The Counter is able to provide corporate research assistance in accordance with the following eligibility guidelines. These guidelines have been developed in accordance with SOMO’s mission and vision.

If, after reviewing the guidelines below, you are still unsure whether your request is eligible for research assistance, please send an email to info@somo.nl with your questions or concerns so we can discuss these with you.

Who is eligible to request corporate research from The Counter?

Activists, public interest journalists, NGOs, trade unions, strategic litigators, and communities working to protect human rights, prevent environmental and climate collapse, and expose companies causing social and environmental harms are eligible. All support is subject to our capacity, and communities directly affected by social and environmental harms are prioritized.

Who is not eligible to request corporate research from The Counter?

Commercial enterprises, investors or individuals with financial interests, governments, donors, individuals not linked to the harm caused by the company, and activists with the means to pay, are not eligible. The Counter only takes on requests that align with SOMO’s mission and vision.

What sort of company information does The Counter provide?

The Counter aims to provide information on company finances, ownership, investors, corporate and capital structures, subsidiaries, supply chains, governance and operations if it is accessible and available. The Counter will provide the information, the sources used, a summary of the findings, and possible suggestions for further action. If we cannot find or access this information, we cannot provide it.

What sort of information does The Counter not provide?

The Counter will NOT provide support for research requests with the following subject matter or intended usage:

• Requests that can only be answered based on non-available information. The Counter does not have access to internal or confidential company documentation;
• Requests for information for fundraising purposes;
• Requests for information to be used as input for multi-stakeholder initiatives;
• Requests without a clear purpose or a purpose outside of SOMO’s mission and vision;
• Requests that do not serve the public interest or address corporate power;
• Requests which do not pertain to a specific case of social or environmental harm (e.g. general research on a sector, or research to generate leads for your own work);
• Requests to evaluate policies;
• Requests to conduct expert legal analysis;
• Requests to benchmark, categorize or evaluate corporate content, including CSR and sustainability initiatives;
• Requests to write or publish articles, reports, and statements;
• Urgent requests requiring an answer within 48 hours;
• Requests that take an extended period of time to investigate.

Preview of the submission form 

To submit a request, you need to create an account on our online help desk tool, Zammad. Once logged in, you will see a form (called a ticket) where you can begin working on your submission. You can download a preview of the list of questions to get an impression of the information we require from you. Download the preview in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Chinese.