The first phase of Valideo certification consists of the attestation of the building (or organization). An in-depth study is carried out by an attestation body in agreement with BCCA. On the basis of this study, the environmental criteria to be taken into account for the specific construction are defined, as well as the objectives, formulated by the applicant, that will have to be complied with during the design stage and subsequent construction works.

The Valideo concept is the combination of a regular evaluation of the development of a project at design stage and during implementation by an attestation body and the objectivisation of this assessment by the BCCA certification body.

SECO essentially drives ambitions, pushing the candidate towards the highest possible performance levels and informs project management of the possible maximum right from the planning phase. At this stage, the project designer can orient his decisions on the basis of his expectations with regard to each of the fields covered by Valideo.

The evaluation of the building or organization seeking Valideo certification covers a series of categories grouped in four themes:

• Site & Construction: the environmental impact of the building on the site and on the environment during its life cycle
• Comfort & Health: the quality of life during exploitation
• Management: the environmental footprint during operation (energy, resources, waste), including maintenance
• Social value: situation and relation with the community

For each of the sixteen categories, Seco gives ratings reflecting the balance between the impact factors. The ratings are a result of a progressive evaluation with the help of assessment schedules.

The assessment schedules - in the form of Excel sheets - give an overview of the series of parameters and reflect the specific situation of the client: environmental ambitions, destination of the construction, the technical fasibility of the project, ...

The evaluation parameters are based on a referential that is co-property of SECO and the BBRI.