Sustainability reporting for SME (VSME)

Not covered by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive? Or looking to publish your first sustainability report? Our experts support you in developing a report aligned with VSME standards that meets your stakeholders' expectations.

Pragmatic

Flexible

Tailored to your business

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Sustainability reporting helps SMEs improve transparency, credibility, and competitiveness.

Documented strategy, invitiatives and impact on all ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) topics

Meet the VSME requirements and the expectations of your stakeholders

Get support from experts to ensure transparency and credibility of your reporting

Suitable for sharing with supply chain partners, customers, stakeholders, or for internal use.

A mockup of a calculation done by Hedgehog

Report sustainability information clearly and consistently, in line with EU standards.

Competitive

Gain a competitive advantage by reporting transparently on your sustainability efforts.

Flexible

Attract new investors, business partners, employees, and customers.

Simple

Make substantiated sustainability claims and avoid greenwashing.

Conform

Align with recognized framework and answer data requests from your stakeholders with ease.

Our sustainability experts provide practical, tailored guidance for your organisation.

Every organisation and product requires a unique approach. With experience across a wide range of sectors, we are quick to adapt. Our extensive sustainability expertise ensures that we can offer the right solution for your organisation.

Whether you are a large or small business, a start-up or a company with a long history, offering a product, process, or service, we respond swiftly and support you in taking your next step.

From strategy to success: real-world applications

Testimonial client

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- Lead name, Company
Gerben Kuipers
Noordereng Groep

"Hedgehog appeared to be the gatekeepers of our sustainable vision. With their knowledge, network, and their assessment skills they gave us quick and easy to understand insights which enabled sustainable decision-making amongst all our partners in our consortium."

Rob van den Boer
Gebr van Kessel STEP

“The collaboration with the Hedgehog is excellent. They understand the question we have and communicate regularly with us about the progress. Also, they are flexible and adapt data based on new insights generated from discussions or new data delivered by supply chain stakeholders.”

Sam Colby
Sheertex

"With the comprehensive environmental assessments provided by Hedgehog, we can confidently show our commitment to sustainability.Hedgehog’s in-depth insights and user-friendly dashboards not only make complex data more accessible, but also help turn those insights into actionable strategies."

Noel Marques-Neves
Hahn Plastics

"The collaboration was very good. Feedback was quick and calls were set up very easily to talk for 15-20 minutes, so we could carry on. Overall, Hedgehog was very supportive throughout the process.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our FAQs or ask us anything that is not fully covered by sending us a message.

The VSME stands for Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for Non-Listed Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. It is a voluntary reporting framework developed to support organisations that are not subject to CSRD requirements. It provides a standardised approach to ESG reporting, allowing companies to disclose relevant environmental, social, and governance information without the complexity of larger frameworks.

The CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) requires large companies to report on sustainability using detailed standards called ESRS. VSME is a voluntary standard developed by the same organisation (EFRAG) in alignment with the CSRD, allowing small businesses to mirror key sustainability expectations in a more proportional and resource-efficient way.

The VSME includes two modules: a Basic Module with 11 disclosures, designed for companies new to sustainability reporting with low stakeholder expectations, and a Comprehensive Module with 9 additional disclosures for those needing more detailed reporting to meet specific business partner or sector requirements.

No, the VSME standard is voluntary. It is not legally required but provides a structured approach for small businesses that want to meet increasing expectations from customers, financial institutions, or supply chain partners regarding sustainability performance.

VSME reporting focuses on a variety of sustainability topics, including your company structure GHG emissions, accidents, water withdrawal and waste. You can find all datapoints in the detailed VSME article on our website.

Data sources will depend per client and what you will voluntary want to report on. Some examples include policies, utility bills (energy, water), invoices and accounting records (purchases, waste handling, travel), payroll and HR records (employment, training, gender balance).

Many SMEs don’t have a dedicated sustainability manager. We offer pragmatic, flexible support tailored to your needs and availability whether you need strategic advice or hands-on help drafting documents. We focus on what matters most, without unnecessary complexity.

No, an audit is not required under the VSME standard. However, if you choose to have the report externally verified, it can be done on a voluntary basis.

The duration of a VSME project depends on your company’s ambition, stakeholder availability, and level of sustainability maturity. An average timeline is between 2 to 6 months for a first-year report.

François

Our expert on
Sustainability reporting

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Whether you are a large or small business, a start-up or a company with a long history, offering a product, process, or service, we respond swiftly and support you in taking your next step.