Why B Lab uses third-party certification
Certified B Corps™ are independently certified by third-party assurance providers, to keep B Corp Certification trustworthy and credible. Find out more about third-party certification and meet our approved providers here.
Understanding third-party certification
What do third-party assurance providers do?
When businesses apply to become a Certified B Corp, an independent third-party assurance provider is responsible for auditing and certifying the business to confirm that it meets the B Lab Standards. B Corp Certification is based on the ISO17021-1 standard for auditing and certification of management systems, and B Lab approves and oversees all independent assurance providers.
To safeguard independence, B Lab does not conduct audits, make certification decisions, or issue certificates. Instead, we grant the license that allows qualifying companies to use the B Corp logo and branding. These requirements ensure certification against the B Lab Standards is consistent, rigorous, and trustworthy.
Why third-party certification?
Legislation has been evolving in recent years, resulting in changes in how sustainability labels are verified. Labels like B Corp Certification will be required to be based on third-party certification. Under the B Lab Standards V2, a new third-party certification process is in place to keep B Corp Certification compliant and credible, with a strengthened, more efficient process.
Learn more about the B Corp Certification process
Explore our Certification Hub for more details and frequently asked questions about B Corp Certification.
B Lab's role and responsabilities
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Find out more about our approved assurance providers
Meet the B Lab-approved assurance providers and find out how to get in touch.
Becoming an approved assurance provider
The B Lab Oversight Procedure outlines the eligibility criteria and processes for providing B Corp Certification services to prospective and certified B Corps. B Lab approves and oversees assurance providers to ensure that B Corp Certification is delivered credibly and consistently. The B Lab Oversight Procedure explains how assurance providers can become — and remain — approved to provide B Corp Certification services.
Interested in becoming a B Lab assurance provider? B Lab is not actively accepting new Assurance Providers applications at the moment, but you can still download and view the Oversight Procedure here.