Announcing Improvements to Lighting Global Quality Assurance Co-Branding Procedures

Single off-grid solar lighting products are often branded and marketed by multiple companies through a process called co-branding. As the marketplace for off-grid solar products becomes increasingly saturated and competitive, more companies are co-branding their products with Lighting Global. The Lighting Global program does not require full independent testing of co-branded products if the original product meets the Lighting Global Quality Standards. Companies may submit a co-branded product for review and eventual posting on the Lighting Global website provided it meets the program requirements. Details and requirements of this process are described in the Co-Branding Policy.  
To increase stakeholder confidence in the quality of co-branded products, and to make it easier to find these products on the Lighting Global website, we are changing the way we handle co-branded products. Starting in February 2019:  

1.  We will give each brand of a product its own listing on the Lighting Global website with its own verification letter and specification sheet to clearly differentiate each product; 
2. We will inspect photographs and other digital materials to verify that the co-branded product is identical to the tested product and meets the consumer-facing information requirements of the Lighting Global Quality Standards;  
3. We will sign a three-party agreement with the product owner and co-branding company to ensure each company understands its rights and responsibilities; and 
4.  We will collect a $400 fee for quality verifying and listing a co-branded product to reflect administrative costs incurred. 

As always, we appreciate your business and welcome your comments on the program or these changes. Feel free to contact us at any time at qa@lightingglobal.org. We hope the updated policy will enable the Lighting Global program to better meet the needs of product manufacturers, brand owners, and their customers.