What is an Appeal
An appeal is a formal way to request B Lab to reconsider a specific decision. This procedure is designed to ensure that B Lab’s decisions are fair, accurate, and unbiased. It provides a transparent way for the company to dispute a decision if it believes a procedural error occurred or that its information was misinterpreted.
Note: This process does not cover audit findings or final Certification decisions; those must be handled directly through the Assurance Provider’s specific appeals process.
Examples of legitimate grounds for appeals include, but are not limited to:
Procedural Error: B Lab (or the platform supported by B Lab) failed to adhere to published certification procedures or assessment protocols.
Example: A mandatory verification step was omitted, directly resulting in an adverse decision.
Factual Error: B Lab made a decision based on incorrect or incomplete information regarding the company's actual operations.
Example: B Lab issued an adverse eligibility decision citing a lack of documentation, despite the company having uploaded the required evidence already.
Technical Error: The B Impact platform failed to function as intended.
Example: A platform bug yielded an incorrect outcome for the company.
Misinterpretation of the B Lab Standards: The B Lab representative, or B Impact platform, misinterpreted the B Lab Standards or normative policies.
Example: The B Lab representative made an adverse decision based on an interpretation that contradicts the published B Lab Standards.
Conflict of Interest: The decision was compromised by a lack of impartiality or conflict of interest.
Example: A member of the decision-making panel has a conflict of interest or bias related to the company.
What is the Appeal Process
The Appeals process ensures that every company has a transparent and fair way to challenge a B Lab decision. Once a formal appeal is submitted, it is reviewed by an impartial body - an individual or a group of individuals not involved in the original decision. Their role is to conduct an objective review to determine the final outcome. Either the;
Appeal is upheld: the initial decision is overturned or corrected,
Appeal is rejected: the initial decision stands as originally issued.
The decision on an appeal will be final. This process is designed to be time-bound and evidence-based, ensuring that the company receives a clear, final resolution to their grievance.
When is an Appeal appropriate to make
An appeal can be raised regarding specific decisions made by B Lab. These include:
B Lab Foundation Requirements: Decisions concerning a company’s eligibility for B Corp Certification, as outlined in the B Lab Standard Foundation Requirements.
Certification Scope: Decisions related to the final determination of a company's certification scope, including its organizational structure, legal requirements, brand considerations, size, sector, and any related implications.
Variance or Equity Mechanism: Decisions regarding the approval or dismissal of a company’s application for a variance or equity mechanism.
How to submit an Appeal
Appeals are managed through B Lab's designated ticketing system to ensure proper tracking and recordkeeping. Appeals must be submitted via this Log an Appeal Request form where a ticket and tracking mechanism will be generated. All information, along with any supporting documentation, may be submitted in any of B Lab's covered languages.
Instructions for completing the Appeal form - To ensure a swift review and resolution of appeals, companies must include clear and accurate information in the following fields of the designated form:
Email address
Subject
Use the following format: Company name (as per B Impact) / topic of appeal
Name of the Company as per B Impact
Please indicate the name of the company as it appears in B Impact
Appeals summary of decision
Provide a brief overview of the specific B Lab decision being challenged and the primary grounds for the appeal (e.g., a procedural error or a factual mistake).
Description
Provide a thorough explanation of the decision and any relevant context B Lab should consider. Specifically, identify which part of the decision the company believes was applied incorrectly and why. This is the place to detail how the standards or procedures were misinterpreted or where a platform error occurred.
Date of Original Decision
This date must be no more than 30 days from when the appeal is filed.
Appellant type: This describes your role in the request.
Selected from the following options:
Company
Assurance Provider
Appeal Category
Selected from the following options:
Procedural error
Factual error
Technical error
Misinterpretation
Conflict of Interest
Appeal Category
Selected from the following options:
Eligibility
Legal Requirement
Certification Scope
B Corp IP Usage
Variance Request
Equity Mechanism
Attachment
Attach any supporting evidence Attachments up to 20MB can be attached to the submission form. If attachments exceed this limit or several attachments are provided, please share a link to a google drive in the description section, including relevant attachments and provide open access to users with the link.
Who reviews Appeals?
B Lab has an escalation process to ensure the individuals reviewing the appeal are different from the initial decision maker. Appeals are evaluated by an independent internal committee or a designated topical expert.
To guarantee a fair process and prevent any conflict of interest, the final decision shared with the company must be made—or at least reviewed and approved—by individuals who had no prior involvement in the initial decision.
How long does it take to resolve an Appeal?
B Lab will provide an initial response within 15 working days, and aims to resolve all appeals within a 30 day window. If the request cannot be resolved within the agreed upon timeline, or requires escalation, B Lab will inform the company of the updated timeline.
How to know if an Appeal has been approved?
B Lab will communicate outcomes of the review via the ticketing system which can be tracked by the appellant.
An approved appeal means that the company will see the original decision modified to reflect the updated decision based on the appeal.
In Summary:
The B Lab Appeals procedure is built to ensure that the certification process remains fair, transparent, and grounded in facts. If the company believes a procedural error, a factual mistake, or a misinterpretation of standards has occurred regarding its eligibility or scope, this process provides a clear pathway for an independent review.
Need to start an appeal? Please ensure your request is submitted within the required timeframe and includes all necessary supporting evidence.
Resources & Further Guidance:
B Corp Certification Requirements for B Corps, Section 5 Complaints and Appeals
Submit a support ticket if you have further questions.
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