B Corp readiness · 06 of 09
4 min read
No score and no pass mark: what changed in the new standard
If you researched this a few years ago, you learned about a points assessment and a threshold to clear. That is not how it works now, and the change is good news for a small business.
What it used to be
The older shape was a points questionnaire with a bar to clear. It let a company trade a weakness in one area against a strength in another, and it let a lot of writing online quote a single number as though the number meant something specific. Both of those are gone.
What it is now
Under B Lab™ Standards V2 there is no score and no pass mark. An independent assurance provider records conformity or nonconformity against each requirement that applies to you, one at a time. Where a major finding is recorded, it has to be closed within six months of the corrective action report. That is the whole shape.
Why that helps you
Requirement-by-requirement conformity is a to-do list, and a to-do list can be prepared for. There is no strategy of collecting easy points elsewhere to cover a hard one. There is only the set of requirements that apply to your size and your operations, and the evidence for each. That is exactly the shape readiness work already takes, which is what makes this easier to help with rather than harder.
Which requirements apply to you
Applicability is filtered by your size band and your operating profile, so a micro brand is not answering a multinational's requirements. Of the hundred-odd requirements in the topics mapped so far, roughly two dozen are live for a micro or small Indonesian brand in its first years. Showing you all of them would be the fastest way to make you abandon this in week two, so we do not.
The dates, so you can place yourself
New applicants certify under V2 from early 2026. Recertifications fall under V2 from 2027. B Lab has aligned its transition to the European empowering consumers date of 27 September 2026, and companies unable to commit by then are offered an amendment to their agreement rather than an exemption. Our criteria are written against V2.1, Release 2 of 25 August 2025; V2.2 was released on 20 February 2026 and the affected topics are being re-read against it.
The essentials
- No score and no pass mark. Conformity is recorded requirement by requirement.
- A major finding closes within six months of the corrective action report.
- Roughly two dozen requirements are live for a micro or small Indonesian brand.
Primary sources
- B Lab Standards V2.1, Release 2, 25 August 2025. V2.2 released 20 February 2026. Checked 17 August 2026
- B Lab published certification process information, modified 20 November 2025. Checked 17 August 2026
- Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers, applies 27 September 2026. Checked 13 August 2026
Written against B Lab Standards V2.1, Release 2 of 25 August 2025. B Lab released V2.2 on 20 February 2026, and the affected topics are being re-read against it before any of this is sold. Every figure about B Lab on these pages carries the date we checked it. Last checked 17 August 2026.
Where we stand
Mula is not affiliated with, endorsed by, accredited by, or certified by B Lab. B Corp™ and B Lab™ are trademarks of B Lab. Mula helps a brand get its own evidence in order. Mula does not assess, does not certify, and cannot predict an audit outcome. We never show the B Corp™ logo, because it belongs to companies that hold the certification. Where other frameworks are named on these pages, Mula is not affiliated with their standard setters or certification bodies either.
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