What is the PitchMark® IP Governance Certification Program about?

The PitchMark® IP Governance Certification is a specialised program designed for the client side—the companies and agencies that receive pitches—to formalise how they handle third-party Intellectual Property. It is framed as a key element of supply chain sustainability, specifically addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 12, as well as GRI 2-22, ISSB 1, ISO 56005, ISO37301.

The certification program focuses on the following core areas:

• Standardised IP stewardship: The program includes 12 recommendations ranging from staff training to established processes for handling and auditing IP. It ensures that there is internal awareness and a clear protocol for how vendor ideas are treated once received.
• Program format: It is a blended program that offers online components, various templates (such as those for approaching a board of directors for approval), and the option for direct guidance from the PitchMark® team.
• Attracting better ideas: By holding this certification, a client signals to creators that they are an honest operator. This encourages vendors to provide fully fleshed-out, detailed ideas rather than sparse or half-baked pitches they might otherwise submit due to a fear of idea theft.
• Legal and reputational evidence: If a company is ever accused of idea theft, the certification acts as documentary evidence to show a court or mediator that the firm has strict, step-by-step processes in place for the ethical treatment of IP.
• Sustainability reporting: The certification helps companies satisfy requirements for sustainability reports, which procurement departments increasingly demand. It allows firms with low environmental footprints to demonstrate their corporate citizenship through the ethical stewardship of vendor IP.

The PitchMark® IP Governance Certification Program for clients involves a course fee at a fraction of the potential costs associated with litigation or reputation damage.