Get started quickly with VS / VSME (plus). Think strategically ahead.
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VS / VSME as a foundation — extended by what really matters
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Supply chains, climate risks, KPIs — transparent & practical
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Convince stakeholders, rather than just documenting
leadity. lead with clarity.
VS / VSME reporting made easy – with leadity
Your central solution for smart ESG reporting under VS / VSME
With leadity, you implement the VS / VSME standard efficiently and strategically. The software guides you step by step through all relevant content, ensuring nothing is overlooked and that you stay up to date — audit-ready, interoperable, and easy to understand.
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Get started fast: leadity is web-based, ready to use straight away, and offers onboarding tailored to your needs — including practical templates, guides, and optional workshops with our experts.
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Integrated VS / VSME templates: All 140 VS / VSME data points are pre-structured in the software – complemented by help texts, examples, and intelligent input aids. Your ESG data is compiled into a complete report with AI support.
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Less effort, greater impact: Capture your ESG data for VS / VSME reporting centrally and efficiently. Via interfaces, you can easily connect existing data sources, for example for your carbon accounting, and have your emissions calculated automatically.
Sustainability with a long-term vision
Start lean today – grow strategically tomorrow
The VS / VSME is a streamlined entry point into ESG reporting — especially for SMEs without a statutory reporting obligation. But those who think ahead today use the opportunity to develop their sustainability strategy further.
This is exactly where leadity comes in: thanks to its modular design, you can extend the VS / VSME with key topics such as supply chains, climate risks, or industry-specific requirements — straightforward, practical, and future-proof. This turns an initial ESG structure into a genuine competitive advantage.
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How about a proper strategy?
VS / VSME plus: The smart development approach – exclusively on leadity
The VS / VSME standard is a solid starting point — but in practice, many companies need more.
Stakeholders demand reliable information on supply chains and climate risks, measurable progress, and industry-specific topics such as animal welfare. This is exactly where the VS / VSME reaches its limits — and where VSME plus begins. With VS / VSME plus, you extend the standard with strategically relevant content. This gives you an ESG foundation that does more than document: it convinces stakeholders and helps you identify risks early. Best of all, VS / VSME plus is an integral part of your leadity VS / VSME access — at no additional cost.
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VS / VSME Reporting, but better
What the VS / VSME offers — and how VS / VSME plus takes it further
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VS / VSME: 140 structured ESG data points
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VS / VSME plus: Expanded to include topics relevant to your industry and stakeholders
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VS / VSME: Superficial implementation without a second materiality analysis
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VS / VSME plus: Simplified materiality analysis for informed decision-making
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VS / VSME: No mandatory supply chain disclosures
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VS / VSME plus: Integration of supply chain-related ESG aspects, e.g. for critical raw materials
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VS / VSME: Focus on semi-narrative data
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VS / VSME plus: Qualitative statements combined with clearly measurable key performance indicators (KPIs)
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VS / VSME: No external audit required
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VS / VSME plus: Optional professional critical review – greater confidence and impact
leadity AI features at a glance
AI power exactly where ESG & ISO otherwise mean grinding manual work
Our clea AI handles the complexity. You stay in control. Your data stays in Germany. Encrypted, stateless, no third-party training. AI only where it truly makes a difference — we mean it
One system – endless possibilities
Would you like to try out leadity in practice?
During a personal demo session, we will set up leadity specifically for your business – including all VS / VSME features. You can then try out the software for yourself, free of charge. This will give you a first-hand experience of just how simple ESG management can be – and why VS / VSME plus in leadity is the better strategic choice.
ESG software for small and medium-sized businesses
Additional features related to VS / VSME (plus)
leadity includes all the key functions required for structured VS / VSME reporting – including our strategic VS / VSME Plus approach. With supplementary modules such as LkSG risk analysis or the EU taxonomy, you can expand your ESG system in a targeted and tailored manner. This transforms a streamlined entry-level solution into a comprehensive system for more sustainable business practices in SMEs.
FAQs on ESG reporting and management
Questions and answers on VS / VSME
If you have any questions regarding ESG strategy, management and reporting at leadity, please feel free to email us at kontakt@leadity.de
VSME (Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed Micro-, Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises) is a voluntary reporting framework for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to document their sustainability performance in a structured and comparable manner – without the bureaucratic burden of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). VSME was developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) on behalf of the European Commission.
VSME is specifically tailored to the needs of SMEs and is based on the core principles of the CSRD – albeit in a significantly simplified, practical form.
VSME consists of a core module containing eleven ESG disclosures and an optional comprehensive module covering nine additional topics. In this way, VSME offers a balanced level of transparency – without placing an excessive burden on small businesses.
When combined with modern VSME software such as leadity, VSME can be implemented particularly efficiently. Furthermore, leadity helps companies to further develop their VSME reporting in a targeted manner – using the exclusive VSME plus extension approach. This enables companies to incorporate industry-specific ESG issues and position themselves strategically for the future.
VSME is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are not currently subject to the CSRD’s statutory ESG reporting requirements – but are nonetheless facing increasing demands, for example from customers, banks, ESG ratings or public tenders.
VSME is particularly relevant for companies that:
- wish to prepare professionally for future regulations
- want to efficiently meet ESG requirements across their supply chains
- seek funding or better financing terms
- want to showcase their sustainability performance – even without a legal obligation
Implementation is particularly efficient with VSME software such as leadity. Here, the entire VSME, including all mandatory and supplementary information, is digitally mapped. Companies can start with exactly what they need – and can flexibly expand their VSME reporting via VSME plus. This makes leadity the ideal solution for SMEs that not only want to report, but also wish to leverage sustainability specifically as a competitive advantage.
VSME offers small and medium-sized enterprises a clear and structured way to document their sustainability performance in a transparent manner – without the complexity of the CSRD.
With just around 140 data points, VSME is significantly more streamlined than the CSRD’s ESRS standards, which require up to 1,200 disclosures. At the same time, VSME is aligned with regulatory requirements, thereby ensuring interoperability for stakeholders, banks and ESG ratings.
Further benefits of VSME:
- Modular structure: Companies can choose between a basic and a comprehensive module
- Minimal effort: No requirement for an external audit, no need for extensive consultancy
- More funding opportunities: organisations that make their ESG performance transparent improve their standing with banks, investors and in tenders
Using specialised VSME software such as leadity makes implementation particularly efficient. The software not only covers all VSME content but also expands on it with VSME plus to include relevant topics such as the supply chain, climate risks and sector-specific ESG aspects. Companies thus benefit from credible, future-proof and practical ESG reporting.
At first glance, VSME covers the key areas of ESG reporting – namely the environmental, social and governance aspects.
The core module covers eleven standardised disclosure topics – including energy consumption, workforce composition, diversity, working conditions and governance. The comprehensive module supplements these with nine further topics, such as Scope 3 emissions, climate risks and human rights due diligence.
In total, VSME comprises around 140 structured data points – divided into qualitative text fields, yes/no questions, actions, objectives and simple key performance indicators (KPIs).
With professional VSME software such as leadity, this information can be digitally captured, structured and automatically consolidated into a comprehensive VSME report. VSME plus also allows industry-specific ESG topics to be added – for example, for tenders, ESG ratings or stakeholder communication. In this way, a voluntary reporting framework is transformed into an effective management system for sustainable business practices.
Basic VSME reporting can, in principle, also be carried out in Excel – particularly for small businesses that wish to use only the basic module. For one-off, basic VSME reporting or initial data entry, Excel can be a practical solution.
In practice, however, VSME reporting in Excel quickly reaches its limits: VSME is deliberately kept streamlined – but even the approximately 140 data points from the basic and comprehensive modules already represent a vast amount of ESG information, measures and supporting documentation that must be managed in a structured manner. Manual data maintenance, a lack of automation, unclear allocation of roles and a high risk of errors make VSME reporting in Excel time-consuming, confusing and inefficient in the long run.
Anyone who wants to update VSME reporting regularly, manage it across multiple sites or incorporate strategic ESG topics will benefit significantly from VSME software such as leadity. After all, sustainable business practices do not end with filling in a reporting spreadsheet. Especially when companies wish to communicate their ESG performance in a credible, sector-specific and future-proof manner, more is needed than just an Excel list. With leadity, VSME reporting becomes an integral part of a holistic sustainability strategy: VSME plus enables you to go beyond the standard requirements and focus precisely on the ESG topics that are truly relevant to your industry, your customers and your stakeholders. In this way, a streamlined reporting standard becomes a strategic management tool – for sustainability with a systematic approach and real impact.
Report voluntarily – act strategically
Become a pioneer in sustainability
Strategic ESG reporting based on the VSME standard offers you the opportunity to position yourself early on, build trust and prepare for regulatory developments. With leadity, you can implement VSME (plus) professionally – digitally, seamlessly integrated and tailored to your business. Our team will show you how to get started straight away.
