The European VSME Standard
voluntary framework for SMEs
Only 9.1% of SMEs had formal processes in 2024 to measure, monitor, and report their sustainability data. Yet pressure is mounting: clients, investors, banks, and partners demand reliable ESG information.
The European voluntary VSME standard provides a concrete solution: a structured, accessible, and flexible framework designed for SMEs. It allows you to document your environmental, social, and governance practices, showcase your actions, and anticipate future regulatory requirements without excessive complexity.
Adopting VSME helps you meet your key clients’ expectations on sustainability policies, facilitates access to financing, and enhances your credibility with partners.
What is the VSME standard?
Developed by EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) at the request of the European Commission, VSME targets non-listed SMEs. It offers a voluntary framework for reporting ESG data:
- Environmental impacts
- Social issues and working conditions
- Governance practices
It is a first step towards structured, credible reporting proportionate to your organization’s capacities.
Why adopt the VSME standard?
Meet ESG expectations
Clients, funders, and partners require verifiable information.
Opt for simplified reporting
Establish a sustainability statement adapted to your organization’s size and compatible with the CSRD.
Anticipate the future
Start today with a structured approach that will ease compliance with future obligations.
VSME modules
- 11 fundamental, standardized, and comparable data points covering the three ESG dimensions.
- Goal: provide a clear and concise snapshot of the company.
- Example: the B5 biodiversity standard asks for the surface area and number of sites located in sensitive zones, with optional indicators (e.g., soil preservation).
- 9 additional, more qualitative pieces of information.
- Goal: describe your ESG practices and strategies beyond the numbers.
- Example: details on carbon emissions, risk management, biodiversity policy, local engagement, social innovations…
Together, these two modules combine comparability (expected by stakeholders) and the ability to highlight your organization’s uniqueness.
Concrete benefits for SMEs
- Core module – deliver clear, easily usable data to funders, clients, and partners.
- Narrative module – showcase your specificities and highlight commitments: biodiversity projects, local engagement, distinctive social practices.
The Biodiversity Diagnostic as a lever
Bpifrance and OFB’s Biodiversity Diagnostic is particularly suited to the VSME approach:
- Provides reliable indicators on dependencies and pressures on biodiversity (VSME core module).
- Offers a strategic and qualitative vision for integrating nature into your decisions (VSME narrative module).
Blooming has consultants certified by Bpifrance as Biodiversity Diagnostic Experts and supports you in implementing these processes in an integrated way.
FAQ
Is external expertise required to implement VSME in my SME?
- Beginner SMEs: specialized advice is recommended to collect data, structure the report, and prioritize issues.
- More mature SMEs: the standard is intuitive, but critical review or occasional support ensures relevance and credibility.
What concrete benefits can an SME gain from VSME?
- Credibility: Showcase your CSR initiatives to stakeholders.
- Green finance: Facilitate access for investors who value transparency.
- Efficiency: Meet the ESG requirements of your partners subject to the CSR regulations.
- Reputation: Strengthen customer trust through structured reporting.
Is VSME mandatory?
No. It’s a voluntary approach, but it facilitates your ESG responses and significantly improves your credibility.