Certified B Corporation

On-Site Reveiws

10% of B Corporations are reviewed on-site every year - So in a two-year term, all B Corporations have a one in five chance of being audited. The on-site review component of the B Corp Certification is critical in maintaining the authenticity of the Certified B Corp Seal. Our goal for the audit is to verify the accuracy of each response on the company's B Survey.

Typically, the on-site review results in a score adjustment. If the score falls below the passing grade of 80, B Lab auditors provide a 90 day period to cure with improvement recommendations. If the on-site review reveals that a company has filled out the B Survey has intentionally misrepresented aspects of their business, the company's B Corporation Certification will be publicly revoked.

April/May:

• Companies are randomly selected for an on-site review

• Selected companies are informed about their upcoming on-site review

Early June:

• On-site review guidelines are sent to companies detailing what will be required for their on-site review

June/July:

• Companies prepare documentation in preparation for their on-site review

• B Lab conducts site visits at each chosen company. Site visits generally last between 4-8 hours depending on the size of the company

• B Lab staff and interns follow up via phone and email with each company after the on-site review to clarify any outstanding questions

• B Lab staff provides each company with an on-site review report, recommending whether the company should pass, pass with a score adjustment, or fail their on-site review. Companies only fail their on-site review if B Lab staff determines that a company has intentionally misrepresented themselves in their survey answers. The on-site review report details where:

1. a company may be eligible for additional points,

2. a point reduction on the survey is required,

3. the company could improve its practices in the future, and

4. B Lab considers the activities of the company to be best practices

July/August:

• Companies have two weeks to review and comment on their on-site review reports. If a company's on-site review results in their score going below an 80, the company will be granted an additional 90-day cure period

• Once the on-site review report has been reviewed by the company, it is sent to the Standards Advisory Council (SAC) for approval

• Once the SAC has approved the on-site review report, a B Lab staff member will schedule a time with the company to make any required changes to their survey answers, and finally

August/September:

• An on-site review letter is issued to each reviewed company with the findings from their on-site review. This letter can be shared the company's owners, board, employees, and other stakeholders

2010 On-Site Reviews

In 2010, B Lab reviewed 26 B Corporations:

• Autonomie Project 
• Benchmark Asset Managers*
• City Light Capital LLC
• Create. Love 
• CSRwire
• Ecologic Solutions Inc 
• Edgewood Partners
• Elemental Herbs
• Essential Living Foods
• Green Design Systems
• Green Monkey
• IceStone LLC
• Mindful Investors 
• Organic Planet 
• Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations
• The Hub
• Veev Spirits
• World Leadership School
• YIKES

Twenty companies passed their on-site reviews, and two company reviews, Busboys & Poets and U.S. Tile, are still under review. As a result of the on-site review process, on average each company had its survey score adjusted upwards by 1.58 points or 1.55% of their total scores. Utilikilts, Institute of Green Professionals and Kings Counsel were also selected for on-site review but decertified prior to review. Vetrazzo was also selected for an onsite review, but was purchased by another company prior to the review.  Benchmark Asset Managers went through and passed their 2010 on-site review but decertified in 2011.

B Lab would like to thank all the companies that participated in 2010 round of B Corporation on-site reviews.

2009 On-Site Reviews

In 2009, B Lab reviewed 15 B Corporations:

• Dharma Merchant Services
• Ellen Weinreb Sustainability Recruiting
• Evergreen Lodge
• Flexperience
• GoLite
• Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products
• Mugshots Coffeehouse and Café
• Nolan Painting
• On Belay Business Advisors
• Parable Painting
• Pura Vida
• Siw Thai Silk
• Sustainable Harvest
• Watershed Capital
• WorkSavvy

All fifteen companies reviewed in 2009 passed their on-site reviews. As a result of the on-site review process, on average each company had its survey score adjusted upwards by 1.8 points or 4.1% of their total scores. Del Forte Denim was also selected to be reviewed in 2009, but went out of business after selection.

B Lab would like to thank all the companies that participated in 2009 round of B Corporation on-site reviews.

2008 On-Site Reviews

In 2008, B Lab reviewed 8 Companies:

• Fair Trade Sports
• Leibowitz Pictures
• Blueprint Research & Design
• Dansko
• Mal Warwick Associates
• Moka Joe Coffee
• Lateral Line
• Impact Makers

All eight companies reviewed in 2008 passed their on-site reviews. As a result of the review process, on average each company had its survey score adjusted downwards by 5.3 points or 4.4% of their total scores.

B Lab would like to thank all the companies that participated in 2008 round of B Corporation on-site reviews. 2008 was the first year conducting on-site reviews and working with the first group of reviewed companies was tremendously instructive in terms of learning how to improve the process in the future.