Article

Which supporting documents can you provide when you run a very small (XS) company?

In brief

EcoVadis questionnaires are tailored to each company — sector, location, size — including very small companies with up to 25 employees. On average, about ten questions are asked of XS companies, and certain indicators (endorsements such as the UN Global Compact, coverage) do not apply. Most importantly: EcoVadis grants XS companies more flexibility and accepts non-formalised supporting documents — provided they remain recent, relevant, complete and tied to the assessment scope. (Reference: EcoVadis Help Center.)

What must every document respect?

Any formalised document reflecting your CSR management system and supporting your answers can serve: CSR management procedures, CSR reports, social audit reports, social and environmental policies, a code of ethics or conduct, employee handbooks, certificates (ISO 14001, ISO 45001…), a UN Global Compact Communication on Progress, annual reports with an integrated CSR section.

The common rules:

relevant, complete and tied to the corresponding assessment scope;
in an accepted format (.pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .png…) and under 30 MB;
regularly reviewed: validity of 8 years for policies and actions, 2 years for KPI reporting;
in text form: documents not written in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese or Japanese should be submitted as encoded text, not images;
for a web link: only the linked page is captured as a PDF, not the whole site.

EcoVadis will not consider: documents created solely to answer the questionnaire; objectives, actions or reports copied from another organisation or online sources without reasonable proof of implementation; informal documents (no company name/logo, no issue or review date); evidence hidden behind links (analysts do not download additional documents); evidence unrelated to the 21 CSR criteria.

Which examples are validated per indicator?

Policies — proof of commitment: a letter signed by the CEO on the main CSR issues (found in the sector risk profile), used for internal and/or external communication; action plans or roadmaps with the list of actions planned (annual health & safety plan…).

Measures — proof of what is actually implemented: invoices evidencing the action (purchase of energy-efficient equipment…); training documents (logs, checklists, materials); e-mails evidencing implementation (communication to suppliers about environmental and social expectations…).

Reporting — proof of KPI tracking: resources consumed (waste, water, energy) with a unit and reference period; clearly explained estimates where actual data is hard to obtain (estimated consumption of a rented office…); verifiable emissions information based on invoices and contracts, tracked in an official document. On the social side: monitored topics (accidents, training…) with units and a reporting period. Careful: energy or water invoices are not admissible as reporting evidence — the indicator assesses active tracking and progress analysis, not raw availability of information. Reporting must be no older than two calendar years and cover at least one year.

What is the quick list for an XS company?

Validated documents: proof of employee training; internal awareness e-mails; purchase invoices for eco-labelled products (as measures); a business ethics policy; internal environmental dashboards; an Excel sheet of HR KPIs; an internal management presentation; risk assessment documents.

Invalid documents: third-party utility invoices as reporting; improvised self-declarations; actions merely declared without solid proof; photos; philanthropy brochures; documents belonging to your customers, suppliers or partners; operating permits and other legal compliance documents issued by an authority.

Key takeaways

An XS company gets ±10 questions, without endorsements or coverage: the questionnaire is proportionate.
XS flexibility concerns form, not substance: recent, relevant, complete, in scope, with name/logo and date.
Validity: 8 years (policies, actions), 2 years (KPI reporting).
An invoice proves a measure, never reporting: reporting requires active KPI tracking in an official document.
The winning reflex: lightly formalise what already exists (a signed letter, an Excel table, e-mails) rather than creating documents for the occasion — those get rejected.

Frequently asked questions

Can an energy invoice serve as reporting evidence?

No. Third-party utility invoices are not admissible for Reporting: that indicator assesses active tracking and progress benchmarking of KPIs, not the mere availability of information. An invoice can, however, prove a measure (the purchase of energy-efficient equipment, for instance).

How many questions does an XS company get?

About ten on average. The questionnaire is tailored to sector, location and size, and some indicators such as endorsements (UN Global Compact) and coverage do not apply to XS companies.