SMETA Moves Forward With SSCI Benchmarking Journey

We’re pleased to share SMETA 7.0’s progress in the process to secure formal recognition with the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI). This independent assessment of our methodology demonstrates our commitment to transparency, credibility and continuous improvement in delivering supply chain assessment solutions.  

The SSCI Benchmarking Process for SMETA, the world’s most widely used social audit, continues to move forward, with several review and response stages completed.

SMETA 7.0, launched in October 2025, was the most comprehensive evolution of the SMETA methodology in many years. Many of the improvements already made to enhance SMETA’s efficacy and usability in version 7.0 support our SSCI Benchmarking journey – including:

• Revised and additional issue titles to improve detection of critical concerns, including practices related to living wages, recruitment fees.
  
• Creating the new “Collaborative Action Required” type of finding, designed to highlight where suppliers will likely need support from their customers and other stakeholders to address particularly complex issues that are harder, or require longer, to remediate.
  
• Introducing the Management Systems Assessment area to identify potential risks more proactively, offering opportunities for improvement and improved mitigation before impacts manifest.
  
• Defining expectations for workplace conditions more clearly, supporting adoption and ensuring a consistent approach to assessing compliance with labour standards.
  

Further enhancements as part of the SSCI Benchmarking Process

Sedex is committed to continuously improving our solutions for maximum effectiveness, capability and value. We embrace the opportunities to make further improvements in collaboration with the SSCI, as part of the Benchmarking Process.

Additional improvements made to SMETA 7.0 so far through the Benchmarking Process include:

• Strengthening requirements related to human rights training and documentation, and human rights policy communication.
  
• Expanding requirements, assessment points and guidance around forced labour and child labour, including regarding documentation and reporting.
  
• Clarifying the use of registered chemicals.

We now enter the public consultation stage of the Benchmarking Process. Learn more and request the Benchmarking Report on the SSCI website.

About the SSCI

The Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) is an industry solution, from The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), committed to building trust in sustainability standards globally by supporting the benchmarking and recognition of auditing, monitoring and certification programmes.

Read more about our application for SMETA 7.0 here. 

Why we’re pursuing SSCI recognition

• Independent validation: SSCI recognition would provide impartial, third-party validation that offers you and your stakeholders greater confidence in SMETA’s rigour and reliability.

• Enhanced transparency: The Benchmarking Process includes public consultation and external expert review, demonstrating our commitment to openness and accountability.

• Industry alignment: Undergoing SSCI benchmarking is part of ensuring SMETA continues to meet evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements.
  

Discover the power of SMETA for site-level assessment

Speak to our team to learn more about SMETA – discover the power of in-person, site-level data and assessments for more effective supply chain due diligence.

Learn more about the SSCI Benchmarking Process at benchmark.tcgfssci.com.

For more information about the SSCI, please visit www.tcgfssci.com or contact the SSCI team at ssci@theconsumergoodsforum.com.