Opus Technology wins B Corp status after three-year bid

Opus Technology has been awarded Certified B Corporation status, becoming one of the largest UK firms in its sector to hold the certification.

The accreditation follows a process that took close to three years and was completed through B Lab UK's assessment and approval system. The work was managed internally by Head of People Bridget Dale and Sustainability and Community Impact Manager Hannah O'Donnell.

The privately owned business employs about 150 staff and serves more than 900 clients from Reigate and London. Its services include managed IT, contact centre, unified communications, business mobile and managed print. Customers include Which?, All Saints, Canon and CIPD.

B Corp certification is awarded to businesses that meet standards for social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Companies must recertify every three years.

The award places Opus among more than 10,000 certified organisations worldwide. It is believed to be the second-largest B Corp-certified managed service provider in the UK.

The move comes as businesses face wider scrutiny over sustainability and ethics in their supply chains, including technology procurement. For companies buying IT services, third-party certifications can also play a role in supplier assessment and environmental, social and governance reporting.

Opus said the status marks a broader step in its environmental, social and governance work. The business has already secured ISO 14001 environmental management accreditation, adopted hybrid working, committed to electric-only company vehicles and set out a carbon offsetting plan that includes tree planting.

Its employment and community policies also form part of that record. Opus is a Living Wage employer, has been recognised as Disability Confident Committed and runs a staff volunteering initiative.

It also backs a research fellowship at Polar Bears International, a non-profit group focused on polar bear conservation and sea ice habitat preservation. Those efforts sit alongside the company's commercial expansion in the UK managed services market.

Managed service providers have been under increasing pressure from customers to demonstrate not only technical delivery, but also labour, governance and environmental standards. In that context, B Corp certification has become one way for businesses to show external scrutiny of internal policies and operating practices.

Unlike internal sustainability pledges, the certification process requires companies to submit evidence across a range of measures and accept periodic reassessment. That can make the badge more relevant to customers seeking independently verified standards from suppliers.

Opus has operated since 1992 and positions itself as the UK's largest independently owned IT managed service provider. Its client base spans smaller businesses, mid-sized companies and larger organisations across the public and private sectors.

The business has expanded across communications, mobile, document management and workplace technology, reflecting the broader evolution of the managed services sector beyond traditional IT support. Providers in this market increasingly sell a mix of infrastructure management, communications systems and workplace tools as clients consolidate suppliers.

Michael O'Donnell, chief executive officer of Opus Technology, said the certification reflects changes made across the company over several years.

"Achieving B Corp certification is a significant milestone for Opus Technology and reflects the kind of business we are committed to building. Since beginning our official B Corp journey in 2023, we have continued to strengthen our approach across the business, with a clear focus on balancing commercial success with responsibility to our people, our communities and the environment.

"This certification is important because it formalises much of the work already happening across Opus every day. It also gives us a clear framework to keep improving, stay accountable and make sure we continue growing in a responsible and sustainable way. Most importantly, this achievement reflects our people. The standards behind B Corp are brought to life through the way our teams work, support one another and represent Opus Technology every day."