How long does it take to move from one category to the next on Ethics 1st? 

The speed of progress from registration to Green and to Silver mostly depends on the pace of the participating business in updating its compliance records and completing the required training. Listing in Green and Silver happens automatically after updating the requisite records and completing the training. Moving to Gold category happens after the company is already listed in Silver and there has been an independent assessment by an assessor in the country and the quarterly review by the advisory committee. This will take an average of 6 – 12 weeks from the date the company engages the independent assessor. 

How does progressing to the next category affect visibility of the company on Ethics 1st, does the progression make the company more visible or does it offer a bigger audience?  

All companies in all categories of listing will be visible to global and regional subscribers but will carry different weights of appeal from a risk and business advantage perspective based on the category of listing. Companies listed in Gold category will have stronger competitive advantage than those listed in Silver, and those listed in Silver will also have more advantage than those listed in Green. At the same time companies listed in Gold will find it less tedious to comply with third-party due diligence requirements of majority of principals and banks. Overall, listing in Ethics 1^st gives greater visibility and access to trade and financing opportunities.