Dear stakeholders, 

We are pleased to announce the official launch of the web-based BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring Tool (BMT) – a user-friendly platform available at the following link: https://star4bbs.eu/web-tool/.  

The online version of the BMT is designed to make the tool widely accessible and fully usable as a self-assessment instrument, supporting the credibility, transparency, and alignment of certification systems with EU sustainability goals

The BMT was co-developed by the EU-funded projects STAR4BBS, HARMONITOR, and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED, working together under the BIOBASEDCERT Cluster as part of the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-07.  

It is an evidence-based system designed to evaluate the robustness, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness of sustainability certification schemes and labels (CSLs) for industrial bio-based systems.  

Certification schemes are crucial for guiding the bioeconomy’s sustainable transition. However, stakeholders often face challenges in judging their credibility and performance. 

The BMT addresses this by offering clear indicators across governance and sustainability criteria and by supporting continuous improvement of certification systems. The tool can demonstrate CSLs progress over time, support communication among stakeholders, and prepare CSLs for evolving EU policy objectives and requirements – strengthening the link between certification practice and sustainability governance.  

The BMT is structured around three assessment levels: 

STAR4BBS led the further development of the web-based version of the BMT, making it open source, freely available, and user-friendly software. 

The online tool provides a structured self-assessment framework, allowing scheme owners to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.  

It also offers policymakers and industry actors evidence-based insights into how well CSLs perform in supporting operability, sustainability and circularity objectives. By enhancing transparency and comparability, the BMT strengthens trust in certification and informs policy design. 

Users can register securely, define their assessment scope, and complete a tailored questionnaire. Each requirement is answered by selecting a response and providing justification with evidence. Results are visualized in the form of the interactive charts (spider diagrams, bar and pie charts, stacked graphs) and can be exported in PDF or CSV format. The tool is freely available and offers each user a personal space to save, revisit, and improve their assessments over time. 

Although the STAR4BBS and the sister projects have officially ended, the web-based BMT is built for long-term use. Scheme owners can return to their assessments to monitor progress, while policymakers can apply the tool to guide future policy frameworks, procurement, and regulatory alignment.  

We invite you to explore the web-based BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring Tool today, benchmark your scheme, and connect with us for future updates and more materials: star4bbs.eu/web-tool

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The STAR4BBS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 101060588 

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.