amfori BSCI

amfori BSCI stands for Business Social Compliance Initiative.

amfori BSCI is a solution that supports companies with trusted and comprehensive social risk management across key areas beyond tier 1.

An amfori BSCI audit consists of eighty-one questions. Auditors assess site compliance based on on-site observations, interviews and document reviews. Each question is rated as “Yes”, “No”, “Partial” or “Not applicable”. The outcome of this assessment result is an audit report containing a grade ranging from A to E.  For more information on the audit rating, please refer to the guide on the amfori BSCI audit rating overview.

No, amfori BSCI is not a certification. As a member-based association, amfori is dedicated to supporting the ESG due diligence efforts of its members with a risk-based approach and continuous improvement. Instead of delivering a pass or fail verdict to suppliers, we collaborate with our members to foster improvement and their responsible business practices. Only our members and their audited suppliers can access and review full audit reports on our amfori Sustainability Platform, ensuring transparency and ongoing progress.

“RSP” stands for responsibility. It refers to the principle of responsibility that underpins the amfori audit process. Through the amfori Sustainability Platform, members can map their supply chains and add suppliers they source from.

By “holding the RSP”, an amfori member takes responsibility for managing the audit cycle of a given supplier and, with it, its progress. This means that while one member leads the process, the results of the audit and other assessments are made available to all members sourcing from this supplier, promoting transparency and reducing duplication.

Note that one supplier may have one RSP for different amfori solutions; for instance, one RSP for amfori BSCI and a different one for amfori BEPI. Also, starting in July 2025, suppliers are able to directly request their own audits via the amfori Sustainability Platform.

The amfori BSCI Social Risk Assessment (SRA) is a feature on the amfori Sustainability Platform. It is a site-based questionnaire completed by suppliers and designed to identify potential risks that may negatively affect working conditions at a production site. By pinpointing these risks, the SRA aims to support site management and responsible teams in taking proactive measures to prevent potential risks from turning into actual harm.

The amfori BSCI Self-assessment questionnaire is a different feature. It mirrors the amfori BSCI audit questionnaire, and it allows the potential auditee to fully understand the values and principles of the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and how to embed them in regular business practice. The SAQ is made up of 81 questions and does not include any potential risk identification.

You can find more about the Social Risk Assessment in this article.

“Continuous improvement” is a core value of amfori aligned with the OECD Due diligence guidance for Responsible Business conduct, stating that the “due diligence process is not static, but ongoing, responsive and changing”. In other words, this principle highlights the need for both amfori members and their suppliers to continuously work on improving their ESG due diligence efforts and go beyond audits.

It is also a feature on the amfori Sustainability Platform, part of the amfori toolbox and more precisely, the amfori monitoring activities such as the Self-assessment questionnaire or social audits. This feature supports amfori members’ suppliers to work on improving their ESG performance based on the latest audit report they have.

You can find more about continuous improvement in the amfori BSCI System Manual, part 2.

The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct outlines principles and values that our members and their suppliers commit to implementing in their supply chains. Each principle and value is based on internationally recognised standards, including OECD guidelines, UNGPs, and ILO conventions. They correspond to 13 Performance Areas (PA). Auditors assess the auditee’s performance based on these social performance areas through specific questions, general comments, and good practices when applicable. For detailed auditing guidelines, refer to the amfori BSCI System Manual Part 3. For learning more about these 13 PAs, enrol in the dedicated eLearning on the amfori Academy.

There are 13 Performance Areas assessed via the amfori BSCI system:

Social management & Workplace relations (PA 1, PA 2, PA 3, PA 4)

• PA 1: Social Management System & Cascade Effect
• PA 2: Workers Involvement and Protection
• PA 3: The Right of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
• PA 4: No Discrimination, Violence or Harassment

Employee well-being and fair practices (PA5, PA6, PA 7)

• PA 5: Fair Remuneration
• PA 6: Decent Working Hours
• PA 7: Occupational Health and Safety

Protection of vulnerable workers (PA 8, PA 9, PA 10, PA 11)

• PA 8: No Child Labour
• PA 9: Special Protection for young workers
• PA 10: No Precarious Employment
• PA 11: No Bonded, Forced Labour or Human Trafficking

Ethical practices (PA 12, PA 13)

• PA 12: Protection of the Environment
• PA 13: Ethical Business Behaviour

The amfori BSCI audit cycle takes two years. It starts with a “full” audit and, depending on the result, a follow-up audit may be required. If the audit grade is below “B” (C, D, or E), the supplier needs to have a follow-up audit between two and twelve months after the full audit. If the audit grade is above “C” (A or B), the supplier will be required to undergo a full audit at the latest in two years’ time. This two-year audit cycle is designed to reduce audit fatigue and ensure continuous improvement. To better understand the auditing approach, refer to the amfori BSCI System Manual, part 2.

All amfori members and their associated suppliers can access amfori training sessions free of charge and anywhere in the world, connecting to the amfori Academy. To access it, log in to the amfori Sustainability Platform and access the amfori Academy directly. You can browse through our training sessions, eLearnings and video tutorials or look for a specific session.

At amfori, we encourage our members to go beyond audits, as they are not a standalone solution. Audits are a snapshot of conditions at a specific point in time, based on on-site observations, interviews and document reviews. While they help identify potential ESG risks and areas for improvement, they cannot capture hidden or emerging risks, nor guarantee full compliance with laws or standards. That is why we believe audits should be complemented by other ESG due diligence efforts and integrated into a broader ESG due diligence strategy, one that includes stakeholder engagement, capacity building and continuous improvement, etc.

amfori audit reports are accessible on the amfori Sustainability Platform. They contain confidential business information. While it is not possible to publicly share reports, amfori members and their audited suppliers can access audit findings securely. They can also use them to identify gaps, take action(s) and strengthen their responsible sourcing strategies.

The PDF version of the audit report is a summary of the full audit report, which is only accessible via the amfori Sustainability Platform. It is only valid as an acknowledgement of the results. amfori does not assume any liability with regard to the compliance of PDF extracts, or any versions of the extract, with the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation).

The follow-up audit is an intermediate audit in case the result of the full audit grade is below “B”. In such situations, the supplier has the opportunity to provide evidence of improvement in specific areas. During this type of audit, the auditor(s) will not ask the eighty-one questions but will focus only on the areas identified as needing improvement in the latest audit report. amfori highly recommends that the follow-up audit takes place two to three months after the full audit. This allows sufficient time for the auditee to demonstrate concrete improvement in the areas that needed it. In addition, auditor(s) are required to conduct a “minimum due diligence” on employee well-being and fair practices (Performance Areas 5, 6 and 7).

The follow-up audits help reduce audit fatigue and ensure continuous improvement.

Our decision to step away from fully announced social audits has been effective since September 2024. By removing fully announced amfori BSCI audits, the objective was to encourage our members to:

• Get better visibility and insights into the realities of their supply chains, which will further facilitate their sustainable business practices
• See decreased risks of compromised audits, and consequently reduced risk of potential reputational damage
• Feel encouraged to excel, strive for continuous improvement and implement more effective and positive changes in their due diligence efforts

While social audits play a crucial role in our members’ due diligence efforts, they are a solution that offers a snapshot at a given point in time. Social audits are one solution in the amfori toolbox and can only help in improving labour standards when supplemented with other effective human rights due diligence tools. We firmly believe the benefits of gaining a more authentic understanding of site conditions and driving sustainable improvements significantly outweigh the potential drawbacks.

Audits are a voluntary practice. Suppliers can reject the audit visit for various reasons they deem important (e.g. local holidays, country situation, low season, etc). At amfori, our objective is to support our members’ ESG due diligence journey. We encourage our members to go beyond audits, as audits are one solution in the amfori toolbox. They provide a snapshot of social and/or environmental conditions at a specific point in time, based on observations, interviews and document reviews. While they help identify potential ESG risks and areas for improvement, they cannot capture hidden or emerging risks, nor guarantee full compliance with laws or standards.

We maintain consistent audit quality through the Audit Assurance Programme (AAP). We have a vigorous auditor approval process (based on their experience, knowledge and competency), we provide standardised mandatory training sessions and refresher training sessions that have an exam element, provide detailed guidance’s, global and regional annual calibration meetings and rigorous quality control including witness audits, report reviews, spot checks, data analysis and ongoing performance monitoring.