Businesses — STEP Rates

STEP Fee Structure

STI's STEP Fee Structure is detailed below. For more information on the differences between becoming Self-assessed, Eco-assessed or Eco-certified, please visit the Learn How to Apply section of our website.

Volume discounts are available for companies or brands with multiple subsidiaries or destinations, as well as regional sustainable tourism initiatives. Also, note that STEP fees are non-refundable, are reviewed annually, and are subject to change.

Application Fee & Self-assessment Tool

The fee to apply for STEP or purchase a copy of STI's Self-assessment Tool is US$150 per application. This fee includes access to the Self-assessment Tool, up to one-half hour of in house support from a Certification Specialist, and one full hour for STI Members. Anytime after that is billable to the client at a US$75 an hour.

The Self-assessment Tool is a standalone educational, measurement and management framework, which doubles as an application for companies wanting to become Eco-assessed or Eco-certified. With automated scoring and results immediately available, your company can assess how well you are doing in each area of your business operations. It literally walks you through building and implementing a sustainability framework and informs you how to incrementally ramp up your sustainability initiatives over time.

Please note that businesses that purchase the STEP Self-assessment Tool are not committed to having their application processed by STI, but once they go through the Self-assessment process, they will be ready to process their application for certification if they choose to do so.

Processing Fee

STEP Application processing fees for those interested in becoming Eco-Assessed and or Eco-certified are based on your total number of full time employees or the total number of rooms in your accommodation:

Full-Time Employees	or Number of Rooms	Fee
1 – 4 employees	1 – 4 rooms	US$300
5 – 9 employees	5 – 19 rooms	US$450
10 – 19 employees	20 – 59 rooms	US$600
20 – 49 employees	60 – 99 rooms	US$900
50 – 99 employees	100 – 149 rooms	US$1200
100 – 149 employees	150 – 249 rooms	US$2400
150 or more employees	250 or more rooms	US$3600

Processing fees include Self-assessment Application submission, review, evaluation, processing and logo licensing only. Failure to follow the directions for application submission outlined on our Apply for STEP web page may result in a delay in processing and or a surcharge of US$75 an hour.

Please note that Self-Assessment Application processing fees DO NOT include the cost of an on-site audit if you wish to become Eco-certified - which is optional - from a STEP Accredited Auditor.

Auditor Fees

STEP Auditor fees for those interested in becoming Eco-certified are based on the size of your business. Please note that STI outsources on-site audits to STEP Accredited Auditors who require that all related fees be paid in advance. Their fee structure follows.

The on-site audit fee is US$800 per diem for businesses and hotels that have less than 10-19 full-time employees or 20-59 rooms, and is US$1200 per diem for larger businesses and hotels. Audit fees include the cost of the audit only. Travel rates are US$400 per diem plus travel expenses for businesses and hotels that have less than 10-19 full-time employees or 20-59 rooms, and US$600 per diem plus travel expenses for larger businesses and hotels.

The length of time required to complete an audit varies according to the size and scope of the applicant's operations, the level of Eco-certification desired, and how prepared and organized the application is with supporting documentation and evidence.

In general, depending on the size of the organization, the number of sites, and the level of preparedness, applications submitted for 3 stars typically require 2 to 4 days to audit, and applications submitted for 4 to 5 stars typically require 3 to 5 days to audit. As a result, each additional star applied for that requires an on-site audit generally incurs an additional 1 to 2-day fee.

Applicants who schedule an on-site audit agree to provide reasonable access through either free of charge or at-cost entry for STEP Accredited Auditors to evaluate their products and or services.

For more information, to schedule an audit or to determine the availability of auditors in your region, contact us.