In November 2020, Beyond Governance qualified for B-Corp Status, joining more than 4,000 Certified B Corporations across 77 countries and 153 industries, unified by one common goal: transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
In 2021 B Lab awarded us ‘Best for the World’ in the governance category for our top 5% governance score worldwide in their assessment.
What is B-Corp?
B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The B Corp Certification doesn’t just evaluate a product or service, it assesses the overall positive impact of the company that stands behind it—like Beyond Governance. B Lab evaluates how a company’s operations and business model impact its workers, community, environment, and customers.
Applying for B-Corp status
For those looking to achieve the certification it can be a lengthy administrative task both collating what is required and reviewing whether what you have in place is fit for purpose in the eyes of B Lab. We experienced a straightforward application process, as we know what good looks like. We can help you by reviewing and advising on your application. We’ve been through the process ourselves and we can help define and articulate your mission lock statement and ensure that your governance framework is up to standard. A few of the areas you will need to consider that we can help with are:
Your mission and engagement:
- Do you have a mission statement?
- Is your social and environmental board decision making fit for purpose?
- How can you strengthen your stakeholder governance?
- Do you have a formal stakeholder engagement plan?
- How can your Board set and measure social and environmental KPIs?
Ethics and transparency:
- Do you have the right internal and governing body governance in place?
- Does your Board have directors with the right skills?
- Do you have a written Code of Ethics, a Whistleblower Policy and other key ethics policies and practices in place?
- How can you improve your methods of transparency both internally and externally?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
- Is your leadership diverse and how do you measure diversity?
- Do you track diversity within your supply chain?
- Do you have a diversity policy?
Updating your Articles of Association
As part of the application process, you will need to update your Articles of Association (‘Articles’). For a fixed fee we will draft your new Articles of Association to meet the legal requirements for B Corps in the UK and file on your behalf at Companies House. Included in this will be a 40-minute call with one of our consultants to talk through the application and provide advice, where we can on best practice.
| Company Size | Service | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Under 250 Staff | Articles of Association redraft and consulting call | £600 + vat |
| 250 Staff Plus | Articles of Association redraft and consulting call | £1000 + vat |
| Listed companies; AIM or FTSE | Please contact us | £TBC |
The benefits of good governance
“Governance is often an area of business that is overlooked but done well it supports a strong organisation that is fit for the future. At its core it is good decision making; the right people talking about the right things at the right time. Whilst we provide this advice and guidance to our clients through our consultancy and training course, we practise what we preach and are proud to be recognised for our work in this field by B Lab” said Erika Percival, CEO of Beyond Governance.
If you require further assistance to improve your governance score or are just keen to make your governance more robust, get in touch. We’d be happy to share the knowledge we have, which led to our top 5% worldwide B-Corp governance score
Book a consultation call today For more information, visit B-Corp.
