B Lab estimates that from submission to certification, the full certification process will take 2-6 months, mainly depending on the number of major nonconformities. Once a company submits for certification, an audit will be scheduled. The audit itself will be a time-bound activity, taking between 1 day and 15 days, depending on the size of the company. Following the audit, the biggest impact on length of time to reach certification will be down to the number of major nonconformities that need to be resolved before the company is able to be certified. If a company has no major nonconformities, the process will be relatively quick, and smaller companies could be certified within 2 months from submission. For more information, read the Certification Requirements Guide. 

We encourage all existing B Corps and companies who are planning to certify for the first time to read the Certification Requirements Guide in full. 

B Lab certifies companies that align with the performance requirements of the B Corp certification. Based on their region, we encourage companies to engage with the different community initiatives developed and managed by the B Lab Global Network. 

To see the global network please navigate to our page B Lab Global Network.

You may see that some regions do not have a corresponding Global/Country Partner or Market Builder, such as the Middle East and Central and South Asia. 

For this reason, the opportunities to engage in the certification may vary for B Corps depending on the location in which  they are based and whether access to specific offerings or service is available. If your business is in a location where there is not yet an established Global Partner, this may mean that your business will likely:

• Wait longer to begin the process of certification, once a review is opened and submitted

• Require a translator for the certification journey since B Lab may not be able to support the native language in your region

• Not receive the same benefits of the certification such as marketing support and engagement opportunities

Benefits that will likely not be available to companies in your region:

• Individualized support for certification application and BIA questions (independent consultants might be able to support instead), marketing support, community engagement and other aspects.

• Marketing guidelines on how to discuss certification in your professional and customer community

• Resources and community updates on B Corp news
  
  

In your assessment dashboard, you may see that your region is listed as B Lab Inc. For such regions, these conditions will apply to you. Companies choose to certify for a variety of reasons. If you are specifically looking for the benefits listed above, we encourage you to consider if certification is right for your business at this time. Once we have Market Builders and/or Global/Country partners in the region, those and more benefits will become available. At the moment, B Lab is not expecting to grow into new regions until at least 2025.

DIsclaimer:
Please note; since 6 October 2023, B Lab Global has been pausing support for new B Corps to certify in regions without Global or Country Partner representation. 

Please see here for a list of affected countries.

What is the purpose of the Standards Interpretation Guidance?
Standards interpretation guidance provides clarification of the standards for companies during the self-assessment stage. It is designed to support your team, as you complete the self-assessment, with accurately interpreting and applying specific standards requirements to your company’s internal policies and processes.

How is this guidance delivered?
The standards interpretation guidance is maintained in a centralized repository, allowing for easy searching of interpretations.

Where can I access the log?
The log is currently in development. Once released, the access link will be published in this article.

Current Status: ?️ In Development
Estimated Availability: Coming Soon

Resources & Further Guidance:

B Corp Certification Requirements for B Corps
How to complete the B Corp Self‑Assessment 

Submit a support ticket if you have further questions.