Best For The World™ 2021

B Lab’s Best For The World™ (BFTW™) program recognizes the Certified B Corporations (B Corps) globally that have achieved the highest verified scores in the five impact areas evaluated on the B Impact Assessment (BIA)—community, customers, environment, governance, and workers.

BFTW provides an opportunity for the global B Corp community to exchange best practices, explore collaboration opportunities to continue progressing in their positive impact journeys as a collective, and work together towards the fulfillment of our movement’s vision.

BFTW identifies B Corps with BIA scores in the top 5% of each company size track across the five impact areas assessed by the BIA on 23:59 (GMT) May the 31st 2021. The certified B Corporations that have achieved these verified scores will be featured on the Best For The World 2021 lists subject to compliance with the eligibility criteria detailed below.

The lists divided by impact area will be:

• Community

• Customers

• Environment

• Governance

• Workers (with the exception of 0 worker companies)

To ensure fairness in the identification process, each list is further subdivided to group companies by size tracks, as each of these sizes has a particular route for scoring on the BIA. These size groupings are:

• 0 employees

• 1 to 9 employees

• 10 to 49 employees

• 50 to 249 employees

• 250 or more employees

In order to be eligible for consideration for inclusion in Best for the World 2021 lists, a company must:

• Be a Certified B Corporation by the 1st of June 2021

  • Companies holding the status of Pending B Corporation on the 1st of June 2021 are not eligible

  • Companies awaiting a certification process to be completed by the 1st of June 2021 are not eligible

• Be in good standing - Not having any outstanding legal or financial requirements.

• Be no more than 12 months overdue on recertification by the 1st of June 2021. Any B Corps overdue recertification for up to 12 months must have already applied for the process.

> Fulfillment of eligibility requirements deadline: 31st May 2021

> Publishing of BFTW lists 2021: 14th July 2021

What happens after the announcement on the 14th of July 2021?

We will work with the B Corps recognized as BFTW identifying opportunities to share some of the best practices that helped them achieve high scores with the rest of the B Corp community and beyond. These opportunities could involve webinars, panel discussions, case studies, and other initiatives that will aim to widespread this knowledge for the benefit of the movement and raise awareness for the B Corp movement. 

What happened to BFTW 2020?

2020 was an incredibly challenging year, to say the least—for the B Corp community, for our B Global network, and for the wider communities in which we serve and call home. B Lab made the decision to postpone BFTW, acknowledging that B Corps and the B Global network needed to focus on what was most critical: safety and taking care of their people and their communities. We are excited to resume BFTW this year, shining the spotlight on what it truly means to be an exemplarily good business, even and especially in times of crisis.

 What happened to the Changemakers category?

In previous editions of the program, we received feedback about the difficulty to understand and communicate the Changemaker category. In the spirit of transparency, and to streamline the complex processes behind the development of the program, we have decided to remove it.

 What happened to the Best For The World Overall category?

While evaluating possibilities for improvement, with a particular focus on equitability and maximizing opportunities to exchange best practices in direct relation to the impact areas, we have recognized that it is difficult to contrast overall scores in a truly impartial way. Thus, in 2021 we are aiming to recognize exceptional performance specifically in the impact areas assessed through the BIA and verified during the certification, and identify points of knowledge specifically in these areas that could be of benefit for the B Corp Movement and the business community beyond.

 What other changes have been made to the program for 2021?

Our teams have taken a step back and reevaluated the methodology, processes, and branding for the program and optimized it for 2021. In past editions of the program, the top 10% scores on each of the impact areas assessed on the BIA for each size track available have been included in the lists. For 2021, given the fact that the community has been growing rapidly, we have decided to recognize the top 5%. In doing so, we are aiming to provide an opportunity for the community to collaborate and exchange knowledge and best practices in a focused and manageable way.

 What happens if a company was able to certify or fulfill the requirements only after the 31st of May 2021?

In order to evaluate all eligible B Corps through a standardized and equitable approach, we saw the need to establish a specific immovable date to run the report that allowed us to identify the top 5% scores on each impact area assessed on the BIA. That means that only the B Corps that are certified and have fulfilled the eligibility criteria by that specific date can be considered for the Best For The World 2021 lists.

If my company has been included in the Best for the World lists in past years, can I still talk about it?

Yes. B Corps identified as BFTW in previous years are encouraged to continue to celebrate and showcase their distinction, citing the corresponding year and category.

 Will there be a BFTW 2022? When would it happen? Will the same methodology be applied?

The BFTW program has been a shining light within and outside of this community since its launch in 2012. We know how well-loved and vital this program is to the B Corp community, the pride it instills, and the collaboration opportunities it fosters. We are therefore convinced of the importance of having a program of this nature that promotes the recognition and sharing of best practices for the community to fulfill our movement’s vision.

B Lab is also committed to evolving its products and programs in alignment with the needs of the B Corp community, in addition to continuously looking for the best ways to optimize the impact of the B Corp movement to achieve our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system. For this reason, we see the need to remain adaptable and responsive, with the opportunity to define the optimal course of action year by year. Further details regarding BFTW 2022 will be available next year.

Are there any awards or material incentives of any nature related to the BFTW program?

No. No awards, prizes, or any other type of material incentives are granted as part of the BFTW program. There might be occasions in which the BFTW B Corps could receive a diploma or another symbolic form of recognition. This will depend entirely on the possibilities and discretion of each regional B Lab entity and will never account for any monetary value.