The Business Case for Modern Slavery Certification

More organisations are being asked to prove their modern slavery position before any regulation requires it directly, as buyers above the $100 million reporting threshold push requirements down their supply chains. This explains the business case for modern slavery certification and what the process actually involves.

Last updated: 3 November 2026

Why is this coming up now, even for organisations below the reporting threshold?

Large buyers that must report under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 are increasingly writing modern slavery requirements into their own contracts and tender clauses, regardless of their suppliers' size. See our guide to preparing a Modern Slavery Statement and the proposed 2026 Act reforms for the regulatory detail.

What does modern slavery certification actually involve?

Level 1 is an automated, evidence-based check. The organisation submits real documents, such as a Modern Slavery Policy, a risk assessment, supplier contract clauses and a supplier list, against a fixed set of criteria, and the certificate issues once that evidence is confirmed present. It is not an audit or an assurance engagement. It confirms that structured evidence exists, not that an independent party has verified the underlying facts. See the full certification model.

What's the business case?

Procurement teams increasingly ask for checkable evidence, not a statement, before awarding tenders or onboarding a supplier. A certificate gives a buyer something to verify directly in the public directory rather than take on trust, and reduces how often the same evidence has to be assembled from scratch for each new request.

Organisations already certified

CFO Evolve holds a live ESG Verified certificate covering Modern Slavery evidence, publicly verifiable in the directory. Tama Services also holds a live certificate, currently covering Organisation Profile, Governance, Social and Environmental evidence, with Modern Slavery still to be added.

Frequently asked questions

Is modern slavery certification an audit?

No. No level of ESG Verified certification is an audit or assurance engagement. It confirms that structured evidence exists, reviewed against defined rules, not that an independent party has verified the underlying facts.

Does this apply to organisations below the $100 million reporting threshold?

Yes. ESG Verified certification itself isn't gated by a revenue threshold. The $100 million threshold applies to the statutory duty to publish a Modern Slavery Statement, not to getting certified.

How is this different from preparing a Modern Slavery Statement?

A Modern Slavery Statement is a statutory document reporting entities publish each year. ESG Verified certification is evidence-based and available to any organisation, whether or not it has a statutory reporting duty. See our guide to preparing a Modern Slavery Statement.