What is a B Corp?
Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
B Corps measure their impact across five areas
Why does B Corp Certification exist?
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: a positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.
To achieve and maintain certification, all B Corps:
Complete the B Impact Assessment
Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review.
Meet legal requirements
Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in your jurisdiction.
Sign the B Corp Agreement and the Declaration of Interdependence
See below
Verification & Transparency
Exhibit transparency by allowing information about your performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on your B Corp profile on B Lab’s website. To maintain certification, B Corps update their BIA and verify their updated score every three years.
B Corp Declaration of Interdependence
We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation – the B Corporation – which is purpose-driven and creates benefits for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
- That we must be the change we seek in the world.
- That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
- That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
- To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.
The B Corp Community
The Africa B Corp community is growing faster than ever. There are now over 70 B Corps in Africa. Find B Corps you can buy from, work for, do business with and invest in.
Pending B Corp
Program for startups and small businesses committed to using business as a force for good
The Pending B Corp status is designed to give start-ups and smaller companies time to prepare for the rigorous process of full B Corp Certification.
Taking this step signals to current and future investors that a company measures and manages its social and environmental performance with the best tools available. It also demonstrates strong governance as the company must adopt a legal framework to protect its mission and brand equity.
Becoming a Pending B Corp is not the same as becoming a Certified B Corp. Pending B Corp status is finite; after being a Pending B Corp for 1 year, a company must go through the full verification process with B Lab. However, the Pending B Corp status can give companies a head start by taking these initial steps.
How to become a pending B Corp
Note that this process will vary depending on region and company size. Contact B Lab Africa for more information.
Meet the legal accountability requirement for B Corp Certification
The legal accountability requirement means you must incorporate stakeholder governance into the legal structure of your startup. This means that your company is legally accountable to people — your workers, customers, clients, and the communities in which you operate — and the planet. Note: Companies in African countries without a legal framework are not eligible for Pending B Corp status.
Complete and submit a prospective B Impact Assessment:
By completing the B Impact Assessment, you’ll learn about B Corp standards and identify the right policies and practices to put in place as your company grows. Your prospective B Impact Assessment will not be verified by B Lab and you will not receive a verified score while you are a Pending B Corp. If you choose to continue on your pathway to become a Certified B Corp after one year of operations, please complete an updated assessment reporting on your company’s implemented practices where we can verify practices for full B Corp certification.
Sign the Pending B Corp agreement and pay a one-time fee
B Lab will provide you with a contractual agreement that outlines more details about Pending B Corp status. Fees for Pending B Corp are determined by B Lab Africa.
