Growens gets the legality rating ✭✭✭

February 9, 2021 – Update

We are proud to announce that, following the supplementary application submitted during last December, the Authority decided to increase the score relating to the Legality Rating attributed to Growens S.p.A. (formerly MailUp S.p.A.), bringing it to ★★★ (maximum score).

We are pleased to receive this further confirmation of the company’s commitment to a healthy, ethical and transparent business.

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We are proud to announce the achievement of an important result for Growens SpA: the awarding, granted by the AGCM (the Italian Competition and Market Authority) of a legality rating with a score of ✭✭ ++, just a step away from the maximum score of 3 stars. 

The company is therefore registered in the public list of companies with a legality rating held by the AGCM.

The legality rating is a synthetic indicator of a company’s compliance with high standards of legality and thorough attention paid to lawful business management.

The purpose of the rating is to reward companies that comply with the law, are transparent and operate according to sound ethical principles, allowing access to specific advantages and benefits regarding reputation, granting of loans by Public Administrations and access to credit. 

Let’s find out more closely what the legality rating is and why it represents an important recognition of Growens’ way of operating.

What is the legality rating?

Since January 2013 the legality rating is an active tool created by the AGCM, with the aim of rewarding companies that comply with the law, are transparent and operate according to sound ethical principles.

The number of companies that own the legality rating is constantly increasing: to date, there are over 7,500.

The increasing importance, that this indicator is assuming, is also proved by:

• the introduction of the rating in the Procurement Code, as a reward criterion that recognizes an additional score (since May 2016) 
• the inclusion (in November 2017) of the rating within of the companies’ chamber of commerce surveys, in the “activities – registers, roles and licenses” section.

The rating can be required by companies that cumulatively satisfy two of the following requirements, turnover of at least € 2 million, operational headquarters in Italy and / or registration in the business register for at least two years.

The request to obtain the rating takes place on a voluntary basis.

Why is using the legality rating a good idea?

The legality rating is a certification that allows the company that owns it, to obtain a series of advantages relating to the following spheres.

Reputation 

The company is included in a public list on the AGCM website and the rating is automatically entered in the chamber of commerce registration.

The company can also advertise obtaining the rating to enhance its business opportunities, transparency in external relations and on the market, as well as its corporate image with Stakeholders.

Granting Of Loans By Public Administrations 

The Decree provides for various reward systems that can lead the company that has a legality rating to:

• A preference in the ranking
• Get an additional score 
• Benefit from a reserve of a portion of the allocated financial resources.

Credit Access

The company in possession of the legality rating can obtain benefits in relation to:

• Reduction of the time and costs of the investigation 
• Determination of economic conditions of disbursement (such as lower interest rates) 

In addition, credit institutions that fail to take into account the rating assigned when granting loans to businesses are required to report the Bank of Italy on the reasons for the decision taken.

Score

The legality rating provides for 3 levels of membership and it supports itself by assigning a score from one to three stars based on the compliance level of needed requirements, which are partly regulatory and partly non-regulatory.

• The base score of a single star is assigned when all the requirements, written in art.2 of the Regulation, are provided.
• From here, the score can be increased with a “+” for any additional requirement met by the company, among those provided for by art. 3 of the Regulation. Upon achieving three “+”, the company is awarded with an additional star, until the maximum number of three stars is reached.

In order to obtain the “basic” rating (one star) some self-certified minimum requirements are requested, such as:

• The absence of personal or property prevention measures or the absence of personal or property precautionary measures for directors and shareholders
• The absence of conviction and the application of precautionary measures for 231 offenses
• The absence of convictions by the Authority and the European Commission for antitrust offenses
• The absence of provisions for non-compliance with the laws on the protection of health and safety in the workplace and for violations in terms of pay, contributions, insurance and tax

The possession of the following additional reward requirements, provided for by art. 3 of the Regulations, allowed the company to obtain the final score of ✭✭ ++:

• The adoption of a payment traceability system
• Possession of an effective control body pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 or the adoption of an organizational model 
• Registration in the lists of suppliers, so-called white list, or not to operate in one of the sectors at greatest risk of mafia infiltration
• Adherence to codes of ethics and self-regulation of the category
• The adoption of models to prevent and combat corruption or the application of the Organizational Model to crimes against the P.A.

Goal: three stars

Although we are extremely satisfied with the recognition that we obtained, the path is not finished.

In fact, within the current year, we expect to be able to submit the request for an increase in the score obtained, integrating the additional reward requirement of the adoption of a Corporate Social Responsibility system. 

In this way, we will be able to obtain the third star and therefore the maximum score.

 

Ultimo aggiornamento: 3 febbraio 2022

 

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Article by Gaia Menoni
Senior Compliance Specialist, Growens