Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What is the B Corp certification process for drinks brands, particularly regarding articles of association changes and revenue reporting for resubmission?
B Corp certification in the community has a dedicated sub-group. Several members have recently completed the process. **Articles of association changes:** Multiple members have completed this step; connect via the dedicated B Corp member group for detailed guidance on requirements. **Revenue reporting for resubmission:** When resubmitting to B Corp, you may encounter a system limitation that only allows submission of a single revenue figure (rather than separate gross and net), with certification points calculated as a percentage of that number. - **Gross revenue (including duty) is the standard submission.** Members who have completed resubmissions report that B Corp expects gross revenue including duty, not ex-duty net revenue. This aligns with industry standard practice for drinks brands. - **Both gross and net should be tracked internally**, even if only one can be submitted to the system. Members track both figures for their own compliance and donation calculations. - **For points-based metrics (e.g. charity donations as % of revenue):** Members calculate these against gross revenue including duty, which is what they submit to B Corp. Members recommend connecting with the private B Corp founder group (link available from community moderators) for real-time support, as several founders are actively navigating resubmissions and can offer current guidance on system quirks and B Corp's latest expectations.
What is the APPA registration process, how long does it take, and what are the reporting and warehousing requirements?
APPA registration is currently backlogged, with members reporting 2+ week delays on ID issuance. Once registered, the process itself is straightforward. **Registration and timeline:** - Expect delays; members have waited 2+ weeks for their APPA ID after application - APPA staff are reportedly "snowed under" working through the backlog **Reporting requirements:** - Members can continue submitting **W1 and W5 forms** while awaiting APPA approval - Once your APPA number is active, you can file **nil returns** instead of W1 and W5 forms - Members have successfully submitted nil returns; the process is described as "easy and straightforward" **Warehousing considerations:** - **Do not close your TF (Trade and Excise) license or warehouse yet** — several members flagged that APPA numbers do not yet work with EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System) - You will likely still need your existing warehousing and TF license to use EMCS, even after obtaining your APPA number - If you've asked the NRU (National Receipts Unit) to close your warehouse, follow up to reverse the request or delay closure until EMCS compatibility is clarified **Caveats:** The integration between APPA and EMCS is still in flux; do not assume you can decommission legacy systems immediately upon APPA approval.
How should we account for different pack formats (cans vs bottles) when reporting sales in 9-litre case equivalents?
Members report that the industry standard for converting multiple pack formats to a single reporting unit is the **divide-by-10 method**, used by major players like Diageo. This means 90L of product (whether RTD, beer, spirits, or cans) = one 9-litre case equivalent (also called "EU" or "Equivalent Units"). So a 250ml can would be counted as 0.25L in your calculation, then divided by 10 to get the case-equivalent contribution. This approach normalises across different volumes and formats on a single standardised metric for reporting purposes.