What is a B Corp?

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Discover what it means to be a B Corp and how these businesses are transforming the global economy.

What is a B Corp?

B Corps exists to benefit everyone, not just shareholders

Let’s start at the beginning, and by beginning we mean: what the ‘B’ stands for. The B in B Corp stands for ‘Benefit for all’, in that Certified B Corporations (or B Corps) are businesses that have been certified by B Lab (that’s us!) to benefit all stakeholders. This is also known as ‘stakeholder governance’ and essentially means that a company distinctly prioritises all of those who have an interest or a ‘stake’ in its performance and outcomes. That means people (workers, customers, suppliers, investors, regulators), the community more broadly, and the environment are all on an equal footing with profit.

Operating a business with more than profit is a fundamental part of being a B Corp. B Corps are for-profit businesses; they exist to make money. It’s just that they don’t only exist to make money.

B Corps commit to positively impact all stakeholders

B Corps are companies that:

To become a B Corp, a company must meet these three fundamental requirements, demonstrating a commitment to social and environmental impact, legal accountability, and transparency.

  • 1

    Meet high standards of social and environmental performance

    B Corps complete the B Impact Assessment—a digital tool that measures positive impact across governance, customers, workers, community, and the environment—and achieve a verified score of 80+ points.

  • 2

    Legally commit to stakeholder governance

    B Corps amend their legal structure to consider the impact of decisions on all stakeholders—not just shareholders.

Read our article: What B Corp Certification is—and what it’s not

A checklist, a marketing label, a club of perfect companies? Time to bust all these myths about B Corp Certification. Because what is B Corp really—and just as importantly, what is it not?

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B Corp is more than a certification

B Corp Certification goes beyond a single product or service—it evaluates a company’s entire operations and business model. It reflects a commitment to accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement, rooted in a global movement using business as a force for good.

The B Impact Assessment (BIA)

Used by more than 216,000 businesses, the BIA is a free and confidential online tool that helps businesses measure, manage, and improve their positive impact across governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Achieving a minimum score of 80 points is the first step towards B Corp Certification.

Learn how to become a certified B Corp

Looking to join the movement of people using business as a force for good? Visit our “How to certify as a B Corp?” webpage and dive into more detail about the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Curious about what it means to be a B Corp? Explore our FAQ section for answers to common questions about the certification process and the movement.

  • Who is eligible for B Corp Certification?
    With the exception of circumstances outlined on our Controversial Issues page, any established for-profit company with at least one year in operation may pursue B Corp Certification. There is no minimum or maximum size. Certain companies, such as those under a year old, those with related entities, or large multinational and public companies, may have additional considerations and requirements.
  • What does it mean if a company is a B Corp?
    A company is a B Corp when:
    1. It has verified social & environmental performance. The company completes the B Impact Assessment, achieves a verified score of 80 points or more, and passes the disclosure questionnaire review.
    2. It mission-locks its company. The company legally commits to considering the impact of its decisions on all stakeholders—a model known as stakeholder governance.
    3. It embraces transparency. The company publishes its profile on the B Corp Directory, transparently showing its performance measured against B Lab's standards.
    Learn more here.
  • How much does it cost to be a B Corp?
    Certified B Corporations pay an annual certification fee, which licenses them to use intellectual property like the Certified B Corp logo. This fee varies depending on size and structure. Visit this pricing page for further information.
  • Are there B Corps in my area?
    Probably! There are Certified B Corps in more than 105 countries around the world. Use our Benelux Directory for B Corps in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Looking for B Corps worldwide? Then the B Corp Global Directory is your go-to. You can search by keyword, location, or industry.
  • What is the difference between B Corporation and Benefit Corporation?
    B Corp is a certification. Benefit Corporation is a legal form. Benefit Corporations and Certified B Corporations are often confused. The B Corp Certification is a third-party certification administered by the non-profit B Lab, based in part on a company's verified performance on the B Impact Assessment. The Benefit Corporation is a legal structure for a business, which exists in 34 states across USA, Italy and Colombia. Benefit Corporations are legally empowered to pursue positive stakeholder impact alongside profit. Some companies are both Certified B Corporations and Benefit Corporations, and the Benefit Corporation structure fulfills the legal accountability requirement of B Corp Certification.
  • What is the difference between a B Corp and a Social Enterprise?

    We’re different, but highly aligned. B Corps are for-profit businesses that commit to creating a significant positive impact on society and the environment through their operations. Companies certify as B Corps by earning points on the B Impact Assessment, which evaluates their business practices and whether their business model addresses specific social or environmental challenges. Their score is independently verified by B Lab.

    In the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, there is a growing awareness of businesses’ role in driving positive change. The region has a strong tradition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship, supported by initiatives such as social enterprises, cooperatives, and impact-driven organizations. These models often focus on reinvesting profits for social good or ensuring long-term sustainability.

    While some social enterprises in the Benelux region also certify as B Corps, the majority of B Corps do not necessarily classify themselves as social enterprises under national definitions. B Lab’s mission is to build upon the inspiring work of social enterprises and extend it to mainstream businesses—ensuring they apply the same level of transparency, accountability, and impact measurement to their social and environmental performance as they do to their financial returns. This approach creates an opportunity to drive change at scale and redefine the role of business in society.

    For more details on social enterprise frameworks in the region, see organizations such as Social Enterprise NL (Netherlands), Social Enterprise Belgium, and Luxembourg’s Impact Ecosystem.

  • What information do Certified B Corps have to make transparent?
    All Certified B Corps share their B Impact Assessment overall scores and category scores on their public profiles on our Global Directory. Public companies and their subsidiaries have extra transparency requirements and make their entire B Impact Assessment public, with particularly sensitive information like revenue redacted. Companies that have material items, such as lawsuits, on their Disclosure Questionnaire may also be required to make that disclosure transparent as well.