Certification Program
WRAP is the world's largest independent certification program mainly focused on the apparel, footwear, and sewn products sectors. 

Becoming a WRAP certified facility involves much more than simply passing an audit. We take a collaborative approach to social compliance certification in which we work with our facilities to ensure that they remain in compliance with our 12 Principles. This does require, however, that all of our facilities actively engage in the process themselves and see to it that effective management systems are maintained to ensure compliance requirements are met.

Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions about our certification program.

 

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS
 

1. Application

A production facility submits basic information to WRAP and pays a registration fee of US$1195.

Click here to submit an application
 

2. Pre-Audit Self-Assessment

Facilities complete a pre-audit self-assessment of their facility to show that they
have been utilizing socially-compliant practices for a minimum of 90 days (for new facilities; facilities seeking re-certification are expected to have been compliant throughout their preceding certification period). We offer the following resources for facilities to use during their Pre-Audit Self-Assessment:
           
Pre-Audit
Self-Assessment
   
Handbook
   
Risk Assessment
Working Hours
Action Plan
 
 
 

3. Monitoring

After submitting their pre-audit self-assessment, the facility selects a WRAP-accredited monitoring organization to audit the facility against WRAP's 12 Principles. The audit must be successfully passed within 6 months of paying the registration fee to avoid having to re-register. 

Click here to see WRAP's list of accredited monitors
 

4. Evaluation

WRAP will review the monitor's audit report and decide whether or not to certify the facility. If WRAP decides not to issue a certification, the facility will be notified of the corrections that need to be made and the monitoring firm will conduct an additional inspection. If the facility does not satisfactorily implement the recommendations within the original six-month period, it must pay the registration fee again.
 

5. Certification

There are three levels of WRAP certification – Platinum, Gold and Silver. The certificate issued to a facility is determined by WRAP and depends on the extent to which the audit indicates full compliance and management commitment to the WRAP Principles.

*All certified facilities are subject to random, unannounced
Post-Certification Audits during their certification period.

CERTIFICATION LEVELS
PLATINUM (Valid for 2 years)

Platinum certifications are awarded to facilities that have demonstrated full compliance with WRAP's 12 Principles for 3 consecutive certification audits. Platinum facilities must successfully pass every audit with no corrective actions or observations and maintain continuous certification with no gaps between certification periods.
GOLD (Valid for 1 year)

Gold certification is the standard WRAP certification level, awarded to facilities that demonstrate full compliance with WRAP's 12 Principles.
SILVER (Valid for 6 months)

A facility may request a Silver certificate if an audit finds it to be in substantial compliance with WRAP's 12 Principles, but identifies minor non-compliances in policies, procedures, or training that must be addressed. Facilities may not have any "red flag" non-compliances (including child labor; serious health, safety, or environmental issues; prison, forced, or involuntary labor; or harassment or abuse of employees) and must demonstrate that employees are paid at least the legal minimum wage and any required overtime compensation. Facilities seeking Silver certificates must request them in writing from WRAP's headquarters, submitting a corrective action plan that includes any evidence of remediation along with the request. The WRAP Review Board may also recommend a Silver certificate if a facility has demonstrated difficulty in achieving full compliance or has other risk factors that may prevent it from sustaining compliance for the full duration of a Gold certificate. All Silver-certified facilities are eligible to renew their WRAP registration at a reduced fee of US$895, provided they reapply prior to the expiration of their certificate. A facility may be awarded no more than 3 consecutive Silver certificates.

 

WRAP's Decertification Policy

WRAP certified facilities must fully comply with WRAP’s 12 Principles during their certification period or they may be subject to decertification. A facility may be decertified under the following circumstances:

• Violations involving Zero Tolerance issues (see below)
• Failure to allow auditors to conduct a Post-Certification Audit (PCA)
• Refusal to go through a remediation process to correct non-compliances found
during a PCA
• Failure to correct non-compliances found during a PCA in a timely manner

WRAP's Zero Tolerance Policy

If at any time WRAP learns that any factory in the WRAP program is actively participating in or associated with any of the below Zero Tolerance issues, the factory will be automatically decertified (if applicable) and banned from the WRAP program in all capacities without the option to return nor be certified in the future.

• Deliberate and ongoing human rights violations including:
  ○ Child labor, including the worst forms of child labor (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 (bonded labor, not allowing workers to leave at their own will, forced to work overtime)
  ○ Inhumane treatment (use of threats of physical harm or extreme intimidation, corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion)
• Unethical actions that encourage the auditor(s) to compromise their integrity
• Threatening physical harm towards the audit team
• False representation of certificate or audit report (i.e. altered or fake certificates or reports)
• False representation of production processes (i.e. hiding full/partial production floors and/or processes from auditor)