Verifier Bodies (VBs): what are the costs of becoming and remaining a VB?

To maintain the quality and integrity of our verification process, Verifier Bodies need to pay several fees related to SLCP verifications. Some fees go directly to SLCP (see Table 1), while others are paid to different partners (see Table 2).

Table 1- Fees paid by Verifiers Bodies to SLCP

All the fees displayed below are effective from August 23, 2024.

Process			Applied to	Amount (USD)	What does this fee cover
VBs are responsible for all bank fees associated with the payment of invoices from SLCP. If your bank supports it, please select the option "I will pay all costs" (or similar) to ensure this is handled appropriately
Application	VB Initial Application (1 time fee)		Full APSCA member who wants to become an SLCP-approved Verifier Body.	USD 390	Internal application reviews; VB comms; VB dashboard updates.
	VB Supplemental Application		SLCP-approved Verifier Body, (APSCA Full or Provisional Member) who wants to apply for one or more new countries in which you want to operate	USD 165	Internal application reviews; VB comms; VB dashboard updates; APSCA outreach to cross check data.
	Verifier Initial Application (1 time fee)	ASCA*	APSCA ASCA or CSCA Auditor Member in good standing associated with an approved SLCP VB (APSCA Full/ Provisional/ Applicant member) who wants to become an SLCP approved Verifier.	USD 615	Detailed internal application reviews (specifically on previous social audit experience); Verifiers comms; dashboard updates; APSCA outreach to cross check data; exam; proctor fees; red flagging for SLCP; mandatory desktop review*(VOO)
		CSCA**		USD 465	Internal application review; Verifier comms; dashboard updates; APSCA outreach to cross check data; exam; proctor fees; red flagging for SLCP; mandatory desktop review*(VOO)
	Verifier Supplemental Application Cost for ASCA and CSCA		SLCP-approved Verifier with APSCA ASCA or CSCA status in good standing, associated with an APSCA Full/ Provisional/ Applicant member and you want to apply for one or more new countries in which you want to operate.	USD 190	Internal application reviews; Verifier comms; VB dashboard updates.
Verification	Verification Upcharge Fee		SLCP verifications	USD 300 per verification	This fee covers the costs to maintain the SLCP system.
Quality failures****	Extra QA activities		SLCP-approved VBs at Risk level 2 and 3 in the Integrity Oversight Program	Can go up to USD 5,250 Examples below. VB reinstatement (if suspended): up to USD 2,500  Verifier reactivation fee (if deactivated/ suspended): minimum charge USD 200	Ad-hoc investigation; QA activities: Shadow Verification, Desktop; VOO review of the next three VRF produced by VB; Focused VB Systems Check; Suspension management: Reinstatement/reactivation management

*ASCA: Associate Social Compliance Auditor is enrolled with APSCA, gaining experience under the supervision/ guidance of a CSCA.  Has signed APSCA’s Code of Professional Conduct.

** CSCA: Certified Social Compliance Auditor who has completed the CSCA process. Has signed APSCA’s Code of Professional Conduct.

*** Mandatory desktop review: Each Verifier will receive a standardized desktop review from the outset. The Verification Oversight Organization (VOO) will assess these reviews, providing feedback to help Verifiers understand areas for improvement. This process also evaluates the quality review conducted by the Verifier Body, assuming the reviewer pays extra attention to new Verifiers. If numerous mistakes are found, it may indicate a concerning quality standard. 

****Quality Failures fees: Special charges applied to Verifier Bodies (VBs) for low performance. In addition to fees for extra quality assurance activities already in place, SLCP is developing new fees related to Corrective Action Requests (CAR) and Corrective Action Plans (CAP) management. This fee will cover the VOO’s tasks, including issuing the CAR, communicating with VBs, reviewing and monitoring the CAP, and analyzing the results. Once finalized, the new CAR/CAP management fees will be listed here.

Table 2- Other Fees

The table below summarizes all other fees applicable to Verifier Bodies, facilities, and end-users that are not paid directly to SLCP but are related to SLCP verification. 

Process		Applied to	Amount (US$)	Paid by	What does this fee cover
Activation	Gateway Account	SLCP- approved VBs	Free of Charge	N/A	Registering and utilizing the Gateway are free of charge. We also provide many resources free of charge, e.g., the Converged Assessment Framework, e-learning and FAQs.
Verification	Verification	SLCP verifications	Varies by Verifier Bodies (VBs)	Facility to Verifier Body	Each VB determines their individual price quotation for the verification after a facility’s request. To inform your pricing for facilities refer to the following: The person days number in [ ]- as detailed on Table 4 of the Verification Protocol- to ensure enough time is allocated for both onsite and offsite activities related to the verification. Quote the offsite time separately and clarify that is “offsite time required by SLCP for activities related to the verification (e.g., background research, self-assessment review, report writing, VB internal quality review)”
	Accredited Host (AH)	SLCP facilities/ SLCP-approved Verifiers/ End-users	Varies by Accredited Hosts (AHs)	Accredited Host  may implement different fees based on the type of accounts: Facility to AH Verifier to AH End-user to AH	Verifiers may need to pay a fee to the Accredited Host to use their platform. Please check with each AH on the specific fee.

For more information about the charges read the Verifier Body Requirements document.