:: Vermont Business Environmental Partnership ::

An organization interested in becoming a Business Environmental Partner should review and become familiar with the Program standards.

The on-site visit is conducted by a VBEP representative during which a draft Achievement Form is started. The Achievement Form is a working document that mirrors the standards and allows for documentation of existing environmental initiatives that satisfy the standards. During the on-site visit, a tour of the facility is conducted and both existing practices which satisfy the standards and potential opportunities for improvements / new practices to implement to satisfy the standards are identified.

Upon completion of the visit, the VBEP representative will prepare a report documenting the visit and complete an electronic draft version of the Achievement Form. The report and draft Achievement Form are sent to the potential Partner along with a letter / email that clearly outlines:

Actions that need to be taken before being admitted to the Partnership;
Specific information needed from the business;
Compliance issues that may need to be addressed;
Resources that may be helpful to the business in order to make an improvement (i.e. product or vendor information).

Note: The Achievement Form sent to the potential Partner requires a signed certification by the owner / general manager that the organization has met the standards as documented in the Achievement Form, and will continue to meet the standards for three years. When new initiatives are to be implemented to satisfy the standards, the VBEP will enroll a business prior to those new initiatives being implemented provided the business makes a commitment to do so within a reasonable timeframe. By signing the statement, the potential Partner commits to implementation of those new initiatives, and also agrees to complete an annual Partner Performance Survey and make a good faith effort to comply with applicable state and federal regulations.

The potential Partner should review the letter, report and the draft of the Achievement Form for accuracy. This step in the process may involve dialogue between the potential Partner and VBEP, especially when new initiatives are to be implemented to satisfy the standards. Once there is agreement between the business and VBEP representative, the business finalizes the enrollment process by signing the certification (discussed above) found on the Achievement Form, and returning the Form to the VBEP along with a copy of their Environmental Policy Statement.

Upon receiving the signed Achievement Form (along with the Environmental Policy Statement), the VBEP will officially designate the organization as a Business Environmental Partner.