Learn about our Assessment Setup pilot

This pilot test aims to improve the digital experience for companies during the assessment registration and onboarding process, so that we better understand a companies’ scope and needs from the outset: 

• Does your company intend to apply for B Corp Certification, or are you primarily interested in measuring and improving company impact against our standards? 

• Is your industry and company structure eligible for certification, and what are your company’s potential negative impacts? 

• And what standards are most relevant to your company based on size, sector and geography? 

Asking these questions upfront improves efficiency and reduces errors further along in the assessment and certification process, offering a more seamless experience for companies like you at the start of your journey. 

Is this pilot test right for me? 

This is an exciting pilot - you’ll be one of the first companies to follow this new, improved user journey while also receiving access to a support person to guide you through setup, free of charge. 

But there are a few things to consider - this pilot is not relevant for everyone:

• Your company must intend to become B Corp Certified - if not, this isn’t the right pilot for you. 

• By opting into the pilot, you will be supporting us in producing a better end product for all. However, there may be small bugs and glitches that you can help us iron out. Fear not, any automated decision-making carried out as part of this digital process will be reviewed by a human before you start your B Impact Assessment.

• This pilot will not be suitable if you are a large multinational, or a company with a complex structure defined as: revenues over 100 million USD, operations in more than five countries, and more than ten subsidiaries. These companies are too complex for the current experience, and will be unlikely to complete the process in the six months allocated. 

• During the pilot, you are unable to add additional company peers or team members to the assessment setup - this feature will become available once your assessment is established and you proceed with the B Impact Assessment. We also intend to add this feature to ‘Assessment Setup’ in the future. 

• You’ll be following a unique journey (hence your allocated B Lab Analyst) which means some of our other Freshdesk guides and materials will not be relevant for you - please bear this in mind! You may also be asked to provide additional detail on your company outside of the digital platform. 

Read our Frequently Asked Questions for more detail

What is the purpose of this pilot program?

As B Lab Global prepares to transition to our new standards for B Corp certification, our Product & Technology teams are simultaneously building a new technology platform through which users can engage with our standards. The first piece of the new platform (which will be tested in this pilot against current V6 standards) is a new Assessment Setup process for the B Impact Assessment.

This pilot aims to enhance the registration experience for companies by implementing a more streamlined and user-friendly journey, helping us better understand the company from the outset, resulting in a more efficient service for the company.

The new experience will deliver the following:

• Enhance the collection of crucial company information to develop robust and high-quality company profiles.

• Confirm the structure of the company in scope of the B Impact Assessment and/or are required to complete the legal requirements. 

• Confirm that the company or set of entities in scope of the B Corp Certification are NOT involved in controversial industries or practices that would make them ineligible to certify.

• Better understand the company profile to identify the standards most relevant to the company size, sector and industry in order to determine the standards served in the company’s B Impact Assessment.

What advantages will I gain from participating in this pilot program?

As mentioned above, companies participating in this pilot will benefit from a more supported, monitored Assessment Setup while also being one of the first companies to go through this new, streamlined process which aims to better understand your company upfront, avoiding delays and complications further in your certification journey. This is because we can better identify your company profile to understand your eligibility and send you on a path to work towards standards that are most relevant for you.

Are there any expectations that I should be aware of?

Opting in to the pilot will ensure companies receive at least one call with a human reviewer during this process that will need to be scheduled in a timely manner. B Lab commits to contacting companies who have opted in to the pilot within 5 days, sharing a link to schedule a call and outlining any required documentation or data (things you may be required to fill out or bring to the call to help inform decisions about your case during the call). 

Who is the intended audience for this pilot program?

We are looking for at least 100 companies who are just starting out on their certification journey to participate in this pilot programme. As mentioned above, we cannot accept companies with revenues of more than 100 million USD revenue, with more than 10 subsidiaries and more than 5 countries of operation but we are looking for a breadth of companies from different geographies and industries to participate. 

What is the duration of the pilot program?

The pilot program will be live for six months only from 8 July 2024. Once the pilot test concludes, our hope is to roll this new experience out to all users in early 2025. 

How do I sign up for the pilot?
To sign you, you simply need to create an account by using this link or by accessing https://app.bcorporation.net/registration

Once I sign up for the pilot, how do I continue to access the new experience? 

If you have already registered for the pilot, you can also access the new experience at this login link or this url: https://app.bcorporation.net/login. 

I already have an account. Can I participate in the pilot?

The pilot is intended for new companies who are registering a new assessment for certification. At this time, we are not extending the pilot to existing users.   

Can I still access the existing assessment set up experience in B Impact assessment?
To fully immerse yourself in the new experience, we kindly ask that you refrain from creating an account under the current system. Both registration methods will result in a tracked assessment, but the new experience offers additional benefits. These include a preliminary eligibility screening, detailed scoping, and access to a B Lab analyst to support you throughout the process.
_
If my company participates in this pilot, how will my assessment verification process change?

All outcomes of this ‘Assessment Setup’ pilot will carry forward to your company’s verification as long as you submit your B Impact Assessment within six months of completing the pilot journey. We anticipate that the new steps outlined in the pilot will reduce the time taken to complete certification and prevent assessment delays due to clearer upfront eligibility/organizational structure decisions.

Can I invite my team members to join the pilot program?

At this time, you are unable to invite others to join the digital journey as a separate user, though we do aim to introduce this feature in future iterations of the product. That being said, this doesn’t mean you can’t collaborate in other ways, seeking input from colleagues outside of the platform itself. 

What should I do if I lose interest in certification or decide to withdraw from the pilot program?

Please reach out to [email protected] to indicate you are unable or would like to discontinue the process.