You’ve built a business people trust. BBfG helps you demonstrate it.

BBfG Verified recognises organisations that combine commercial success with a positive contribution to people, communities and the environment.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about recognising the business you’ve built, demonstrating your commitment and standing alongside other organisations that believe success is about more than the bottom line.

✓ Independent Verification – Demonstrate your commitment to doing business well through an independent, practical verification.

✓ Stand alongside quality organisations – Join a growing community of organisations recognised for the way they do business.

✓ Practical, not bureaucratic – No lengthy forms or endless paperwork. Just practical standards that recognise the positive contribution you’re already making.

✓ Keep moving forward – Annual verification encourages continual improvement, helping your organisation build on what it’s already doing well.

“Being a business rooted in community and family values, we recognise our responsibility to be a role model for positive change. Through BBfG, we’re actively connecting with like-minded local businesses, sharing best practices, and working together to make a meaningful impact.”

Cheryl Standing, Head of People and Operations, Cornerstone Nurseries

Meet some other BBfG Verified organisations

Is BBfG right for your organisation?

Hear from founder Kaia Vincent as she explains why BBfG was created, what becoming BBfG Verified involves and how organisations across North Hampshire are making a difference together.  

Becoming BBfG Verified

Your verification journey

One annual fee based on the size of your organisation. No hidden costs.

Simple, transparent pricing

  • 4-10 employees – £250
  • 11-49 employees – £350
  • 50+ employees  – £750

Simple, transparent pricing 

By no. of employees

  • 4-10 – £250
  • 11-49 – £350
  • 50+  – £750

Micro businesses and sole traders are also welcome to become BBfG Verified. Please get in touch for details.

Check your eligibility

To become BBfG Verified, your organisation must currently meet, or commit to achieving, at least five of the seven verification criteria. Complete the enquiry form below and we’ll arrange an initial conversation before guiding you through the verification process.

Verification

Verification normally takes around one hour and includes a conversation about your organisation, the positive contribution you’re already making and where you’d like to go next.

You’re BBfG Verified

Shortly after you achieve verification, you will receive your BBfG verification logo and certificate as proof you are BBfG verified. In November, all verified members are presented with a hand-crafted wooden plaque at our awards evening in (The Alchemy Wine Bar) Basingstoke.

Criteria for Better Business for Good verification 2026

Support local suppliers

Wherever practical, support suppliers within approximately 50 miles of your organisation. Buying locally strengthens our economy, supports independent businesses and helps reduce transport-related emissions.

Pay fair

Pay at least the Real Living Wage, helping employees meet everyday living costs while demonstrating your commitment to fair employment practices.  (Does not include apprenticeships).

Be inclusive

Ensure your team has completed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion awareness training within the last two years, helping create a more inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected and valued.  If it’s not in place, we provide free links (for Basingstoke & Deane based businesses) to online courses that qualify against BBfG verification.

Attend People Planet Pint Basingstoke

Ensure members of your team regularly attend People Planet Pint networking events in Basingstoke. People Planet Pint Basingstoke is held six times a year at The Alchemy Wine bar at the top of town. It’s an informal environment to meet people in Basingstoke with an interest in sustainability and making Basingstoke a better place to live and work.  Attend at least three People Planet Pint events each year to connect with other BBfG organisations and the wider community, share ideas and build relationships with people who care about the future of North Hampshire.

Give funds to local causes

Support local charities or community organisations through financial giving, fundraising or sponsorship. Every organisation contributes differently, and BBfG recognises that there are many ways to make a positive impact.

Volunteer

Offer at least one paid volunteering/CSR day each year to every member of your team. Volunteering should take place in Basingstoke. From working in the Inspero community garden to supporting St Michael’s Hospice, there are many charities in the local area who don’t just need donations, but our time too. Volunteering gives your team the opportunity to support local causes while strengthening employee engagement and creating a positive impact across North Hampshire.

Challenge yourself to do better for people and planet

Set staff a practical monthly sustainability challenge to help improve the environment and engage your team in living a greener lifestyle at home – we provide lots of ideas for challenges.

Download the Brevity 12 month Sustainability Challenge – download now.

What happens after verification?

Becoming BBfG Verified is just the start. As a verified organisation you’ll become part of a growing community of organisations committed to doing business well across North Hampshire.

As a BBfG Verified organisation you’ll be able to:

  • Build trust – Display the BBfG Verified logo, giving customers, employees and partners confidence in the standards your organisation is committed to.

  • Raise your profile locally – Be featured on the BBfG website, social media and through an exclusive press release announcing your verification.

  • Build valuable local relationships – Attend People Planet Pint Basingstoke, where you’ll meet business leaders, charities, schools and community organisations who share ideas, explore collaborations and work together to make North Hampshire an even better place to live and work.

  • Turn ideas into action – Take part in Community Action Programmes, monthly sustainability challenges and practical initiatives that help your team make an even bigger difference.

  • Celebrate your achievement – collect your handcrafted wooden plaque at the annual BBfG Awards, promoted as part of Basingstoke Business Week programme, supported by Basingstoke & Deane Council and Luke Murphy MP.

  • Continue progressing – Each year, re-verification gives you the opportunity to celebrate your progress, build on what you’ve achieved and, when you’re ready, work towards BBfG Elevate.

Get BBfG Verified

Provide your contact details and Kaia Vincent will contact you to discuss BBfG verification. 

Got a question? Call us on 07446298634 or email kaia@bbfg.org.uk

BBfG FAQS

No. To become BBfG Verified, your organisation must currently meet, or commit to achieving, at least five of the seven verification criteria. We’re looking for organisations that are committed to continual improvement, not perfection.

That’s exactly who BBfG is for. Many organisations are already making a significant contribution to their people, community and the environment, but haven’t stopped to recognise just how much they’re doing. Existing BBfG members often tell us that the verification process helped them appreciate the positive impact they were already making, while giving them a clear framework to involve their teams and build on it year after year.

Not significantly. Most organisations discover they’re already doing far more than they realise.

The verification process helps you bring together the positive work happening across your organisation, from supporting local suppliers and volunteering to employee wellbeing, sustainability and community engagement. Many members tell us they finish the process with a much clearer picture of their overall impact.

That insight can then be used to strengthen tender submissions, support ESG and social value reporting, demonstrate your values to customers and employees, and celebrate the positive contribution your organisation is making.

Rather than creating extra work, BBfG helps you make better use of the work you’re already doing.

No. BBfG recognises organisations that are committed to people, communities and the environment. Every organisation will be at a different stage of its journey, and verification reflects a balanced approach across all three.

The verification meeting normally takes around one hour. Beforehand, we’ll ask you to prepare a small amount of information so the meeting is straightforward, practical and focused on your organisation.

No. It’s a conversation. We’ll discuss your organisation, review the verification criteria and explore the positive contribution you’re already making, along with any areas you’d like to develop in the future.

People Planet Pint is one of the BBfG verification criteria because we believe positive change happens when organisations learn from one another. It’s a relaxed, informal event where businesses, charities, schools and community organisations share ideas, build relationships and often discover new opportunities to collaborate.

Many members tell us it’s one of the most valuable parts of being BBfG Verified because the conversations are different from traditional business networking.

Representatives from your organisation must attend at least three People Planet Pint Basingstoke events annually.   The events take place at The Alchemy Wine Bar.

Verification is just the beginning. As a BBfG Verified organisation you’ll become part of a growing community of organisations across North Hampshire, with opportunities to attend People Planet Pint, take part in Community Action Programmes, access sustainability resources, celebrate your achievements and continue progressing through annual re-verification.

B Corp is an internationally recognised certification that measures the overall social and environmental performance of a business against a comprehensive global standard. It typically takes your business over 18 months and many days/months to complete the intensive certification.

BBfG Verified focuses on practical action and measurable local impact. It’s designed for organisations that want to strengthen their contribution to North Hampshire through community engagement, sustainability and continual improvement. Many organisations choose to work towards both, depending on their objectives.

Companies already B Corporation Certified will benefit from the local community aspect of BBfG, its connection to local stakeholders  and its dedication to taking community action.

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised environmental management standard that helps organisations develop and manage formal environmental management systems.  BBfG Verified takes a broader approach by recognising organisations for their contribution to people, communities and the environment. It focuses on practical action, collaboration and continual improvement, rather than environmental management systems alone.

EcoVadis is a global sustainability ratings platform used primarily within supply chains to assess environmental, labour, ethics and procurement practices.

BBfG Verified is designed to recognise organisations making a positive contribution within their local communities. It combines independent verification with networking, Community Action Programmes and practical opportunities to collaborate with other organisations across North Hampshire.

Yes. BBfG Verified recognises something different. While certifications such as B Corp, ISO 14001 and EcoVadis assess organisations against recognised national or international standards, BBfG focuses on the positive contribution your organisation makes within North Hampshire.

Many of our members tell us that the verification process helped them recognise just how much they were already doing for their people, community and the environment. It also gave them a practical framework to involve their teams, build stronger local relationships and identify new opportunities to make an even greater difference.

BBfG isn’t about replacing the certifications you already hold. It’s about celebrating your local impact and helping you build on it.

The Stronger Together Forum brings organisations together to share ideas and strengthen collaboration across Basingstoke.

BBfG Verified complements this by providing independent recognition of your organisation’s commitment, together with a practical framework for continual improvement. It also creates additional opportunities to raise your profile, connect with organisations across different sectors, take part in Community Action Programmes and demonstrate the positive contribution your organisation is making locally. Our Founder, Kaia Vincent, is also a founding partner of #STF.

Many organisations will benefit from being part of both because each serves a different purpose.