Our Verification Process
We offer credit scheme developers the option of a ‘summary review’ or a ‘full assessment’.
This option enables rapid review of a summary document against all Fair Credits Standard criteria. Feedback will take the form of detailed guidance and recommendations together with any necessary supporting material. Developers are able to resubmit the summary if required. The recommendations can help in the submission of a full proposal. The approval of a summary does not, however, guarantee the approval of a full proposal.
The review option will cost from £1500 and will normally take 3 weeks to complete.
Under this option, the full proposal will be assessed in detail with regards to all Fair Credits Standard criteria. Depending on the individual scheme, assessment may include the requirement of a site visit which will be agreed with the developer. Should the proposal be approved, the reasons for this will be documented in full to the developer. Credits arising from the scheme will be confirmed as ‘high integrity’ and listed on our website. Developers will be able to use our logo in their work and refer to the scheme as generating independently verified high integrity credits. A process of progress report evaluation will also be agreed with the developer as a condition of accreditation. Progress reports must be submitted at a maximum of 36 month intervals. It is expected that site visits will be a requirement of progress report evaluation.
Should either the proposal or progress report fail on one or more criterion, the report will include a full explanation along with any necessary accompanying information. Resubmission up to a maximum of two times is permitted in both cases.
A full proposal assessment normally costs £4000 and will normally take 6 weeks to complete. Progress reports will be expected to cost a similar amount. Additional costs relating to site visits will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
All submissions and feedback will utilise our in-house templates. Information necessary to complete the full proposal assessment and progress reports will include financial statements and/or budgets and the developer must agree to share these in full with our reviewing team. All information exchanged throughout shall be subject to strict principles of confidentiality.
Developers have a right of appeal against any decision. These must be lodged within 14 calendar days of receiving a full proposal decision and 7 calendar days in the case of a precis decision. An experienced academic with no prior connection to the case will review the case and the grounds for appeal before coming to a final decision. Should the appeal be granted, the accreditation process will resume and discussions with the developer held to identify lessons learned.
We undertake systematic periodic review of the Framework based on our experience and evidence from peer-reviewed literature. This ensures that the Fair Credits Standard undergoes continual refinement and improvement to reflect contemporary priorities, policies and practice.