# BSCI vs Sedex vs WRAP: Which Audit You Need | Surajmal > Source: https://surajmal.com/blog/2026/07/bsci-sedex-wrap-social-audits-compared [SSL Newsroom](/blog) Compliance # BSCI vs Sedex vs WRAP: Which Audit You Need Kolkata · 02 JULY 2026 ·By Surajmal Editorial Team·9 min read·Updated 17 AUGUST 2026 Published 2 July 2026 BSCI, Sedex SMETA and WRAP are different kinds of social-compliance evidence. amfori BSCI produces a monitoring result with ratings and corrective actions. SMETA produces an audit report and corrective-action record, with no pass or fail. WRAP is a certification programme that issues a certificate for an individual facility. That difference changes the file a buyer should request. A BSCI result is not a certificate. Sedex membership is not an audit result. A WRAP certificate is meaningful only for the facility named on it and for the period printed on it. Treating the three labels as interchangeable can approve an audit report where a certificate is required, or accept a current document for a site that will not make the order. The working comparison starts with four questions: which site is covered, what did the assessment examine, what did it find, and what evidence shows the result is still current? This guide complements [reading a compliance audit](/blog/2026/04/how-to-read-a-compliance-audit), which explains how to work through findings and closure evidence. ## What is the difference between BSCI, SMETA and WRAP? The difference is the output. BSCI gives a rated monitoring result, SMETA gives a site-audit report and CAPR, and WRAP gives a facility certification when its process is successfully completed. None should be read as a general statement about every site used by a supplier. Scheme What it is Principal document What it does not establish on its own **amfori BSCI** A social-audit and improvement programme Monitoring report with an A-to-E result, findings and corrective action plan That every production site used by the supplier has the same result **Sedex SMETA** A site-audit methodology used through the Sedex platform SMETA audit report and Corrective Action Plan Report, or CAPR A certification, pass or fail result **WRAP** A production-facility certification programme Certification of Compliance Coverage of a parent company, another unit or an unlisted site The report type determines the next question. A BSCI review asks how to read the overall rating alongside the performance-area results. A SMETA review asks what its pillar scope and non-compliances say. A WRAP review starts with the certificate, then checks the facility identity and expiry date. The labels are useful shortcuts, but the underlying document is the evidence. ## What does an amfori BSCI result evidence? amfori BSCI is a member-led programme. A responsible amfori member requests and approves the audit process for a producer, so a social audit commissioned outside that process is not converted into a BSCI result by using the same checklist or language. The overall A-to-E result summarises monitoring across the programme's performance areas. It is a result for the assessed facility and scope, with the performance-area ratings, findings and corrective action plan showing how the result was reached. Read those pages before accepting the headline grade. For BSCI, A and B results are valid for up to 24 months. C, D and E results are valid for up to 12 months and have a follow-up route under the scheme. Record the audit date and the relevant result period, then check any follow-up document against the original findings. A later document should show what was reviewed and what has been closed. The BSCI output records what an assessment found at a defined site. It does not demonstrate that a purchase order will stay there. Production-site approval, subcontracting controls and the order's own traceability records remain part of the sourcing process. ## What does a Sedex SMETA report evidence? Sedex membership gives an organisation access to Sedex tools and its platform. It does not prove that a site has completed a SMETA audit. Sedex also states that neither membership nor SMETA is a certification, and SMETA has no pass or fail result. Request the audit record, not a document described as a Sedex certificate. A SMETA audit is site-level evidence. Its findings help companies identify conditions, practices, workers and risks at the worksite assessed. The report and CAPR are therefore more useful than a binary status: they identify non-compliances and create the record for corrective-action follow-through. SMETA may be carried out to two-pillar or four-pillar scope. The report must state the scope used. The pillar count is not a quality grade, so it should sit beside the findings when the buyer compares two reports. SMETA check What to read Practical decision it supports Site identity Legal entity, address and audit location Whether the proposed production site is covered Pillar scope Whether the report is two-pillar or four-pillar Whether its scope matches the compliance programme CAPR Non-compliances, action owner and due status Which matters remain open Closure evidence Auditor review or other documented follow-up Whether a stated action is complete or still proposed Audit frequency should be set by the businesses in the supply chain, taking account of factors such as earlier findings and risk. A report date alone does not settle whether the evidence is usable for an order. Compare it with the buyer's review cadence and the status of the findings. ## What does current WRAP certification evidence? WRAP issues an annual Certification of Compliance after a facility passes the WRAP audit process. From 1 March 2026, WRAP no longer issues certificates with Gold or Platinum levels; existing Platinum certificates remain valid to their printed expiry dates. WRAP's facility handbook describes certification against its 12 Principles, using accredited third-party monitoring firms and WRAP's review process. Certification is generally for one year, and the certificate applies to the individual facility, not a parent company or brand. Certified facilities may also receive unannounced post-certification assessments during the certificate period. WRAP check What it confirms What to compare it with Facility name The entity named on the certificate The supplier's contracting details Physical address The individual location covered The site proposed for production Issue and expiry dates The current certificate period The planned production period Certificate format Whether it reflects WRAP's current annual programme Any legacy certificate presented in the file For a WRAP file, match the certificate's name and address to the site proposed for the order, then record its issue and expiry dates. If the compliance programme needs information on particular findings, ask for the relevant audit and corrective-action records as well. The certificate alone answers a narrower question: it records WRAP's certification decision for the named facility. ## How should a buyer compare the three documents? Start with site coverage. A commercial supplier name may appear across several production units, but each audit or certificate is tied to its stated scope. Match the legal name and physical address, then confirm that the quoted production route uses that location. This is part of [vetting a textile supplier](/blog/2026/05/vet-textile-supplier-india), not a substitute for it. Next, compare each document on the evidence it is designed to provide. A BSCI rating compresses several assessed areas into a result. A SMETA report has no pass or fail, so the CAPR carries much of the decision-making detail. A WRAP certificate confirms a scheme decision for a facility during a defined period. No common score can turn these into identical documents. Comparison question BSCI SMETA WRAP What is the main output? Rated monitoring result Report and CAPR Facility certificate Is there a pass or fail? No single certification decision No Certification decision is recorded on the certificate What should be checked below the headline? Performance-area results and corrective actions Scope, non-compliances and CAPR Site identity, dates and any supporting records required What must match the order? Named audited site and scope Named audited site and scope Named certified facility and certificate period Where a programme accepts more than one scheme, use one review sheet for every supplier file. Put the site name and address first, then the document type, assessment date, scope, findings, action status and next review date. That format does not force unlike schemes into one grade. It makes the evidence comparable at the points that decide whether it can support the order. Do the comparison before the purchase order is committed. A mismatch found at enquiry or sampling can be resolved while the production plan is still being set. The same mismatch found when bulk work is under way can affect the approved site, require further evidence or delay a release decision. The document should have an owner, a renewal date and a clear link to the facility on the production plan. The audit pack does not by itself confirm product quality, material traceability, capacity, commercial performance or that an order remained at the approved site. Keep those checks in the supplier review and in the order controls. A compliance document is one part of the file, not the whole supplier decision. Where a [buying house in India](/services/sourcing-india) manages the vendors, that file is kept beside the production plan as part of the programme. ## What should go in the supplier compliance file? Keep the evidence tied to the facility, not simply to the supplier account. A reviewer should be able to identify the proposed production site, see the document that covers it and understand what remains open without asking the original assessor to reconstruct the decision. File item Purpose Common gap to avoid Current full BSCI or SMETA report, or WRAP certificate Establishes the scheme output Keeping only a logo, scorecard or certificate image Exact legal name and physical address Connects evidence to a facility Matching a trading name without confirming the site Audit scope and date Shows what was assessed and when Treating an old report as current without review Findings and corrective action plan Shows the work identified by the audit Filing the report without its CAPR or action plan Follow-up or closure evidence Shows which issues have been reviewed since Calling a proposed action a verified closure Order-site approval record Connects the compliance file to the production plan Assuming any site under the supplier name is covered Next review or expiry date Keeps the file current Leaving renewal ownership and timing unclear This structure avoids a false comparison between unlike schemes. It also catches a common mismatch early: a current certificate may exist, but for a facility that will not handle the order. ## Short FAQ **Is amfori BSCI a certification?** No. It is a social-audit and improvement programme that produces a monitoring report and an A-to-E result. Request the report, findings and corrective-action status. **Does Sedex membership mean a site has passed an audit?** No. Membership provides access to Sedex. SMETA is the audit methodology, and Sedex issues no pass, fail or certification through SMETA. **Is a WRAP certificate equivalent to a BSCI A result?** No. A WRAP certificate and a BSCI result are different scheme outputs. Compare the named site, date, scope, findings and closure evidence before accepting either document. **How long are the documents current?** BSCI A and B results may be valid for up to 24 months; C, D and E results may be valid for up to 12 months. Current WRAP certificates are annual. For SMETA, set the review period through the supply-chain compliance programme and read the audit date alongside its findings. **Which scheme should a supplier have?** Use the scheme required by the applicable compliance programme or customer. If more than one is accepted, compare the site coverage, document date, scope, findings and verified corrective actions before approving the evidence. ## The decision behind the label BSCI, SMETA and WRAP can all contribute evidence about conditions at a production site, but they do not confer the same status. BSCI provides a rated monitoring result. SMETA provides an audit report and corrective-action record without a pass or fail. WRAP provides facility certification for its stated period. Approve the document only after five facts are clear: the exact site, assessment date, scope, open findings and closure status. That is the practical test. It distinguishes evidence that applies to the order from a current-looking document that covers the wrong place or says less than its label suggests. 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Every article is reviewed by practitioners who source, sample, and ship the products they write about. On this page - [What is the difference between BSCI, SMETA and WRAP?](#what-is-the-difference-between-bsci-smeta-and-wrap) - [What does an amfori BSCI result evidence?](#what-does-an-amfori-bsci-result-evidence) - [What does a Sedex SMETA report evidence?](#what-does-a-sedex-smeta-report-evidence) - [What does current WRAP certification evidence?](#what-does-current-wrap-certification-evidence) - [How should a buyer compare the three documents?](#how-should-a-buyer-compare-the-three-documents) - [What should go in the supplier compliance file?](#what-should-go-in-the-supplier-compliance-file) - [Short FAQ](#short-faq) - [The decision behind the label](#the-decision-behind-the-label) More from the newsroom - [Compliance · 9 min Brazil Textile Labelling Requirements for Apparel](/blog/2026/08/brazil-textile-labelling-requirements) - [Compliance · 9 min Japan Apparel Labelling: Fibre Content, JIS Care Symbols and Labeller Details](/blog/2026/08/japan-apparel-labelling-jis-care-symbols) - [Compliance · 10 min Canada Apparel Labelling: Bilingual Rules, CA Numbers and Fibre Content](/blog/2026/08/canada-apparel-labelling-requirements) START A CONVERSATION ## Ready to source with _confidence?_ Send a brief and we'll reply within 24 hours, with a first sample in 4 to 10 days. 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