Leather Working Group
Leather Working Group is a UK-based global not-for-profit that develops and maintains audit and certification standards for the leather supply chain, serving over 2,000 brand, manufacturer, supplier, and affiliate stakeholders across 60+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMilton Keynes, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Leather Working Group does
Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global not-for-profit multi-stakeholder organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. It develops and maintains audit and certification standards for the leather supply chain, including the Leather Manufacturer Standard, Leather Trader Standard, Commissioning Manufacturer Standard, and Subcontractor Standard, administered independently by LWG Assurance Services. Its LWG Audit Standard is used to assess over one-third of global finished leather production, with participation from over 2,000 stakeholders across more than 60 countries, including major brands such as adidas, Nike, LVMH, Hermès, Burberry, IKEA, Marks & Spencer, Clarks, Timberland, Dr Martens, and Tapestry. The organization is also developing a next-generation Sustainability System encompassing a Leather Production Standard, Chain of Custody Standard, Decarbonisation Framework, and a Carbon Footprint Tool, alongside traceability resources such as the Supply Chain Mapping Resource.
LWG operates a membership-based revenue model supplemented by audit levies. Membership fees are scaled to members' global annual turnover, generating 87% of revenue in financial year 2024/2025, with the remaining 13% from audit levies. Total revenue for FY 2024/2025 was £2.46M. The organization is governed by an elected Board comprising four tanneries, four brands, and one supplier, with four-year terms and additional oversight from a Programme Board and Technical Subgroup. Certification is delivered through approved auditors under LWG Assurance Services, which operates independently to mitigate commercial conflicts of interest. The Standards Development Programme, public consultations, and policy advocacy on emerging regulation (notably the EU Deforestation Regulation) form the core of LWG's standards-evolution and ecosystem-leadership activities.
Leather Working Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Leather Working Group
- Legal name
- Leather Working Group
- Website
- https://leatherworkinggroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Leather Working Group is a UK-based global not-for-profit that develops and maintains audit and certification standards for the leather supply chain, serving over 2,000 brand, manufacturer, supplier, and affiliate stakeholders across 60+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Leather Working Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Certification Services
- NAICS
- Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leather Testing, Grading & Quality Certification (IMAOAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Leather Effluent Treatment & Environmental Compliance Services (IMAOAGAO)
Keywords
Where Leather Working Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milton Keynes
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Leather Working Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: LWG is a membership-based organisation with fees based on global annual turnover of an organisation. Brands, retailers and suppliers use the LWG programme within their supply chains.
- Audit Levy: Revenue from audit levy in addition to membership fees, accounting for remainder of revenue beyond membership fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership fees based on global annual turnover |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Leather Working Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global not-for-profit multi-stakeholder organisation that sets and maintains audit standards for assessing and certifying leather manufacturers, traders, commissioning manufacturers, and subcontractors. Its portfolio includes four core certification standards plus the Tannery Of The Future initiative, all delivered through independent third-party audits managed by LWG Assurance Services. The organisation generates revenue primarily through membership fees (87%) and audit levies, and over a third of global finished leather production is assessed using the LWG Audit Standard.
Product overview
Leather Working Group is a global not-for-profit multi-stakeholder organization that serves as the world's largest stakeholder organization dedicated to the leather industry. The organization operates a suite of certification standards including the Leather Manufacturer Standard, Leather Trader Standard, Commissioning Manufacturer Standard, and Subcontractor Standard, all designed to assess and certify environmental and social performance across the leather supply chain. The portfolio also includes the Tannery Of The Future initiative for recognizing leadership in sustainability. Central to LWG's offerings is its Standards Development Programme, which oversees the evolution of audit standards including the upcoming Leather Production Standard, Chain of Custody Standard, and Decarbonisation Framework. The organization also provides Claims Guidance for authorized communication about LWG certification and offers a Supply Chain Mapping Resource for traceability and deforestation due diligence. All certifications are administered independently by LWG Assurance Services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Leather Manufacturer Standard
- Leather Trader Standard
- Commissioning Manufacturer Standard
- Subcontractor Standard
- Tannery Of The Future
- Standards Development Programme
- Claims Guidance
Quantifiable outcome
- Over one-third of global finished leather production assessed using LWG Audit Standard
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Leather Working Group
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Leather Working Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Leather Working Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- JBS CouroscoreLeather manufacturer represented on LWG Board by Cezar Gernhardt until March 2027. Active in Programme Board.
- Industrias del CurtidocoreLeather manufacturer represented on LWG Board by Silvino Navarro until March 2028.
- KH Exports India Pvt. LtdcoreLeather manufacturer represented on LWG Board by Malack Abdul Wahab since August 2025 until September 2029.
- Gruppo MastrottocoreLeather manufacturer represented on LWG Board by Renata Sartori until September 2026. Also represented on Programme Board by Guido Zilli.
- TapestrycoreBrand represented on LWG Board by David Wright until March 2029. Representative Carolin Kuntz also serves on Programme Board.
- ECCOcoreRepresents manufacturers on LWG Programme Board through Thomas Gregor.
- Farida GroupcoreRepresented on Programme Board by Israr Ahmed Mecca.
- HermescoreLuxury brand represented on LWG Board by Bertrand Jaud until September 2027. Represented on Programme Board by Marie Hortense Terrier.
- LVMHcoreMajor luxury goods group represented on Programme Board by Enrico Faterella.
- StahlcoreChemical supplier represented on Programme Board by Mike Costello.
- UNIDOminorUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization represented on Programme Board by Ivan Kral.
- TFL Ledertechnik GmbHcoreSupplier represented on LWG Board by Dr Volker Rabe.
- LWG Assurance ServicescoreSeparate organisation that independently manages certification to LWG Standards. Operates independently without commercial pressures to deliver certification services aligned to best auditing practices.
- LWG AS Approved AuditorscoreApproved auditors including Yigit Kaman (LWG AS Approved Auditor) represented on Programme Board.
- adidascoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Currently represented on LWG Board by Carolin Kuntz (until March 2030). Active participant in Programme Board.
- ClarkscoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Represented on LWG Board. Active in governance and standards development.
- IKEAcoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Major retailer committed to responsible sourcing through LWG certification.
- NikecoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Major footwear brand driving sustainability in leather supply chain.
- Marks & SpencercoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Major UK retailer committed to responsible sourcing practices.
- New BalancecoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Active in governance and standards development.
- TimberlandcoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Brand committed to environmental responsibility.
- PrimeAsia Leather CompanycoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Leather manufacturer founding participant.
- ISA TanTeccoreFounding member of Leather Working Group. Represented on Technical Subgroup by Carl Flach.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Leather Working Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Textile Exchange: Global non-profit managing sustainability standards (e.g., GRS, RCS, OCS) for materials and textiles. Closely comparable to LWG as a multi-stakeholder standards body setting certifications for material supply chains, including leather via its Leather Standard.
Broad incumbents
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Multi-stakeholder non-profit providing forest-based material certification. Comparable to LWG in governance model and use of audit-based standards for chain-of-custody traceability, particularly relevant as LWG develops its deforestation due diligence framework.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Leather Working Group social profiles
Digital presenceLeather Working Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Leather Working Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Leather Working Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Leather Working Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Leather Working Group
What does Leather Working Group do?
Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global not-for-profit multi-stakeholder organisation that sets and maintains audit standards for assessing and certifying leather manufacturers, traders, commissioning manufacturers, and subcontractors. Its portfolio includes four core certification standards plus the Tannery Of The Future initiative, all delivered through independent third-party audits managed by LWG Assurance Services. The organisation generates revenue primarily through membership fees (87%) and audit levies, and over a third of global finished leather production is assessed using the LWG Audit Standard.
Is Leather Working Group a public or private company?
Leather Working Group is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Leather Working Group founded?
Leather Working Group was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Leather Working Group based?
Leather Working Group is headquartered in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Leather Working Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are audit Levy.
Who are Leather Working Group's main competitors?
Textile Exchange is listed as a direct peer. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Leather Working Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Leather Working Group.
What industry is Leather Working Group in?
Leather Working Group's product category is Sustainability Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAGAJ, Leather Testing, Grading & Quality Certification, with a secondary code of IMAOAGAO, Leather Effluent Treatment & Environmental Compliance Services. Its NAICS code is 316 and its SIC code is 8734.