VSME
Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME)
VSME is EFRAG’s voluntary sustainability reporting standard for non-listed small and medium enterprises. It offers a proportionate, modular disclosure set that is far lighter than full ESRS, letting smaller companies answer bank, buyer and investor questionnaires with structured climate and wider ESG information, including greenhouse gas metrics, without being drawn into mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive obligations.
Who is in scope
Non-listed micro, small and medium enterprises in the EU (and groups choosing to use it voluntarily elsewhere, including the UK) that want a recognised, standardised template without being drawn into full CSRD ESRS. Adoption is voluntary unless a lender, buyer or investor contractually requires it as part of onboarding or financing.
Deadlines and timing
No statutory filing deadline; align disclosures to your financial year or to the timetable set by lenders and customers requesting VSME-based information. Because it is voluntary, treat the “deadline” as whatever date a specific counterparty sets for their due-diligence or questionnaire process.
Required or expected scopes
From the blog
Related articles
- What the EU VSME Standard Means for UK SME Suppliers — A Plain-English GuideThe EU's new VSME standard will define exactly what carbon data your EU customers can ask for. Here's what UK SMEs need to know before June 2026.
- What the EU VSME Standard Means for UK SME Suppliers — a Plain-English GuideThe EU's VSME delegated act lands in June 2026. Here's what UK SME suppliers need to know — and the 5 actions to take before your EU customer's next data request.
- The VSME value chain cap — what UK SMEs can legally refuse to reportThe EU Omnibus Directive gives SMEs a legal right to refuse excessive carbon data requests. Here's what you can — and can't — be asked for.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is VSME mandatory under CSRD?
- No. VSME is voluntary. CSRD mandates ESRS for in-scope undertakings; VSME exists so SMEs outside that mandate still have a proportional standard for value-chain data requests.
- Does VSME require a full Scope 3 inventory?
- VSME modules are modular and proportionate. Basic climate disclosures emphasise energy and GHG where material; deeper value-chain categories are included when you opt into richer modules or when counterparties ask for them.
- How does VSME relate to SECR for UK SMEs?
- UK SMEs outside SECR can still use VSME-style structures to organise climate data for EU buyers. SECR-style Scope 1 and 2 tables remain a practical core even when VSME is the requested wrapper.
- What are the two VSME modules?
- VSME is structured around a Basic Module covering core climate, workforce and governance disclosures, and a more detailed Comprehensive Module adding further policies, targets and value-chain information for SMEs that want to go further or face more demanding counterparty requests.
- Can a UK SME use VSME to answer a bank’s ESG questionnaire?
- Yes. Many lenders and larger customers accept VSME-style disclosures as a recognised, proportionate format, so UK SMEs can use it to structure answers even though it is an EU-originated voluntary standard rather than a UK statutory one.