B Corp certification software: what it does and how to choose

Recertification on the B Lab Standards V2 is different from the old points-based B Impact Assessment. Every applicable requirement must be met, the certificate runs for five years, and more sub-requirements phase in at Year 3 and Year 5, with audits along the way. So the question for software is whether it helps you run those requirements between audits.

Questions to ask any vendor:

• Does it scope requirements by your size and sector, using B Lab's current size rule?
• Can each requirement hold its own evidence, owner and status?
• Does it show what is due at Year 0, Year 3 and Year 5?
• Can a consultant work in the same account?
• Is the standards content used with B Lab's permission, and kept current as B Lab releases updates?

B Lab's certification process runs through B Impact: registration, the Foundation Requirements review, scoping, the Self-Assessment and submission. Preparation software sits before and around that. It is where a team assigns the work, collects the evidence an auditor will ask for, and tracks progress month to month.

Small companies with one owner and simple operations often manage in B Impact plus a shared folder. Teams with multiple departments, outside advisors, or a recertification coming up usually find that coordinating people takes the most time.

B Lab is a nonprofit that owns the Certified B Corporation trademark and licenses it to companies that meet its standards. Under the V2 model, a B Lab-approved third-party assurance provider, working to requirements based on ISO 17021-1, audits each company before B Lab issues the certificate.

When you evaluate a tool, check two separate claims: whether the company itself is a Certified B Corp (look it up in the B Corp Directory), and whether its use of B Lab Standards content is licensed.