EcoVadis vs B Corp: What Is the Difference?

If you are looking into sustainability credentials for your business, you have probably come across both EcoVadis and B Corp. They both assess businesses on sustainability criteria. They both give you a badge you can talk about. But they serve completely different purposes, and choosing the wrong one wastes time and money.

The fundamental difference

EcoVadis is a supply chain tool. Your customer subscribes to it and asks you to be assessed so they can evaluate your sustainability performance as a supplier. It is driven by procurement. You do it because a customer requires it.

B Corp is a voluntary certification. You pursue it because you want to demonstrate that your business meets high standards of social and environmental performance. It is driven by your values and brand positioning. Nobody requires it.

This distinction is important. If a customer has sent you an email saying you need an EcoVadis score, B Corp will not satisfy that requirement. They are not interchangeable.

Who asks for which

EcoVadis is almost always a customer or procurement requirement. Major corporates across food, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail use it to assess their supply chains. If you supply into any of these companies or their subsidiaries, you may be asked for an EcoVadis score.

B Corp is almost never a procurement requirement. It is a brand choice. Companies pursue B Corp certification to differentiate themselves in the market, attract talent, and signal their values. Some companies use B Corp status in their marketing. Some find it opens doors with values-aligned customers. But it is not a gatekeeping mechanism in the way EcoVadis is.

If you are trying to decide which to pursue and nobody has asked you for either, the question is simple: are you trying to protect existing revenue by meeting a customer requirement, or are you trying to build your brand around sustainability values? The first is EcoVadis. The second is B Corp.

What they assess

EcoVadis assesses four areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Each is worth 25%. Your score is out of 100 with medal levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze). The process involves completing an online questionnaire and uploading evidence. An analyst reviews your submission. The scorecard is valid for 12 months.

B Corp assesses five areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. You need 80 points out of a possible 200 to certify. The process involves completing the B Impact Assessment, providing supporting documentation, undergoing a verification review, and making legal changes to your company's articles of association to formally commit to considering all stakeholders (not just shareholders). Certification is valid for three years.

B Corp is more involved than EcoVadis. The legal changes alone make it a bigger commitment. You are changing your company's constitutional documents to embed stakeholder consideration permanently.

What they cost

EcoVadis subscription: pricing varies, so it's worth getting in touch with them. Consultancy support to prepare your first submission is available as fixed-price packages from Ltt Group (get in touch for current pricing), or as a project from other firms with pricing that depends on scope.

B Corp certification fees are paid directly to B Lab and vary by revenue. Consultancy support to prepare is typically a larger investment than EcoVadis, because the process is more complex, takes longer, and requires legal changes.

B Corp is the bigger investment in both time and money. Most businesses take 12-18 months to complete the process. EcoVadis can be done in 8-12 weeks with the right support.

Can you do both?

Yes, and some businesses do. There is overlap in what they assess, so evidence gathered for one helps with the other. But doing both simultaneously is expensive, time-consuming, and can stretch internal resources thin.

If you have to prioritise, start with whichever one protects revenue. If a customer has asked for EcoVadis, do that first. If nobody has asked for anything and you want to make a statement about your values, consider B Corp. If budget allows both, do EcoVadis first (quicker, cheaper, immediately useful) and B Corp second.