B Corp Certification: What It Is, What It Costs, and Whether It's Worth It

B Corp certification is a third-party credential issued by B Lab, a nonprofit, that verifies a company meets defined standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

It is not a legal structure.

It is not a tax designation.

It is a certification, similar in nature to LEED for buildings or Fair Trade for supply chains.

To earn it, a company completes the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a scored evaluation across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers.

A minimum score of 80 out of 200 is required to qualify.

The median score for companies that complete the BIA without certification intent sits around 50.

Certification also requires signing the B Lab Declaration of Interdependence, submitting to a verification review, and in most U.S. states, amending your governing documents to protect the consideration of stakeholders beyond shareholders.

As of early 2025, there are roughly 9,000 certified B Corps across 90+ countries.

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