How much does it cost to get WRAP-certified? (UPDATED: WRAP’s New Pricing Structure)
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) is a non-profit social compliance verification organization, the largest independent, factory-based certification program in the world. Our funding model is entirely fee-for-service; we do not charge membership dues, solicit government grants, or turn to foundations or charitable donations for funds. All of our operational expenses are covered by revenues generated from our services. We work hard to deliver value while keeping costs and fees low, and the last time we increased our registration fees was back in 2010, well over a decade ago. However, to continue being able to deliver the high value for which we have become known, we must make investments that facilitate growth – including making IT system upgrades and adding new staff in regions that require more resources.
We have had to give serious thought to the fees we charge and we know we are not alone in this regard. But we are mindful of the financial strain businesses are facing in the current global economic landscape – a burden felt especially by small facilities who naturally have fewer resources at their disposal (in fact, over the past 18 months, we have been conducting a pricing pilot that offers certain smaller factories a reduced application fee).
With all of that in mind, we are announcing a new pricing structure which will reduce the application fee for facilities with 200 workers or fewer (which represent 30% of the facilities in our program) and increase the fee for larger facilities. The lower fee will be available to eligible facilities starting September 1, 2023, but the higher fee will not go into effect until January 1, 2024.
The new fees do not include the price of the audit, which is set by the individual monitoring firms and paid directly to them by the facility seeking certification. See our certification page for more information.
Currently, our registration fee is US$1,195. Starting September 1, 2023, the pricing pilot will end and all facilities with 100 or fewer workers will pay only $650 while facilities with a worker count between 101 and 200 will pay $950. Beginning on January 1, 2024, 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.
WRAP’s mission remains the same as it was when we were founded 23 years ago – to ensure safe and responsible working conditions while helping suppliers grow their businesses by meeting or exceeding buyers’ social compliance expectations. We appreciate the trust and confidence you have placed in our team, making WRAP the premier certification program for this industry. We remain fully committed to our mission and to working with you to promote socially responsible supply chains.
Why is WRAP raising its application fee?
We are lowering the fee for 30% of our facilities and instituting a price increase for larger facilities to ensure we can continue to make necessary investments and provide the high-quality services expected by our stakeholders. Our team has worked hard to delay price increases for more than 10 years.
If I apply before September 1, 2023, and I have fewer than 200 workers, what is the fee?
If you are not exporting finished goods, you will still have access to the pilot program registration fee of US$595. If you are an exporting facility, the price will be $1,195 until September 1, 2023. Then it will be reduced, consistent with the pricing table above.
Please note that all Indian facilities with under 200 workers qualify for the pricing pilot fee of $595 regardless of whether they export finished goods and will see their fees increase in September in accordance with the above table.
If we have more than 201 workers and we apply this year, what fee will we pay?
You will pay the current fee of $1,195. The increases will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
When is the worker count established, in the application or at the time of the audit?
The application fee is paid based on the number of workers that are reported at the time of application. However, WRAP will compare the number of workers reported on the application against the number of workers recorded at the time of the audit and if there is difference that impacts the facility’s fee category, WRAP reserves the right to withhold certification until the correct fee (based on the audited worker count) is paid.
Who can seek WRAP certification?
WRAP certificates can only be granted to individual production units. Holding companies, brands, and retailers are not eligible to apply. Furthermore, our certification program is mainly focused on sewn products, apparel, footwear, and related industries.
How does a production facility get WRAP-certified?
Attaining a WRAP certificate involves a five-step process. It begins with the production facility filing an initial application with WRAP and paying the registration fee. Then the facility will conduct a pre-audit self-assessment (PASA) of its compliance with WRAP’s 12 Principles, which is followed by an audit conducted by one of our accredited monitoring firms. The report from that audit is sent to WRAP to be reviewed by our compliance team. An independent review board will then decide whether to issue a certificate. See our certification page for more information.
How long does it take to get WRAP-certified?
It depends on the preparedness of the facility at the time of application. It can take as little as six weeks to get certified but can take anywhere from 2-6 months, or in rare cases even longer, from the time an application is submitted for a certificate to be granted. See our certification page for more information.
How can I find out if a facility is WRAP-certified?
A list of currently certified facilities can be found on our world map. To have your facility displayed on the map, please email our Compliance Administration department.
Can I get a single WRAP certificate for multiple facilities?
No. Each unit must undergo the process separately.
A certain brand claims to be WRAP-certified. Is this true?
No. Brands and retailers themselves cannot be WRAP-certified. We only audit and certify individual production units.
How do I know if my clothes were made in a WRAP-certified facility?
Supply chains for garments and footwear are long and complex, making it very difficult to tag any one of them as being made entirely in WRAP-certified facilities. For instance, while the final assembly of a shirt may have taken place in a WRAP-certified facility, the cloth, buttons, or other components may have been made in a facility that is not WRAP-certified. WRAP is not a consumer-facing organization; we do not maintain a system for tagging garments and footwear that were made in our certified facilities. Several brands and retailers, however, have chosen to indicate on their websites whether they source from WRAP-certified facilities.
What companies accept WRAP certificates?
Over 700 buyers, brands, and retailers around the world accept our certification, though each of them does so in varying ways according to their own unique social compliance programs. WRAP continues to be the most widely accepted independent certification in the sewn products industry. Some companies may choose to accept a WRAP certification in lieu of their own audits, while others prefer to accept WRAP certifications only for facilities where they themselves have conducted the initial inspection. Some companies have also elected to accept WRAP certificates only in specific countries, or solely for their licensees, or only in facilities that have been audited by a particular firm. If you are a vendor looking for more information about how a specific brand utilizes WRAP, please contact us.
