Certification explained
WRAP is the world’s largest independent certification program focused on the apparel, footwear, and sewn products sectors.
Achieving a WRAP certification is a collaborative approach, working with facilities to ensure they remain in compliance with our 12 Principles. Facilities must be actively engaged, ensuring effective management systems are in place and demonstrating that they can and do fulfill their social compliance obligations.
Certification depends upon the number of corrective actions required and the responsiveness of the facility to correct all noncompliances identified in the audit. WRAP certification will only be granted after all corrective actions have been implemented and verified.
For more detailed information, please download the Facility Handbook.
The certification process
Application
The first step of the certification process is to submit an application, at which point the facility selects a monitoring firm to conduct their audit and pays a registration fee. This form provides WRAP with an overview of the facility and formally initiates its involvement with our program.
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Application fees
WRAP’s registration fee had remained unchanged at US$1,195 for over ten years, as we strove hard to deliver value while keeping costs and fees low. As of January 1, 2024, we have instituted a new pricing structure which actually reduces the price for facilities with 200 workers or fewer (which represent 30 percent of the facilities in our program) and increases it for larger facilities.
All facilities with 100 or fewer workers pay only $650 while facilities with a worker count between 101 and 200 pay $950. Facilities with 201 – 1,000 workers will be charged $1,350 and facilities with 1,001 workers or more will be charged $1,550. The figure below provides this information as a table. You can also find these details and additional information in the FAQ section of our website.
New facilities
Facilities applying for their first certification need to create an account to submit initial application and payment.
Renewals
Facilities that currently hold a WRAP certification will be contacted via email within 90 days of its expiration date with a reminder to renew and a link to their renewal application. The application will also become available on their Dashboard in our user platform and they may complete it anytime.
Renewals are more streamlined than the original registration process, but each facility must still undergo a new audit to ensure continued compliance.
All WRAP audits — including those conducted for the purposes of a renewal — take into account new, evolving, and prospective regulations. As such, prior certification does not ensure renewal. Every certificate we issue affirms that a facility has proven its operations are safe, humane, and sustainable in accordance with current international standards and local laws.
Pre-audit self-assessment (PASA)
The second step of the certification process is the pre-audit self-assessment (PASA). The PASA is completely optional, but facilities are encouraged to use it as a resource as they prepare for their upcoming audit. It includes sample questions that the monitoring firm will ask and guidance for compiling relevant documents, information, and resources.
Facilities can download the PASA in English, Spanish, or Chinese here and upload the completed form to their user dashboard as soon as they submit their application. More information about the PASA can be found in the Facility Handbook (Section 2 and Appendix 4).
Factory audit and evaluation
The monitoring firm will conduct a full social compliance audit of the facility and upon completion, the monitor has 10 days to submit the audit report to WRAP. Our compliance staff will review the recommendations in the report and request revisions or additional information as needed. If the report concludes that the facility’s social compliance standing is sufficient, it will be reviewed by WRAP staff and its independent review board. With their approval, the facility will be issued a WRAP certification.
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If the report concludes that the facility’s social compliance standing is insufficient, the facility will be provided with a list of corrective actions that must be taken. Following an additional inspection from the monitoring firm and final approval of the audit report from WRAP staff and its independent review board, the facility will be issued a WRAP certification.
Certification
There are two levels of WRAP certification: platinum and gold. The certificate level issued to each facility is determined by WRAP. This decision is based on the audit report’s findings regarding the breadth and stability of the facility’s social compliance program, as well as facility management’s ostensible commitment to WRAP’s 12 Principles.
Please note that all WRAP-certified facilities are subject to random, unannounced post-certification assessments (PCAs) during their certification period.
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Certification levels
More than 90 percent of WRAP-certified facilities hold our gold standard certification. Gold certificates are awarded to manufacturers that demonstrate full compliance with WRAP’s 12 Principles. They are valid for one year and provide buyers around the world with an assurance that all applicable laws and standards are being followed.
Facilities that have demonstrated full compliance through three consecutive audits are awarded platinum level certification, which is valid for two years. These manufacturers must successfully pass each audit with no corrective actions – which are issued in response to noncompliances or “observations” (minor issues that may devolve into official noncompliances in the absence of proper preventive measures) – and maintain continuous certification with no gaps between certification periods.
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Important forms and policies
Facility resources
Pre-audit self-assessments (PASA)
Risk management materials
Company information change forms
Decertification
Facilities must fully comply with WRAP’s 12 Principles throughout their certification period, or they may be subject to decertification. A facility may be decertified due to:
- Violations involving zero-tolerance issues (scroll down to learn more)
- Failure to allow auditors to conduct a post-certification assessment (PCA)
- Refusal to participate in a remediation process correcting noncompliances identified in a PCA
- Failure to correct noncompliances found during a PCA in a timely manner
Zero-tolerance issues
Our social compliance program helps facilities bring themselves up to compliance with local laws and internationally recognized standards; as such, participating facilities are often provided feedback regarding noncompliances and guidance for addressing them. They are expected to maintain their compliance standing throughout their certification period and are subject to unannounced PCAs. However, there are certain issues that are subject to our zero-tolerance policy. Facilities found to be in violation of these standards will be automatically decertified and banned from future participation in the WRAP program.
Zero-tolerance issues are typically deliberate and ongoing human rights violations, such as:
- Child labor (including slavery, forced labor, trafficking, serfdom, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography, work that involves children in illicit activity, or work that is likely to harm the child physically or morally)
- Forced labor (including bonded labor, not allowing workers to leave at their own will, and forced overtime)
- Inhumane treatment of workers (including threats of physical harm or extreme intimidation, corporal punishment, and mental or physical coercion)
- Unethical actions that encourage auditor(s) to compromise their integrity
- Threatening physical harm towards the audit team
- False representation of a certificate or audit report (i.e., altered, forged, or fraudulent documents)
- False representation of production processes (including hiding full or partial production floors and/or operations from an auditor)
Logo use policy
A WRAP certification represents assurance of socially responsible production, and use of our logo indicates an entity has either affirmatively undergone a successful audit and been certified or that it has partnered with our organization to help promote social compliance in the manufacturing industry. They are available to parties who manufacture, buy, or sell products made in a facility that is certified at the gold or platinum levels. They may also be used by any of our accredited monitoring firms and corporate partners.
We have three logos: (1) the main logo, (2) the “Certified Facility” logo, and (3) the “MADE IN A CERTIFIED FACILITY” logo. These assets are the exclusive property and registered trademarks of Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP). PNG and vector/SVG file versions of each one are available for download on www.wrapcompliance.org.
WRAP’s logos are typically used on stakeholders’ websites, social media graphics, event promotions and signage, newsletters, products, marketing collateral, and more.
Where used, these logos must appear as they do below. They must not be stretched or warped. Their colors must not be distorted and they may only be applied against a white background. If you would like to apply one of our logos to a tinted background, please reach out to our Communications Manager to coordinate as this may be permitted under certain circumstances.
In all instances of use, care must be taken to ensure the logo is put in proper context. Specifically, it should be clear that the use of a WRAP logo is not intended to make or imply a product quality claim. For instance, if the logo is to be placed on a product, the user should utilize the “MADE IN A CERTIFIED FACILITY” version.
Production facilities
A production facility may use the “Certified Facility” logo as long as it holds a valid WRAP gold or platinum certification. The facility must maintain full compliance with WRAP’s 12 Principles during its certification period. The facility or facility group is responsible for ensuring that the logo’s use is limited to the certification period. Facilities may use the logo on websites, business cards, social media, and other materials.
Buyers
Brands and retailers may use WRAP logos on consumer goods, packaging, websites, social media, corporate social responsibility reports, and related materials if the facilities that produce their goods are WRAP-certified at the gold or platinum level and maintain their certification status in compliance with our guidelines.
Monitors
Monitoring firms may use our logos on their websites, business cards, promotional materials, and social media provided they remain WRAP accredited as long as the logos are in use.
Select the buttons below to download our logos as PNGs or vector files.
