be included, it’s always best to check with B Lab.

Documenting your sites in B Impact

As part of the certification process, companies will be required to complete a site information template and upload it to their submission page on B Impact.

The template asks for key details about each site, including:

• Distinct site name or unique ID number

• Type of activities carried out at the site

• Address

• Employee headcount

It is strongly recommended that you complete this template before uploading supporting evidence in your self-assessment. This helps ensure clarity on which sites are in scope and avoids confusion during the audit.

Best practices for site documentation

• Use the same site name or ID consistently across all uploaded evidence.

• Make sure any supporting documents (such as waste trackers or HR policies) clearly indicate which sites are covered.

Your assurance provider will reference these site names or IDs when reviewing evidence to confirm that each in-scope site has been considered. This ensures that the sustainability management system is not just a head-office policy, but a fully operational framework active across the entirety of your geographic footprint.

Summary

Defining which sites are in scope is a key part of setting up your B Corp Certification correctly. Being clear and consistent about which sites are in scope helps ensure your assessment is accurate, your audit runs smoothly, and the B Corp certification claim is used appropriately. When in doubt, documenting your rationale and checking with B Lab can help avoid issues later in the certification process.