BSCI, WRAP and SMETA audited garment factories in Bangladesh

Retailers in the EU and the US usually ask suppliers to show a social audit before an order is placed: amfori BSCI for many EU buyers, WRAP for many US buyers, and SMETA where the retailer works through Sedex. BSCI, WRAP and SMETA audited garment factories in Bangladesh hold one or more of these, each covering one site on its audit date. An audit records what auditors found against a code; it is evidence, not a guarantee.

Garments Hub BD is not audited itself and makes nothing; it matches your enquiry to factories that hold the audit or certificate you need. Each result is checked against the issuer's record before the quote goes out, and the audit date, result and expiry come back with the price. A mixed range is placed only in plants holding the same standard.

Kinds of audit matching

Matching to one audit

The common request: a factory holding the one audit your customer names, usually amfori BSCI for EU retail or WRAP for US retail. Only plants holding it are asked to quote, and their result travels with the price.

Two audits for EU and US customers

A brand selling to retailers on both sides of the Atlantic may need a plant holding amfori BSCI and WRAP, or BSCI and SMETA. Fewer plants hold two, so the field is smaller.

Social audit plus building safety

A social audit says little about the building itself. Retailers sourcing from Bangladesh often also ask for the factory's fire, electrical and structural inspection status under the Accord or the RMG Sustainability Council.

One standard across a mixed range

Knit tops, woven trousers and sweaters come from different plant types. Every plant in the order holds the same audit, so one claim and one audit file cover the whole range.

What to ask BSCI, WRAP and SMETA audited garment factories in Bangladesh to show

The audit your customer names

amfori BSCI, WRAP, SMETA, SA8000 or a retailer's own code, and whether building safety status is also needed. Name it on the quote form, since it decides which factories can quote.

Minimum result

The lowest amfori BSCI rating, or the open SMETA findings, your customer accepts; WRAP now issues one annual certificate, so the question there is only whether it is current. Asking for A or B ratings only narrows the field further.

Audit details

The audit or certificate number, audit date, result and expiry, and the site address it covers. These are the details the desk checks against the issuer.

Sites and subcontractors

Every site in the order: the sewing plant and any outside printing, embroidery or washing unit. An audit covers one address, so outside units need their own audit or a written ban on subcontracting.

Report access

Whether you need the full report or a summary. Full reports sit on the amfori platform or on Sedex for linked members, and factories often share only the summary page directly.

Audits and inspections, and what each shows

amfori BSCI

A social audit rated A to E, not a certificate. A full audit falls every two years, and a result with findings to clear brings a follow-up audit in between on those areas. Ask for the rating, the audit date and the next due date.

WRAP

Facility certification built on 12 principles, common with US buyers. Since 1 March 2026 WRAP issues one annual certificate with no silver, gold or platinum level; older platinum certificates run to their own expiry. Ask for the expiry date.

SMETA

A Sedex audit method with no pass or fail and no certificate: it reports findings and a corrective action plan. Two pillar audits cover labour standards and health and safety; four pillar audits extend environment and add business ethics.

Accord / RSC

Fire, electrical and structural safety inspection of garment factories in Bangladesh, carried out by the RMG Sustainability Council since 2020. Ask for the inspection status and progress on remediation.

SA8000

A social certification standard for workplaces from Social Accountability International. Fewer garment factories usually hold it than BSCI or WRAP, so asking for it narrows the choice.

What moves the price at audited factories

• A narrower pool: each audit or minimum rating you require removes factories that would otherwise quote.
• Working hour limits checked at audit, which leave less overtime to absorb a rushed order.
• Audit fees, usually paid by the factory and carried in its overheads rather than billed per order.
• Audited subcontractors only: outside printing, embroidery or washing in an audited unit can cost more.

Lead time for BSCI and WRAP audited factories

Audited factories run the usual timings: samples usually take 7 to 14 days, and bulk 30 to 60 days after written PP approval. The audit calendar can stretch them: a result expiring before shipment needs renewing first, and a new audit for a plant without one usually takes weeks to schedule. The quote states the dates.

What we check in BSCI and WRAP audited factories

• Audit valid at shipmentThe audit or certificate expiry compared with the ship date, so the result your customer files is still current when goods leave.
• Production at the audited addressInline inspection held at the audited site, which confirms the order is sewn there and not moved to another unit.
• Outside processesPrinting, embroidery and washing traced to the units named in the quote, each holding the audit agreed.
• Documents name the audited siteCommercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin checked to name the same manufacturer as the audit.

Questions buyers ask about BSCI and WRAP audited factories