How do I apply for an Empowerdex Rating?

The step-to-step guide below gives a basic outline on how to obtain an Empowerdex Rating. For more information on the process or for a ratings pack please send an email to info@empowerdex.com

The Rating Process in Detail

Part 1 - Planning and Preparation

If you wish to engage us please fax the following documentation:-

* Ratings Application Form (find in ratings pack; please contact info@empowerdex.com for documentation)
* Empowerdex's signed Standard Terms & Conditions agreement
* Proof of the initial payment as per the pricing matrix contained in this pack or as per quotation
* Signed declaration
* Company ownership organogram (if you have one)
* Company profile

On receipt of the above you will be contacted to provisionally accept the verification, and to either set up a preliminary site visit date, or confirm the dates when the verification file will be received from the company.

Part 2 - Verification Preparation and information analysis

EMPOWERDEX will contact you once the application has been received, and confirm the date the verification file with all the requirements as per the Verification Questionnaire should be received.  A verification site visit will be conducted a week after receiving the file once the analyst has chosen what items they will be sampling.  Should the file be incomplete, the analyst will send a list of outstanding information that will be required on-site. The purpose of the site visit is to verify information, not to collect information. The analysis of the information must also happen at the office, and not on the verification day.  Therefore, if the list the analyst compiles is too long, or requests important material information, these will have to be sent beforehand to the office before a site visit date can be confirmed.

A verification site visit date will initially be set as soon as possible after the receipt of the verification file.

Part 3 - On-site Verification

EMPOWERDEX will perform a verification of the information presented, as well as any risk areas identified during analysis of the underlying information through the use of verification procedures, including the validation of supporting documentation, interviews with company representatives, employees, Enterprise Development and/or Socio Economic Development beneficiaries during the verification visits. 

On completion of the analysis, EMPOWERDEX will:

Hold a Preliminary Meeting after the verification to communicate the preliminary score and any problems experienced during verification.

The analyst will go back to the office, where the file will be reviewed and a preliminary report will be issued.

The client then has another 5 working-day window to appeal against the preliminary score received. For more information on the appeal process please consult the company’s appeals policy and procedure or ask the client services department to explain the process to you.

Once the appeal has been handled satisfactorily, the final report will be issued within five days of acceptance of the preliminary report.

Part 4 – Verifications Outcome

Once you have gone through the verifications process, you will be awarded a verification report with a verification certificate.  The overall verification score will be issued as per guidelines in the Codes of Good Practice, e.g. Level 3 Contributor.

Should you require an indepth report, especially for board presentation, this can be arranged at an additional fee.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  A Clarification meeting with an analyst may be arranged, but such a meeting will be billed in terms of time invested and travel/accommodation costs incurred. A Tender Letter will be issued automatically at the start of the process and is valid for a 3 month period, which is the time the verification should be completed if there are delays. Tender Letters may, unfortunately, not be re-issued upon expiry thereof.

Qualification (Total BEE Score)	B-BBEE Status	B-BBEE Recognition Level
Above 100%	Level One Contributor	135%
85%~100%	Level Two Contributor	125%
75%~85%	Level Three Contributor	110%
65%~75%	Level Four Contributor	100%
55%~65%	Level Five Contributor	80%
45%~55%	Level Six Contributor	60%
40%~45%	Level Seven Contributor	50%
30%~40%	Level Eight Contributor	10%
0%~30%	Non-Compliant Contributor	0%

NOTE: Should your company’s annual turnover not exceed R5 million, please note that you then qualify as an Exempted Micro Entity (EME), and that you need to inform Empowerdex of this fact so that we may send you an EME Application Form to complete. The Application Form attached is only relevant to clients with an annual turnover exceeding R5 million.

Commitment Fees and Payment Process

The cost of the verification will be dependent on the complexity of the ownership structure, the number of employees, procurement budget, and number of operating entities.

 

PRICING MATRIX
Validity Period	QSE		GENERIC					Number of Employees
			Annual Revenue
	>R5m and <R20m	>R20m and <R35m	>R35m and  <R50m	>R50m and <R100m	>R100m and <R250m	>R250m and <R500m	>R500m
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	9,450   + VAT	9,450  + VAT	11,000 + VAT	12,600 + VAT	17,320 + VAT	1 to 10 Employees
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	9,450   + VAT	11,000  + VAT	12,600 + VAT	17,320 + VAT	19,210 + VAT	10 to 50 Employees
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	11,000 + VAT	12,600 + VAT	17,320 + VAT	19,210 + VAT	22,170+ VAT	50 to 100 Employees
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	12,600 + VAT	17,320 + VAT	19,210 + VAT	22,170 + VAT	Quoted	100 to 250 Employees
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	17,320 + VAT	19,210 + VAT	22,170 + VAT	Quoted	Quoted	250 to 500 Employees
12 Months	7,800 + VAT	9,240 + VAT	19,210 + VAT	22,170 + VAT	Quoted	Quoted	Quoted	> 500 Employees

Complex Structures – Please note that there may be additional fees levied for analysing complex structures.  This will be communicated to you once the ownership organogram has been analysed before the acceptance of the quote.

PLEASE NOTE: 50% of the fee is payable upfront prior to any verification visit(s) being conducted. The balance (i.e. the remaining 50% as well as any project-related costs, e.g. travel (R2.80/km)) of the fee is also payable on completion, but also prior to the release of any final deliverables. Travel is charged for clients outside a 50km radius from any of our offices.