The VSME report template, filled in.
A VSME report can be prepared in EFRAG's VSME Digital Template, an Excel workbook, and converted into the XBRL file a bank or customer reads. Below: what each module asks for, the cells that most often drop data, and filled example workbooks with their validated XBRL to download.
What the template is
EFRAG publishes the VSME Digital Template free of charge. Version 1.3.0 (June 2026) is current. Its General Information, Environmental Disclosures, Social Disclosures and Governance Disclosures sheets hold the datapoints; a Table of Contents & Validation sheet flags required cells left empty; and helper sheets convert fuel quantities and units.
The filled workbook is converted into inline XBRL, which tags every figure with the EFRAG VSME taxonomy so software can read it. The workbook is how a company prepares the report; the XBRL is what a bank's or a large customer's systems take in.
The two modules
The Basic module is the starting point every VSME report includes. The Comprehensive module adds strategy, targets, climate risks and further workforce and governance disclosures on top of it.
The titles below are those of Digital Template 1.3.0, which follows Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1710. The Voluntary Standard that replaced it keeps both modules but renames C7 (Human rights incidents) and C8 (Revenues from certain activities) and drops the GHG intensity from B3; EFRAG plans an updated template for Q4 2026.
Basic module
Comprehensive module
Filling it without losing data
The converter only tags what matches the taxonomy. These are the cells where a reasonable-looking entry silently disappears from the XBRL.
Pick from the template's own list. A GmbH, Ltd, SARL or S.r.l. is a private limited liability undertaking. A public limited company (AG, plc, SA, S.p.A.) is "other", and the row below it must then name the form. Typing "GmbH" into the cell drops the fact from the XBRL.
The taxonomy wants the activity's full technical name, for example "NACE C - 25.11 Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures". A bare code such as 25.11 is dropped by the converter.
Say whether the report covers the company alone (individual basis) or the group (consolidated basis). On a consolidated basis, list the subsidiaries included.
Energy goes in MWh. Scope 1 and Scope 2 go in tonnes of CO2 equivalent and need a calculation from your fuel and electricity data. The template then divides them by turnover, in the report's currency, for the GHG intensity that B3 asks for.
Enter rates as the template asks. The XBRL stores percentages as ratios, so 35% becomes 0.35 in the file a bank reads.
The Table of Contents & Validation sheet flags missing required cells. Clear every flag before converting, then validate the XBRL against the EFRAG VSME taxonomy (Arelle is a free, open-source validator).
Filled examples to download
Each example is a complete report for a fictional company: the filled template, the inline XBRL it converts into (validated against the EFRAG VSME taxonomy), and the PDF we deliver with them. The companies and their figures are invented.
| Company | Modules | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Valley Foods Ltd Bakery and chilled foods, Cork, 48 staff | Basic | Workbook · XBRL · PDF |
| Lee Valley Foods Ltd Bakery and chilled foods, Cork, 48 staff | Comprehensive | Workbook · XBRL · PDF |
| Lee Valley Foods Ltd Bakery and chilled foods, Cork, 48 staff | Comprehensive, metered energy | Workbook · XBRL · PDF |
| Mälardalens Plåtslageri AB Sheet-metal works, Västerås, 22 staff | Basic | Workbook · XBRL · PDF |
| Mälardalens Plåtslageri AB Sheet-metal works, Västerås, 22 staff | Comprehensive | Workbook · XBRL · PDF |
Why customers and banks ask for it
The VSME began as EFRAG's voluntary standard for non-listed SMEs. Since 24 September 2026 the Voluntary Standard (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560), which keeps the Basic and Comprehensive modules, has replaced it. From financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027, a company reporting under the CSRD may not require more, for that reporting, from a supplier with 1,000 employees or fewer than the datapoints listed in Annex II to that regulation. EFRAG designed the VSME so that SMEs can answer sustainability data requests from banks and larger customers in one format.
Frequently asked questions
What is the VSME report template?
It is EFRAG's VSME Digital Template, an Excel workbook (version 1.3.0, June 2026) with a sheet for general information and one each for environmental, social and governance disclosures. Filled in, it converts into an inline XBRL file: the machine-readable report a bank or a large customer loads into its own systems.
Is the template free?
Yes. EFRAG publishes it free of charge. The filled examples on this page are ours and free to download: they show every module completed for two fictional companies, with the XBRL each one converts into.
Which modules do I need, Basic or Comprehensive?
The Basic module (B1 to B11) is the starting point every VSME report includes. The Comprehensive module (C1 to C9) adds strategy, transition targets, climate risks and further workforce and governance items, for companies whose customers or banks ask for more. From financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027, a company reporting under the CSRD may not require more, for that reporting, from a supplier with 1,000 employees or fewer than the datapoints listed in Annex II to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560.
Can I fill it in myself?
Yes. The workbook guides you cell by cell, and the tips above cover the errors that most often drop data from the XBRL. The harder parts are usually the emissions in B3, which need a Scope 1 and Scope 2 calculation, and getting the controlled vocabularies right.
What does your VSME report service add?
We fill the template from your answers and your accounting data, calculate the emissions with every factor cited, convert it with EFRAG's own converter, validate the XBRL with Arelle, and deliver the workbook, the XBRL, the report package and a branded PDF. A named person checks it for completeness, internal consistency and format validity before release. Basic EUR 499, Comprehensive EUR 999, in five business days. It is report preparation support: not an audit, assurance or certification.
We fill the template, you check the answers.
Answer the questions and upload your accounting export. You receive the filled template, validated XBRL, the report package and a PDF in five business days. Basic EUR 499, Comprehensive EUR 999.
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