What are some things to check prior to submission?

Here are some of the things we recommend you check and, if necessary, remedy prior to submitting. If you don't and one of the below ends up incorrectly applied (as B Lab would see it) then you are significantly increasing the risk of not making it through or obtaining best value from the process.

Accurate Employee Numbers

Double check your total number of employees - on a Full Time Equivalent basis - matches the track bracket you have been placed on (e.g. 10 - 49 , 50 - 249 people etc).

Correct Time Frames

Check that you have used consistent time frames.

See: What time frame is the BIA done over?

80 points without Impact Business Model points

On your dashboard are three scores:

1. Operations - the score applied to operational questions
2. N/A - the score applied to not applicable questions (this figure tells you how many points have been reallocated to other questions given they don't apply to you)
3. IBMs - the score applied to Impact Business Models.

Ideally, you need to be aiming for 80+ plus points for your Operations + N/A score, ie. excluding your IBM score. The exception to this rule is the 10 points available for Mission Lock in Governance.

The IBM score you should see as a kind of bonus points that will take you to the 90s/100s plus. This is not an absolute but it is strongly advised.

B Lab will expect you to have a strong foundation. If you are relying too heavily on IBM points to get through, you are likely to be turned down. You should return to the improvement stage and raise your Operations score.

Most B Corps are going through without being awarded multiple IBMs.

Correct Industry Addenda

There are a few sectors - such as investment and real estate - that are asked by B Lab to adopt some addenda to the BIA. In practice, these come in the form of Impact Business Models but, being addenda, are not treated in quite the same way as you go through verification.

Authentic IBMs

Given the importance and rarity of IBMs, you should expect B Lab to be exceptionally diligent on them during the verification process. So, make sure you have a good case and that you don't have many of them. Any more than 3 (unless they are an addenda) and you are likely to be over estimating them.

No Answer Double Counting

There are a number of questions which offer "Other" as an option. It is easy sometimes (especially in the worker and community sections) to include content under "Other" and earn points for it. But also then be answering other questions in the affirmative that cover the same activities you have just given yourself points for under "Other" elsewhere. B Lab will deduct this double counting.

Matching Goals and Answers

Make sure that if you have been using the goals section that they match the submission in terms of completion. For example, if you have a 6 month goal to be healthcare insurance but in the BIA itself you are claiming you already offer healthcare insurance then there is a discrepancy between the two.

Appropriate Evidence

Make sure that you have sufficient evidence for the questions you answer in the affirmative.

See: What are some good tips for managing the verification stage?

See: What information and evidence will we be asked to submit in support of our application?

Multiple Entity Issues

If you have more than one entity in the organisation, you should have gone through  a scoping exercise with B Lab prior to pursuing the B Impact Assessment. It isn't too late, but we would recommend circling back to it. You may need to do multiple assessments or provide additional information. You will have to do this at some point regardless, so you might as well do it now before you waste a lot of time.

If you are a subsidiary that shares branding or governance with other subsidiaries/partner organisations then you will also need to go through a scoping exercise. B Corp is an all or nothing certification (generally speaking), so be mindful under these circumstances you are likely to be told you cannot pursue B Corp without the whole organisation doing so.

Whole Company Inclusion

Many companies applying for B Corp only start thinking through how to engage employees with B Corp once they've submitted/certified. This is a mistake. You should start doing it beforehand. And this should mean more than simply updating them.

In the words of Douglas Lamont, CEO Innocent Drinks; "It was a massive mistake to pursue B Corp as a small team without making it part of an exercise that involved the whole company.”

If you haven't given employees a chance to be involved prior to submission, the reality is that however much they might agree with the idea of being a B Corp, the reality is it doesn't belong to them: it belongs to the project team.

If you have only thought about the points available within the BIA you are likely to have overlooked material issues - strategic and cultural - that need including in your B Corp thinking. And, finally, there is the obligation to the Declaration of Interdependence, which is a third requirement often overlooked. This is the requirement that allows B Lab to review any B Corps it has concerns over, regardless of having met the points or legal requirement.

Submission Review

Shoremount can provide an audit of your B Impact Assessment prior to submission. Statistically speaking, you are more likely to succeed if you have employed a B Lab trained B Corp consultant from the start. If you haven't done that, you might find it useful (or perhaps find a peace of mind) if we look through it for you. We would look to making the minimal suggestions required to proceed through certification: we appreciate no-one wants to reach the finish line only be told to retrace their steps. We never guarantee certification.