Services / SMETA audit
SMETA audit for Sedex members, plus amfori BSCI, from $2,000
We prepare your site for a SMETA or amfori BSCI social audit and arrange the audit with an approved third-party audit company, so you get a clean report your buyers accept.
From $2,000Consultancy and third-party certification
- Accredited by IAB and INTAQS
- Issuing certificates since 2004
- Online or on-site audits worldwide
- Verify any EUROTECH certificate
What a SMETA audit is, and what you receive
SMETA, the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit, is the most widely used social audit method in global supply chains. It was created by Sedex so that a supplier can be audited once and share the result with many customers on the Sedex platform, instead of hosting a different audit for every buyer.
It is important to be clear about one point: SMETA is not a certification. There is no pass or fail and no certificate. The audit produces a report and a Corrective Action Plan Report, which the audit company uploads to Sedex. Your customers look at the findings and how fast you close them.
The audit measures your site against the ETI Base Code and local law, applying whichever gives workers more protection. The current methodology is SMETA 7, released by Sedex in 2024.
- Labour standards: freely chosen employment, freedom of association, child labour, wages, working hours, discrimination, regular employment and harsh treatment
- Health and safety in the workplace and any worker accommodation
- Management systems, the right to work and subcontracting
- In a 4-pillar audit: environment and business ethics as full pillars
Because the report is shared with every customer who has access to your Sedex profile, a well-prepared first audit pays off many times. One clean report can replace several customer-specific audits.
2-pillar or 4-pillar SMETA, and where amfori BSCI fits
A 2-pillar SMETA covers labour standards and health and safety, together with management systems, entitlement to work and subcontracting, plus a short environmental assessment. A 4-pillar SMETA adds environment and business ethics as full pillars, with more interviews and records to check. Your customer usually tells you which one they need; if they do not, ask, because a 2-pillar report will not satisfy a buyer who expects 4 pillars.
amfori BSCI is a different programme run by amfori, an association of retailers, importers and brands. Its audit is based on the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct, the result is rated on a grade scale and it is shared on the amfori Sustainability Platform. If your buyer is an amfori member, they will normally ask for amfori BSCI rather than SMETA.
Some suppliers need both because they sell to customers in both systems. We plan preparation so the evidence serves both audits, and the audit company can schedule them close together.
What the price includes and what drives it
SMETA and amfori BSCI support with EUROTECH starts at $2,000. The final price depends on your number of employees, the complexity of your processes and the scope of certification. Platform fees, such as your Sedex membership, are paid by you to the platform owner and are not part of our price.
- Number of workers on site, which sets the audit days and interview sample
- 2-pillar or 4-pillar SMETA, or amfori BSCI
- Worker accommodation on site, which must be audited as well
- Languages spoken by workers, which may need an interpreter
- Readiness: how much preparation work your records and practices need
- Follow-up audits to close findings, if required
Everything is listed in a written quote before you commit, so you can see each part of the cost and any follow-up visits separately.
Preparation is where most of the value lies. Fixing a wage calculation or a missing fire drill record before the audit costs far less than a follow-up audit to close the same issue afterwards.
How SMETA audit works with us
Step 1
Pre-audit preparation
We review your records against the ETI Base Code and local law, and agree 2 or 4 pillars with your buyer.
Step 2
Site tour
The approved auditor walks production, rest areas and any accommodation to see conditions directly.
Step 3
Health and safety check
Fire safety, exits, first aid, equipment and training are checked against records.
Step 4
Worker interviews and report
Private interviews are compared with records, and the report is uploaded to Sedex.
Local law and conditions decide many findings
We support suppliers in the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. Because SMETA applies the stricter of the ETI Base Code and local law, many findings come down to local rules: the legal minimum wage and how overtime is paid, the maximum weekly hours, rest days, leave, social insurance, and the rules for agency and migrant workers.
During preparation we check your payroll and time records against the law of your country, so differences are found and fixed before the auditor arrives rather than recorded as non-compliances. Where workers are recruited from other countries, we look at recruitment fees, contracts and whether identity documents stay with the workers, which are common forced labour indicators.
Audits can be announced or semi-announced, depending on what your customer asks for. With a semi-announced audit you get a window of dates rather than a fixed day, so your records and site need to be ready every day of that window.
What to expect on audit day
The audit is carried out on site. It starts with an opening meeting and a site tour covering production, warehouses, canteens, toilets, first aid points and any dormitories. Auditors then interview workers in private, individually and in small groups, without managers present.
Document review covers personnel files and age verification, employment contracts, at least twelve months of payroll and time records, overtime, leave, disciplinary records, grievance records, health and safety checks and, in a 4-pillar audit, environmental permits and ethics policies. The auditor compares what workers say with what the records show.
Subcontractors and homeworkers are checked as well. If part of your production is sent out to another workshop, the auditor will ask how you know the conditions there, so keep a list of subcontractors and any checks you have done.
At the closing meeting the auditor explains each non-compliance and observation, and you agree corrective actions and deadlines. The report and the Corrective Action Plan Report are then uploaded to Sedex.
After the audit: closing findings and staying ready
Your customers judge you on how you close findings. Some can be closed with documentary evidence; others need a follow-up visit by the audit company. We help you plan the actions, collect the evidence and keep the Corrective Action Plan Report up to date on the platform.
SMETA reports have no fixed expiry date, but most buyers expect a new audit every one to two years, or sooner after serious findings. Keep wage and time records accurate, keep your Sedex self-assessment questionnaire current and treat the corrective action plan as a living document.
If your buyer later asks for a certifiable social standard instead of an audit report, see our SA8000 page, and note the difference between the EUROTECH certificate and SAAS accredited certificates described there.
How this service works: EUROTECH provides the consultancy and preparation. The SMETA audit is carried out by a Sedex-approved audit company, and the amfori BSCI audit by an amfori-approved one, which we work with. SMETA produces an audit report, not a certificate.
Questions buyers ask
How much does a SMETA audit cost?
Our SMETA support starts at $2,000. Worker numbers, 2 or 4 pillars, accommodation and languages set the final price. Your Sedex membership fee is separate.
Is SMETA a certification?
No. SMETA produces an audit report and a corrective action plan shared on Sedex. There is no certificate and no pass or fail.
What is the difference between a SMETA 2-pillar and 4-pillar audit?
A 2-pillar audit covers labour standards and health and safety. A 4-pillar audit adds environment and business ethics as full pillars.
Do I need a Sedex membership?
Yes. Your site must be registered on the Sedex platform so the audit report can be uploaded and shared with your customers.
Who carries out the audit?
A Sedex-approved audit company for SMETA, or an amfori-approved one for amfori BSCI. EUROTECH prepares you and arranges the audit.
How often do we need a SMETA audit?
There is no fixed validity. Most buyers expect a new audit every one to two years, or sooner after serious findings.
Related services
- SA8000 certification
From $800
- FSSC 24000
From $2,000
- EcoVadis consultancy
From $1,500
Get a quote for SMETA audit
Tell us your company, sites and the standard you need. We reply with a written quote and the audit plan.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 307 205 1833
Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00 (US Mountain Time)