BSCI vs SEDEX: a buyer's guide to social compliance in Bangladesh

If you source apparel from Bangladesh, two acronyms will come up again and again: BSCI and SEDEX. Both are about social compliance — making sure a factory treats its workers fairly and safely. Buyers often ask which one they should require. Here is a clear comparison.

BSCI (amfori BSCI)

BSCI is a social auditing system run by amfori, a European business association. A BSCI audit assesses a factory against a code of conduct covering workers’ rights, fair pay, working hours, health and safety, and no child or forced labour. The result is a graded outcome (A to E), which makes it easy to compare factories at a glance.

BSCI is especially common among European retailers, so if you sell into the EU, buyers in your chain will frequently expect it.

SEDEX / SMETA

SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a membership platform where factories store and share ethical data. The actual audit is called SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit), which checks labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics.

Unlike BSCI, SMETA does not give a simple grade — it produces a report of findings and corrective actions. SEDEX is widely used by UK and international retailers.

The key differences

• Grading: BSCI gives a letter grade; SMETA gives a findings report.
• Geography: BSCI skews European retail; SEDEX/SMETA skews UK and global.
• Structure: BSCI is an audit programme; SEDEX is a data-sharing platform with SMETA as its audit method.
• Overlap: They cover very similar ground, so a compliant factory often holds both.

Which should you ask for?

Ask for whichever your own customers require — and if you’re not sure, a factory that holds both BSCI and a recent SMETA report is a strong signal of a well-run, audit-ready operation. What matters most is not the badge itself but that the audit is recent, valid, and free of unresolved critical findings.

How Almekora Global handles it

Every factory on our panel is vetted for valid social compliance before it ever touches your order, and we help you collect the certificates and audit reports your buyers will ask for. Compliance is the first filter, not an afterthought.

Want a factory that already meets your customers’ standards? Talk to us.