Mimelis Lab Certification Regulations

Below you will find the details of our Mimelis Lab certification process, which we will refer to as the "Certification Regulations." These regulations are part of our Mimelis Lab Membership Regulations . By becoming a Mimelis Lab member and using our certification-related services, you agree to these regulations as well as our Mimelis Lab Membership Regulations.

1. Eligibility for certification

   To be eligible for certification, the user must be a member and meet the following eligibility requirements:

   • The member must pay the Standard Membership Fee
   • the company must have its headquarters in Switzerland, or the entity
   • the company must not belong to the ineligible sectors according to the article on ineligibility applicable to certain sectors .
   • The company must have been in operation for at least six months or be able to demonstrate that it has implemented tangible positive impact measures since its inception.

   For example, individuals, foundations or institutions are not eligible for certification.

2. Generalities

   The certification is based on a structured and multidimensional assessment covering five dimensions of impact, each broken down into several areas. Member companies can initiate the Mimelis Lab certification process.

   1. Certification is awarded following a rigorous assessment based on the MLIA (Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment), a structured questionnaire that allows for the analysis of the company's commitments and practices across five key dimensions.
   2. It is possible to find out about the areas and types of questions that can be asked without being a member beforehand.
   3. The exact list of questions cannot be known before starting the certification, or becoming a member of the label, and it is adjusted in particular according to the size, structure and sector of activity of the entity.
   4. Obtaining or not obtaining certification does not affect the visibility of the Public Company Profile. However, the certification logo and results will only be displayed on the page once certification has been obtained.

3. Process

   To begin the certification process, the user must be a member of the Mimelis Lab label. Process:

   1. He must have completed his public company profile. However, it is not essential that this profile be publicly visible, and he can disable its visibility from his Cockpit if he wishes. This information is used to evaluate and verify the application before issuing the certification.
   2. The company must have verified that it complies with the ineligible sectors since the article on ineligibility applicable to certain sectors .
   3. Preliminary questions: The company answers preliminary questions that will personalize the questions in its Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment (MLIA).
   4. The user can complete the MLIA in any order they wish; questions are recorded by domain.
   5. There is no time limit for answering the questions or completing all the questions.
   6. When the member has completed all the questions, he confirms that he wishes to submit his application.
   7. The case is entering the verification phase.
   8. When all the conditions for obtaining and verification are validated, the certification is issued.
   9. The member can view the status from their Cockpit, as well as the results obtained.
   10. The new "M certified" logo is automatically available from its Cockpit, and the results are displayed on the company profile.

4. Obtaining

   1. The company must obtain an overall score of at least 80 out of 200 on the Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment MLIA benchmark, with no single one of the five assessment areas scoring below 10 out of 40.
   2. The company must have been in operation for at least six months or be able to demonstrate that it has implemented tangible positive impact measures since its creation.
   3. It is necessary to comply with the ineligibility conditions applicable to certain sectors
   4. The MLIA questionnaire is based on self-certification; however, Mimelis Lab reserves the right to conduct an additional audit to verify certain information and answers. Therefore, individuals completing the questionnaire must be able to provide accurate and verifiable answers to Mimelis Lab upon request.
   5. If some of the required criteria are not met, Mimelis Lab retains sole discretion to grant certification. For example, if a company achieves excellent scores in certain areas and is close to the minimum required score, Mimelis Lab may decide to grant certification.
   6. Only the final verification and decision phase, made by Mimelis Lab, will determine whether or not Mimelis Lab certification is obtained.

5. Validity

   1. When the company obtains the certification, it is valid for a period of 3 years.
   2. The validity of the certification is directly linked to the acceptance of the transparent publication of the scores obtained by dimension and by domain on the company's Public Profile.
   3. During the validity of its certification, the entity can then use the "Certified M Company" logo.
   4. She can download it directly from her Cockpit.
   5. When the entity is no longer a member, for example because it has terminated its membership, the certification becomes invalid and can no longer be used.
   6. Similarly, when a member's membership is suspended, for example for non-payment of dues, the certification becomes invalid and cannot be used until the membership is reinstated.

6. Internal use

   1. The Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment and its certification can be used internally within the company, as a teaching tool, without publishing the results publicly, or by publishing them only after the fact.
   2. Each company can control the visibility of its profile and/or the results obtained in the certification (if obtained).
   3. A company that does not display its public profile and/or results cannot claim to have obtained certification, nor can it be publicly certified. For example, it cannot use the logo. This does not affect its membership status in the Mimelis Lab label, and it can still use the corresponding "M Supported Company" logo.
   4. If a company decides to post-publication its results, it regains the right to claim to be certified.

7. Questions and MLIA

   1. The Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment (MLIA), as well as any other pre-certification questions, is developed and administered by Mimelis Lab.
   2. The questionnaire is automatically adapted according to the type of entity, its size, its sector of activity or other relevant characteristics.
   3. Some questions may not apply to certain companies, while others may be optional or offered in different variations.
   4. The Member acknowledges that the questionnaire and its questions:
      1. may contain errors or inaccuracies;
      2. may not be perfectly relevant to the exact profile of the company;
      3. and that Mimelis Lab cannot be held responsible for the consequences of these limitations, including if this results in a low score in a domain or failure to obtain certification.
   5. Each question must be answered by choosing the best possible answer based on the company's actual knowledge and practices.
   6. Some questions might suggest:
      1. an "I don't know" option, which does not award any points;
      2. or a "Not applicable" option, which allows the question to be neutralized so that it does not affect the overall score.
   7. The Member agrees to answer all questions honestly and diligently, making the best use of the information available at the time of the evaluation.

8. Update

   1. The Mimelis Lab Impact Assessment (MLIA), as well as the Mimelis Lab certification framework, are not static and can evolve over time to incorporate new criteria, adjust existing questions or reflect emerging practices and issues.
   2. The evaluation criteria and thresholds may be revised periodically.
   3. Mimelis Lab reserves the right to publish new versions of the MLIA questionnaire and certification repository.
   4. Each new version is communicated to Members and becomes applicable for any new assessment or recertification.
   5. The Mimelis Lab certification obtained by a company remains valid for its initial duration (three years, unless otherwise stipulated), but the company may choose to undergo a new evaluation in order to take into account the updated criteria.
   6. Mimelis Lab is not responsible for the consequences related to the evolution of criteria or questions for certifications already issued or for scores obtained in previous versions.
   7. The Member agrees to comply with new versions if they wish to recertify their company or update their public profile, in order to ensure compliance with the current standards of the label.

9. Retake the assessment

   1. A company can retake the assessment, either to obtain it for the first time, or to try to improve its scores.
   2. Beyond the first free annual attempt, additional fees will be charged for each new attempt, see details in the article Mimelis Lab Membership and Certification - Pricing .
   3. When a company re-evaluates, its old certifications become invalid, and it is the result of the new certification that counts.

10. Rights and obligations

    1. Validity and cessation of use : As soon as the Mimelis Lab certification is no longer valid, the company must immediately cease all use of the "M Certified Company" logo and its variants.
    2. Trademark ownership : The user acknowledges that Mimelis Lab holds exclusive ownership of the trademark and associated logos.
    3. Granting of the right of use : Mimelis Lab grants the user a non-exclusive right to use the "M Certified Company" logo or its variants to identify their company, products or services, provided that the latter comply with the values ​​promoted by the Mimelis Lab label, as defined by the five dimensions of positive impact.
    4. The user is not authorized to grant sublicenses, except with the prior written approval of Mimelis Lab.
    5. Compliance and withdrawal : The logo or trademark may only be affixed to products or services that are sufficiently aligned with the label's values. Mimelis Lab reserves the right to refuse or withdraw authorization for use if a specific product, service, or use is not compliant. In this case, the company must immediately comply and remove the logo or trademark in question.
    6. In case of doubt, Mimelis Lab may impose additional criteria related to the evaluation of the five dimensions of the label, without prior justification.
    7. Permitted use : The Member may use the original logo in all its forms on their website, social networks, catalogues, brochures, advertisements, etc.
    8. However, it is prohibited to use the logo or trademark in a way that misleads stakeholders, or suggests an uncertified commitment or non-existent affiliation.
    9. Size and legibility : The logo must be displayed at a size sufficient to ensure that all information is legible. It must never be displayed smaller than other logos or certifications when presented alongside other trademarks or labels.