How to answer an ESG questionnaire from your bank or customer with a VSME report
Prepare one VSME Basic Module report, map each question in the questionnaire to a disclosure, answer from the report and attach it. The European Commission recommends that requests to SMEs stay within the VSME.
Why you get these questionnaires
Banks and large companies collect sustainability data from the businesses they finance or buy from. Each one tends to use its own form, which is why an SME can end up answering the same question about electricity use five times in five formats. The European Commission's Recommendation (EU) 2025/1710 addresses exactly this: it recommends the VSME standard to SMEs and asks companies, banks and investors that request sustainability information from SMEs to keep their requests within what the VSME covers [1].
For CSRD reporting, the Omnibus changes go further: large companies in scope cannot require partners with up to 1,000 employees to provide more than the Voluntary Standard sets out [2], from financial years starting on or after 1 January 2027 [3]. A bank's credit questionnaire is a different kind of request, so treat the VSME there as a strong reference point, not a legal shield.
The method: map, answer, attach
- Prepare the VSME Basic Module once. Fill in B1 to B11 for your last financial year [4]. This is your master answer set.
- Map each question to a disclosure. Go through the questionnaire and write the matching VSME code next to each question.
- Answer from the report. Copy the figure, keep the unit and period the same, and add "see VSME report, B3" as the reference.
- Flag what is outside the VSME. For questions with no match, decide: answer if it is easy and the relationship matters, or reply that you report in line with the VSME and attach the report.
- Attach the full report. It shows the context and saves follow-up questions.
- Keep a log. Note who asked what and when. Next year you update one report and resend.
Mapping table for common questions
Questionnaires use different wording, but most questions fall into the Basic Module topics [4].
| Typical question | VSME disclosure |
|---|---|
| Describe your company, sector and locations | B1 Basis for preparation |
| Do you have an environmental or climate policy? | B2 Practices, policies and future initiatives |
| What is your annual energy use? What share is renewable? | B3 Energy and GHG emissions |
| What are your scope 1 and 2 emissions? | B3 Energy and GHG emissions |
| Do you emit pollutants under a permit? | B4 Pollution |
| Are any sites in or near protected areas? | B5 Biodiversity |
| How much water do you use? | B6 Water |
| How much waste, and how much is recycled? | B7 Resource use, circular economy and waste |
| Number of employees, contract types, staff turnover | B8 Workforce: general characteristics |
| Work accidents in the last year | B9 Health and safety |
| Training hours, collective agreement, gender pay gap | B10 Remuneration, collective bargaining and training |
| Any convictions or fines for corruption or bribery? | B11 Corruption and bribery |
| Climate transition plan, physical risk analysis, supplier audits | Not in the Basic Module; check the Comprehensive Module or answer separately |
Worked example
An illustrative case: a print shop with 18 employees gets a renewal questionnaire from its bank with 30 questions.
- It maps 24 questions to B1 to B11 and copies the answers straight from its VSME report.
- Four questions match the Comprehensive Module. The owner answers two that are simple, and for the other two writes "not reported; we report in line with the VSME Basic Module".
- Two questions ask for a certification the shop does not hold. It answers "no" honestly and mentions planned steps from B2.
- It attaches the full report. The next customer questionnaire takes a fraction of the time, because the mapping already exists.
Template: cover note to your bank
Subject: ESG questionnaire, [company], [period] Dear [relationship manager], Please find attached our completed questionnaire and our sustainability report for [period], prepared with the VSME standard (Basic Module). The European Commission recommends this standard for sustainability data requests to SMEs (Recommendation (EU) 2025/1710). Where a question refers to a figure in the report, we give the disclosure code (for example B3 for energy and emissions). Questions [numbers] fall outside the VSME. We have answered [numbers] and noted the others as not reported. Happy to explain any figure. Kind regards, [name, role]
Tips that save time
- Use the same period and units in every answer. Inconsistent numbers lead to more questions.
- When you estimate, say so and say how. A clear estimate is more useful than an empty field.
- Do not overstate. Saying "we plan to" in B2 is fine; claiming a policy you do not have is a risk.
- Store the source documents with the report: bills, payroll export, waste statement. If the bank asks how you got a figure, you can show it in minutes.
- Send the report as a file you control, not by retyping it into every portal, where possible.
More: what goes into each Basic Module disclosure, whether the CSRD applies to you, and which way to prepare the report.
Related guides
- What to report in the VSME Basic Module (B1 to B11), with a template
- VSME vs CSRD: does your SME have to report after the Omnibus?
- Spreadsheet, tool or consultant: which way to build your VSME report
Sources
- Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1710 of 30 July 2025 on a voluntary sustainability reporting standard for small and medium-sized undertakings, EUR-Lex
- Accountancy Europe, Omnibus explained: CSRD factsheet (January 2026)
- BDO, Revised ESRSs and EU voluntary sustainability reporting standard published in Official Journal
- EFRAG, Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME), 17 December 2024, Basic Module B1 to B11
This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal advice. Check your own country's law and, when in doubt, ask a qualified adviser.