Every factory in our network has to clear a compliance bar before it's ever quoted to a client — not after an order is placed. That means current status under one of three major frameworks, fire and building safety records specific to the production site, and a traceable input chain. Here's what each certification actually covers.
WRAP — Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production
WRAP is a facility-level certification focused specifically on apparel, footwear, and sewn products manufacturing. It audits against 12 principles covering labor practices, health and safety, environmental compliance, and customs/security procedures. Certification is tiered (Platinum, Gold, Silver) based on audit performance, and requires an on-site audit by an independent, WRAP-accredited monitor — not a self-assessment.
BSCI — Business Social Compliance Initiative (amfori)
BSCI, now run under the amfori umbrella, is less a certification than a monitoring system: factories are audited against a Code of Conduct covering labor rights, health and safety, and environmental management, and results are shared across amfori's member brands and retailers. Because many global buyers already require BSCI audits, a factory with a current, strong BSCI rating has typically already been vetted by other serious buyers — which is itself a useful signal.
Sedex / SMETA
Sedex is a data platform; SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the actual audit methodology run on top of it, covering labor standards, health and safety, environment, and business ethics (the "4-pillar" audit). SMETA audits are widely accepted across industries, not just apparel, and because the data lives on Sedex's shared platform, a buyer can request access to a factory's existing audit history rather than commissioning a new one from scratch.
Why a certificate isn't the finish line
All three frameworks share a structural limitation: an audit is a snapshot, usually announced in advance, covering a single point in time. A current certificate tells you a factory passed an audit — it doesn't tell you conditions haven't drifted since, or that the same standards apply to every line and every shift.
That's why our own requirements go a step further than "show us a certificate":
- Fire and building safety records specific to the production site itself — not a parent group's filing that may cover a different facility entirely.
- A traceable input chain for fabric and trim, available on request for any order, so a client can answer a retailer's compliance question without chasing the factory directly.
- Current status verified directly, not taken on the factory's word — checked within the certification's own renewal window, not expired.
A WRAP, BSCI, or Sedex/SMETA certificate is the entry requirement, not the proof point. What actually protects a buyer is verification at the specific production site, for the specific order, checked directly rather than assumed.