Purpose
The Benefit Corporation form protects the company’s mission over time, committing directors to balance economic goals and common benefit purposes.
Strategic advisory
Becoming a Benefit Corporation and a B Corp
End-to-end support: from drafting the articles of association and the common benefit goals to writing the Impact Report.
Benefit Corporation & B CorpLaw 208/2015 · B Lab Standards
Benefit Corporation
What is a Benefit Corporation?
A legal form that combines the pursuit of profit with a common benefit purpose, operating in a responsible, sustainable and transparent way towards people, communities, territories and the environment.
Companies that create value for business, society and the environment
For profitProfit purpose
Non profitCommon benefit
Benefit Corporation
The intersection of the two purposes, recognised by Italian law since 2016.
In carrying out an economic activity, in addition to the purpose of sharing its profits, they pursue one or more common benefit purposes and operate in a responsible, sustainable and transparent way towards people, communities, territories and the environment, cultural and social assets and activities, bodies and associations and other stakeholders.
Art. 1, paragraph 376 — Law 208/2015
Legal sourceLaw 208/2015 — “2016 Stability Law”ArticleArt. 1, paragraphs 376–383 + annexes 4 and 5
The fundamentals
The four pillars of a Benefit Corporation
Purpose, stakeholders, transparency and management: the four elements that define the Benefit Corporation model and guide the company’s commitment over time.
Who it is for
It applies to almost every type of company: joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, partnerships limited by shares, partnerships and cooperatives. It is compatible with innovative startups, while social enterprises and simplified limited liability companies (Srls) are excluded.
All company typesInnovative startupsCooperatives
Transparency
Annual publication of the Impact Report, which accounts for the results achieved against the common benefit goals using an independent assessment standard, as required by Law 208/2015.
Commitments and compliance
Four main commitments: amend the corporate purpose by notarial deed, balance profit and common benefit, appoint an impact manager and publish the annual Impact Report.
Why do it
The advantages of becoming a Benefit Corporation
From reputation to sustainable finance: eight concrete benefits for companies that complete the journey.
Reputation and trust
Becoming a Benefit Corporation strengthens the company’s reputation, credibility and trust with customers, stakeholders and the market.
Impact measurement
Measure and monitor the company’s social and environmental impact, identifying goals and opportunities for improvement.
Protecting the company’s mission
Embed common benefit purposes, protecting the mission through leadership changes and generational handovers.
Governance and common benefit
Bring the common benefit into governance, balancing economic interests with those of stakeholders, society and the environment.
Efficiency and long-term value
Integrate sustainability into business decisions to improve efficiency and create value over the long term.
Access to sustainable finance
Strengthen your positioning towards sustainable finance instruments and ESG- and impact-oriented capital.
Supply chain competitiveness
Strengthen your positioning as a Benefit Corporation with customers, suppliers, partners and sustainability-minded supply chains.
Tenders, procurement and rewards
Access the rewards granted to Benefit Corporations in specific tenders, public procurement and public initiatives.
The impact report is first and foremost a tool for self-assessment and planning, as well as a safeguard against change.
The journey
The support roadmap
Nine stages that take the company from defining its purpose to writing the Impact Report, with a dedicated contact at every step.
Purpose and stakeholders
Defining the company’s purpose and identifying the relevant stakeholders.
Impact analysis
Analysing impacts and identifying the material topics for the company and its stakeholders.
Common benefit goals
Defining the common benefit purposes, the goals and their targets.
Amending the articles
Amending the corporate purpose and supplementing the articles of association by notarial deed.
KPIs and Business Plan
Integrating the common benefit goals and their KPIs into the company’s Business Plan.
Benefit Corporation articles of association
Drafting or amending the articles of association to include the common benefit purposes required by law.
Governance and team engagement
Aligning governance and people with the goals and commitments of the Benefit Corporation.
Action plan and monitoring
Defining actions, responsibilities and KPIs to monitor progress towards the goals.
Impact Report
Measuring results and writing the annual Impact Report required for Benefit Corporations.
Impact Report
Writing the Impact Report
The Impact Report is the annual document in which a Benefit Corporation reports on how it has pursued its common benefit purposes, the actions taken and the results achieved, assessing its impact on people, communities, the environment and other stakeholders.
The report accompanies the financial statements and makes it possible to track the Benefit Corporation’s goals over time through indicators and an external assessment standard.
Important
- What it contains Goals, actions, results and impact assessment
- Assessment External standard compliant with the law
- Publication Annual, as required by Law 208/2015
The phenomenon in Italy
The B Corp movement has grown from an idea into a global phenomenon
Registered Benefit Corporations in Italy grew from 442 in 2019 to 5,540 in 2025, an average annual growth of 20%.
442Benefit Corporations in 2019
5,540Benefit Corporations in 2025
+20%Average annual growth
B Corp
What is a B Corp?
B Corp™ is a certification issued by B Lab that assesses a company’s overall impact on workers, communities, the environment and customers. Unlike the Benefit Corporation, it is not a legal form but a voluntary certification.
The comparison
The differences between a Benefit Corporation and a B Corp
Benefit Corporations pursue the same goals as B Corps but, unlike them, are required to act in accordance with specific legal provisions.
Benefit Corporation
A corporate model provided for and regulated by Italian law, which writes one or more common benefit purposes into the articles of association, together with the related management and reporting obligations.
B Corp
A company that has obtained the certification issued by B Lab, following an assessment of its overall impact on workers, communities, the environment and customers.
How they combine
The three possible combinations
Legal form and certification can coexist or exist separately: three configurations a company can take.
Being both a B Corp and a Benefit Corporation
The most complete configuration: the certification attests the performance, the legal form binds it into the articles of association.
Being a B Corp, but not a Benefit Corporation
The company obtains the certification without amending its articles of association.
Note To keep the B Corp certification in Italy, the company must become a Benefit Corporation within two years of being certified.
Being a Benefit Corporation, but not a B Corp
The company adopts the legal form and its obligations, without starting the certification process.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions companies ask us most often before starting the journey.
The Benefit Corporation (Società Benefit) is a legal form provided for by Italian law: common benefit purposes are written into the articles of association and bring management and reporting obligations. B Corp is a voluntary certification issued by B Lab based on an assessment of the company’s overall impact. The two paths are compatible and often complementary.
It is a certification issued by B Lab that assesses the company’s overall impact on governance, workers, communities, the environment and customers. It is obtained by completing the impact assessment, collecting the supporting evidence, exceeding the minimum score and passing B Lab’s independent verification; keeping it requires amending the articles of association — in Italy by adopting the Benefit Corporation form — and periodic recertification.
The journey has four stages: impact assessment, an improvement plan for the gaps identified, verification with the B Lab team, and amendment of the articles of association with management of the recertification deadlines. The Green Future Project Group team supports the company at every stage, from collecting evidence to the dialogue with B Lab, through to converting the articles into those of a Benefit Corporation.
All company types provided for by art. 2247 of the Italian Civil Code — joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, partnerships limited by shares, partnerships and cooperatives — as well as innovative startups. Social enterprises and simplified limited liability companies (SRLS) are excluded. There are no size thresholds: the option is open to SMEs too.
Writing and publishing the report every year are legal obligations: failing to do so exposes the company to claims of unfair commercial practices and misleading advertising. That is why we set up the data collection process so that the report remains sustainable year after year.
It depends on the size of the organisation, the number of stakeholders involved and the availability of internal data. The first stages — purpose, impact analysis and goal setting — are the most intensive; the amendment of the articles and the first report follow the schedule of the corporate bodies and the financial year. Green Future Project Group supports the company as a strategic partner throughout the journey, with a dedicated contact who coordinates the stages and keeps track of the deadlines.
It requires an internal contact person and the involvement of management and of the functions affected by the common benefit goals. The scope of activities, costs and level of support are defined in the initial exploratory call, based on the company’s goals and structure.
Benefit Corporation and B Corp
Request a first exploratory call
Tell us about your company and your goals: together we will assess whether the Benefit Corporation form, B Corp certification or both are the right path.
- A 30-minute call with an expert, no commitment
- We get back to you within 24 working hours
- A first concrete direction for your ESG goals
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