NOW A CERTIFIED B-CORP IN SIX COUNTRIES

What exactly is a B-Corp?

Simply put, B-Corp is an accreditation scheme that certifies your for-profit business as having a positive impact on both people and the planet. B Corporations meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. B Corp is all about the idea that business can - and should - impact and serve more than just shareholders. It has an equal responsibility to the community and to the planet.

Collectively, B Corps lead a growing global movement of people using business as a force for good. There are more than 2,500 B Corps, in more than 130 industries, in 50 countries around the world. We join the ranks of companies such as Patagonia, Hootsuite and Ben and Jerry's. 

What the certification process involve?

Achieving B-Corp certification means undertaking a vigorous assessment process comprised of a detailed self-evaluation, the meeting of certain legal requirements and finally validation and verification with B Lab staff. Examples of questions asked on the assessment include:

• Has the Company worked within its industry to develop social and environmental standards for your industry?

• What % of management is from underrepresented populations? 

• Does your company monitor and record its universal waste production?

The first pillar of the process - the B Impact Assessment -  is available online free of charge and is an excellent tool for any business to use to establish their company's social and environmental impact.

Why did we want to become certified?

There were four main reasons why achieving B-Corp certification was important to our business.

1. Credibility. The rigour of the assessment sorts out the difference between good businesses and good marketing.  It is a trust mark that helps clients to identify brands and businesses that they can trust to do the right thing.  

2. Continuous improvement. The structure provided by the B Corp certification process helps us to identify ways that we can be a better business.  It’s essentially a thorough health check, which helps us to be a better business for all our stakeholders: shareholders, staff, customers, and communities.
 
3. Inspire our staff: We want to retain our talent and attract other high performing individuals to work for a company that has Purpose as a key pillar.
 
4. Inspire other businesses. We believe having a purpose beyond your balance sheet is the future of business and would like to inspire fellow DMCs, tour operators and suppliers to consider working towards becoming a B-Corp too.

How did this affect our brand partners?

Becoming a certified B-Corp in six countries means we have been independently verified as a business that is a force for good in the world. By measuring the impact our DMC businesses have on their workers, communities, environments and customers, we have assessed our entire social and environmental performance. 

We know that you, our brand partners, care enormously about working with a responsible operator. By certifying our DMCs as B-Corps, we have formalised our commitment to using our business to create value for all stakeholders - not just shareholders.

Partnering with Intrepid DMC means you can have confidence that you are working with a business that cares deeply about making a positive impact in the world. 

What are our future plans for B-Corp?

Becoming a B-Corp means committing to a continuous process of improving our business practices, tracking our performance over time, benchmarking against other B-Corps and of course creating further positive impacts. Achieving certification for six DMCs is just the first step, with the ultimate goal to get all 21 of our DMCs certified.

While all our DMCs have started the certification process, limited infrastructure in some countries makes achieving B-Corp status more challenging, but not impossible. Watch this space!

Interested in becoming a B-Corp?

To find out more about what's involved in the accreditation process, please vist the B-Corp website when you can complete the initial B Impact Assessment free of charge. 

Our DMCs are more than happy to offer advice to any of our partners considering becoming a B-Corp. Please contact us if you would like more information.