ESG

B Corp Certified

Advance as an ethical and sustainable business

As a B Corp Certified company, Advance stands as part of a growing global community of businesses that put purpose and ethics over profit and strives to make business a force for good through positive impact.

We are here to catalyse better outcomes. To challenge people, teams, organisations and industries to see possibilities and value they didn’t know existed. To support them in transforming their business to leave a lasting legacy.

View us on B-Labs

Our impact areas

In all that we do, whether internally or working with clients and partners, our focus is on sustainable and inclusive delivery, making sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute, communities are engaged and valued and that we achieve positive outcomes for the projects and organisations we support but not at the expense of damage to ourselves and our planet.

Indeed, we seek and strive to do more than protect and minimise, but to enhance our natural and working environment for ourselves and for the future generations of Advance.

In demonstrating our impact against the 5 core areas of the B Corp certification, Advance is demonstrating to all our focus on ethical, sustainable and purposeful business. As a business that values authenticity, we value the inherent transparency of the B Corp movement and are thrilled to be part of it.

Let’s now take a deeper dive into these 5 areas. In turn showing what we have done, what others think of us, and setting out publicly our future expectations to hold ourselves to account.

Governance

Ethics and Values are embedded in our Business Governance

At Advance we believe that we should challenge ourselves to maintain the same high company standards that are expected in larger organisations: to achieve this requires not only the right cultural leadership but also have in place robust core processes.

Our approach to Governance promotes those areas that are key to our business: openness and transparency, a business that welcomes everyone and one that is a safe, rewarding place to work, with a clear sense of purpose.

Governance score:

19.7

Manifesto Pledges:

Annually we will review our Policy Framework to ensure it is delivering the outcomes that we expect both for its employees, associates, partners and customers.
We will actively seek out ideas which will improve our business for those that work with or for us.
Our engagement with our customer base will drive our future focus for process improvement so that we can be best in class.

Ellie Jenkins, Partner, Akerlof

“We at Akerlof are thrilled to learn that Advance is joining the B-Corp Network. As a purpose-driven business, we seek partnerships with organisations that share our commitment to creating positive social and environmental impact. While we have long recognised the alignment of values between our teams, this achievement reinforces our enthusiasm for working with and recommending Advance. Congratulations on this well-deserved milestone!”

Workers

We Will Act as our True Selves

At Advance our employees are at the heart of our business. We are committed to be a Real Living Wage employer offering all direct employees of the business a fixed contract. We offer a range of benefits to enable employees to look after their well-being and get the support they need when they need with regards to their personal health.

When you read what we do it will be no surprise that we offer all our employees’ opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge with the support and structure they need to succeed because if they succeed, we succeed!

In all we do and in how we think, we include all. A fundamentally transparent business to all our employees, we encourage challenge and ideas from all, recognising that different perspectives and experiences bring greater value.

“We will Act as our true selves” is one of the 8 Pillars of our existing Code of Ethics and talks to how we value our own experiences and how we share those authentically with each other.

Workers score:

34.9

Manifesto Pledges:

To continue to monitor the Advance Employee Benefit and remuneration package against the industry and government standard.
Improve investment in training and development opportunities for all staff on an annual basis.
Continue to monitor employee satisfaction with regular reviews with all employees encouraging feedback.

Natale Cropp, Sustainability Director, Tony Gee

Having known Advance for some years and worked with the team closely through our Director Development Programme more recently, I can say it’s great but not surprising news that the organisation has achieved B-Corp status. It has been clear in all my interactions with them, that the team genuinely care about how we can all do better, their core values are sound and fundamental to this is putting people at the heart of what they do. It is these values that they clearly extend to all aspects of the way that they work.

Community

We will Always Evolve

Advance’s community extends beyond our geographical location in Uttoxeter, reaching across the UK and internationally through our wide network of associates, partners and clients. This broadens our focus, and we relish the relationships this has allowed us to form.

We believe in giving back and fostering a sense of unity and growth within our community. We do this through actively seeking out opportunities to support and uplift our community.

We are by no means perfect, and we are comfortable with that; to be perfect means we are stationary and not moving. Advance continues to develop, to be constantly aware of the ever-changing communities around us and be a part of that change.

“We will Always Evolve” is one of the 8 Pillars of our existing Code of Ethics and talks to how we seek to move forwards, continuously learning and developing, not remaining static in our thinking and approach.

Community score:

19.9

Manifesto Pledges:

We are dedicated to making regular charitable donations.
We will continue to develop a programme of employee training related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
We will seek to engage in pro-bono services with charitable organisations and the local community.

Matthew Spence, Director Strategy and Investment, Scotland’s Railway (Network Rail)

We were very happy to see (but not surprised) Advance gain their B Corp certification. We have enjoyed and benefited from working with Advance over a number of years as their long-term values support our own here at Scotland's Railway. We exist to help reduce inequalities, take climate action, help deliver economic growth and improve the health and wellbeing for all of Scotland. Not only is it vital that our partners are committed to similar values and understand the path we are on, but it creates a high value, inclusive and transparent working relationship. Therefore, despite a tough fiscal environment we can have confidence in making progress to achieving our objectives.

Environment

We Will Build Better Futures

As a small, agile business, our environmental footprint is not massive, but we have focused not just on understanding our environmental impact and minimising it, but how we can do more to support the environment of the planet we are just temporary custodians (or vandals!) of. Through ecologi.com we support Gold Standard global offsetting projects that make us a net carbon positive organisation.

But environment is more than just own footprint, it’s about what we can do in our work with clients to highlight how projects support the relevant UN SDGs (particularly 6,7,11,13,14 & 15).

It’s about how we can add in to our existing challenge & support conversations on topics such as rewilding, biodiversity net gain and the circular economy, how we can provoke the projects and teams we work with to think more and differently about these as fundamental elements of their outcomes.

“We will build Better futures” is one of the 8 Pillars of our existing Code of Ethics and talks to how we seek to empower ourselves and our clients to leave a legacy of positive change for future generations.

Environment score:

9.7

Manifesto Pledges:

Strengthening our environmental stewardship policies, including setting targets for energy usage and emissions reduction and business travel.
Further supporting our employees to manage the environmental impact of home working.
Speaking louder and more often about our passion for rewilding and biodiversity net gain.

Mark Davies, Director, 7Futures

We are thrilled to congratulate Advance Consultancy on achieving B Corp Certification: a very well-deserved recognition which reflects the values and principles we’ve experienced firsthand in our collaboration with them. Specifically, it underscores their professional and conscientious commitment to making a positive impact on both their community and clients: two areas that we have witnessed the high standards they set for themselves.

With respect to the provision of advice and services to their clients, their dedication to ethical practices and customer wellbeing aligns perfectly with our own values, making them a trusted and respected partner. All design and pre delivery work is conducted with one thing in mind: what is best for the client?

We are proud to work alongside a company that leads with integrity and purpose, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as they set even higher standards for social and environmental responsibility. They are a pleasure to work with.

Customers

We are here to catalyse better outcomes

Our focus is on making a difference to the individuals, teams, projects and organisations we work with not just when we are there, but to leave a lasting positive legacy from our involvement. We strive to challenge our clients to see possibilities and value they didn’t realise existed through – primarily – leveraging the value from collaboration and from effective leadership.

In our approach, we feed off our own ethos and values and focus on an authentic and transparent approach to scoping work, being quite clear in what we can do (and do well) and what we can’t. But increasingly, we are working with a network of like-minded partner organisations (who are also often SMEs) to bring a more integrated offering.

To add value in the work we do, we will listen first to what you want and need. We don’t assume we know the answer, but we bring our experience and learning to bear when we co-create and co-deliver solutions and interventions. Our focus remains on driving sustainable, inclusive outcomes that are leveraged through the real benefits of diverse thinking and building psychological safety.

“We will Listen First” is one of the 8 Pillars of our existing Code of Ethics and talks to how we recognise the need to tailor what we do to any particular environment, that whilst we have established approaches, each piece of work we do with a client or team is unique and that we value the agility that requires in us

Customers score:

4.1

Manifesto Pledges:

We live and breath the language of inclusion and diversity on our own team and provide meaningful challenge to our clients.
We listen to what our sponsors want and need and only design solutions that meet that need, being clear where we can add value and where we can’t.
We will continue to expand our network of partners to allow us to share a much wider capability and add even more integrated value

Andy Murray, Executive Director of the Major Projects Association

It’s fantastic that another of our SME members has gained B Corp certification. The B Corp Movement is about the championing of business as a force for good – a philosophy that aligns with the values of the Major Projects Association about the beneficial role of major projects for society on a sustainable, inclusive and equitable basis. Advance Consultancy join the Oakland Group and Moorehouse to gain recognition for the purposeful direction of their businesses and the contribution they are making. We can really see the B Corp mindset in their approach to supporting the Association and collaborating with other members.

What B Corp means to us

External verification that holds us to account

The team here at Advance have for a long time aimed to operate and do business in a way that is Environmentally aware of its impact but also trying to do the right thing within the community, country and sectors the business operates within. For one it means to practice what we preach and as a Consultancy this is very important to us when it comes to advising our clients on approaches or theories that are true and authentic and also how we would operate if we were in their shoes.

External verification process and body B Corp holds up the mirror for us to reflect and see ourselves. It has allowed us to review all of our policies/practices and in some cases make some minor tweaks but overall verify that we are along the right track and are doing the good job we thought we were in the areas it measures. In addition, it will continue to hold us to account as the BCorp ethos becomes ingrained into our decision-making.

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