How IBT Works

From Application
to Certified.

IBT independently contacts your real clients, verifies who they are, asks one question, and lets the math decide. Here's every step — nothing hidden.

Jump to the process ↓ Apply for Certification
01
Apply
02
Verify
03
Survey
04
Decide
05
Earn
06
Renew
01
Day 0  ·  ~10 minutes

You apply. We review.

Submit your business info, your client count, and your industry. That's it for now.

What you provide

Business name, contact info, industry, client count (N), and average contract value.

What we calculate

Your sampling plan (how many clients we'll contact, what counts as passing), and your fee.

Start Your Application →
02
Days 1–14  ·  Independent verification

We verify your client list.

You submit your full client list and sign a legal declaration that it's complete and accurate. We cross-check it against two independent sources.

Billing records
CRM data
Random callback audit (10%)

Why this matters: you can't add fake clients, and you can't leave out unhappy ones. The list has to be real.

03
Days 14–90  ·  90-day evidence window

We ask your clients. One question.

IBT contacts your clients in a randomized order — you don't know who, and you don't know when. Every respondent must verify their identity before their answer counts.

The IBT Survey — Every Business, Every Time
"Overall, how would you describe your experience with [Business]?"
Positive Counts toward your score
Negative Counts against passing
Neutral Response only — no weight
Identity verified before counting
Business sees no individual responses
Same survey for every business
04
Day 90–95  ·  The math decides

No person makes the call.

When the 90-day window closes, the results go into a published statistical formula. The formula gives a pass or fail. Our Certification Committee can only verify the process was followed — they can't change the outcome.

Try It — See How the Decision Works

The full formula and all thresholds are published — anyone can check the math.

05
Day 95+  ·  Your result

You earn a Standing. Or you don't.

Pass, and you get a certification level — Bronze through Platinum — based on how many verified clients had a positive experience. Higher levels mean more satisfied clients at real scale.

🥉
Bronze
≥80%
verified
🥈
Silver
≥85%
1.5× volume
🥇
Gold
≥90%
2× volume
💎
Platinum
≥95%
3× volume

If you don't pass, you receive a full report showing exactly where you stood — response count, ratio, and what you'd need to reach certification. You can reapply in 90 days.

06
Month 11+  ·  Staying certified

Annual renewal. No shortcuts.

Certification lasts 12 months. Renewal is a full re-assessment from scratch — your past standing gives you no advantage. This keeps every IBT certification current and meaningful.

Certificate valid 12 months from issue date
Apply up to 60 days early for uninterrupted coverage
N resets to clients served in the past 12 months
Failed renewal revokes certificate immediately
Pricing

One formula. No surprises.

Your fee depends on how many clients you have, what industry you're in, and the size of your typical contract. It's all math — no negotiation, no sales process.

The Formula
Fee = (n × $50 + N × $3) × I × C
Rounded to nearest $500. Minimum $500.
nSample size — set by your client count
NYour total client count
IIndustry tier: 1.0× / 1.5× / 2.0×
CContract size: 0.5× to 2.0×
Quick Reference — Medium Contracts
Clients (N) Expressive Generative Fiduciary
50$1,500$2,000$3,000
100$2,000$3,000$4,500
500$5,500$7,500$13,500
1,000$9,000$12,000$21,000
Full pricing table →
Governance

Who makes the decisions — and who can't.

IBT is structured so that no single person can grant or deny certification. The data collectors and the decision-makers are separate by design.

🔍
Data Collection

Assessment Team

Contacts clients, verifies identity, records responses. Has zero authority over certification decisions.

⚖️
Decisions

Certification Committee

Reviews whether process was followed correctly. Cannot override the mathematical outcome.

🏛️
Oversight

Impartiality Board

External body with no operational role. Conducts annual audits and publishes results publicly.

Appeals

If something went wrong, you can challenge it.

IBT accepts formal appeals on three grounds. File within 30 days of your decision.

01 IBT failed to follow its own published process
02 A verified identity error changed the result
03 An undisclosed conflict of interest was involved
Not appealable: the statistical outcome itself. The math is the judge.
Appeal Timeline
Day 0
Decision issued
Day 30
Filing deadline
Day 75
Impartiality Board review complete
Day 75+
Final decision issued — published anonymously

Ready to get started?

Apply now. The first step takes less than ten minutes.