B Corp
B Corp certification under the V2.1 standards
B Corp certification runs on B Lab Standards V2.1. The points model is gone: there are Foundation Requirements and Impact Topics, and the sub-requirements you owe depend on your company’s size, sector and certification phase. KinopiQ works out which ones those are and tracks your answers and evidence against them.
Who this affects
Is this you?
- Companies certifying as a B Corp for the first time
- Existing B Corps coming up for recertification
- Consultants preparing clients for either
- Published by
- B Lab
- Edition tracked
- V2.1
Detail
What this means in practice
Requirements, not points
V2.1 replaces a points threshold with requirements you either meet or do not. A strong area no longer offsets a weak one, which is the biggest change in how it feels to work through.
What you owe depends on your company
Most sub-requirements are gated on company size, sector and certification phase. B Lab bands a company by worker count and by revenue, and you sit in whichever gives the smaller band. Getting that wrong means measuring yourself against the wrong set of requirements.
Requirements arrive in phases
There is a set to certify and further sets at later recertifications, and they are cumulative. Planning for certification without planning for the next phase is the common mistake.
With KinopiQ
Tracking B Corp readiness
- Works out which V2.1 sub-requirements apply to your size, sector, phase and risk flags, and hides the rest
- Keeps your answer, your written note and the documents that prove each requirement together
- Counts unmet mandatory requirements separately from your readiness score
- Links the same document against ISO 14001, GRI or UK SRS requirements where it also proves those
What KinopiQ does not do
KinopiQ is not B Lab, does not certify anyone and does not submit anything on your behalf. B Lab’s own B Impact platform is free and is where you submit; if B Corp is the only standard you answer to, it may be all you need. KinopiQ is for the company that is also answering to ISO 14001, GRI or UK SRS and does not want a separate evidence pack for each.
FAQ
B Corp questions
The questions people ask most about this standard.
- Do I still need 80 points to certify as a B Corp?
- No. B Lab Standards V2.1 retired the points model. Certification depends on meeting the Foundation Requirements and the sub-requirements that apply to your company across the Impact Topics. There is no points threshold and no way to offset a weak area against a strong one.
- Which B Corp requirements apply to a company my size?
- B Lab bands companies by full-time-equivalent worker count and by annual revenue, and you sit in whichever gives the smaller band. Sub-requirements are then gated on that band, on your sector and on your certification phase. Risk flags from B Lab’s risk-profiling step can add further requirements regardless of size. KinopiQ works the set out from your company profile.
Working toward B Corp?
Put in your company profile and see which requirements apply to you. Every plan starts with a seven-day free trial.