How to run an ESG software selection (RFP)
A short process for writing requirements, shortlisting vendors, running demos and scoring ESG reporting software fairly, with a downloadable RFP checklist.
Choosing ESG reporting software is easier when you decide what you need before you meet vendors. This guide gives a lightweight selection process. It complements how to choose CSRD reporting software and ESG software pricing explained.
Step 1: Define the problem
Write one paragraph: what frameworks you report to (CSRD, VSME, BRSR, others), how many entities and users, where data comes from today, and what is going wrong. Avoid asking for features. Ask for outcomes.
Step 2: Write requirements in tiers
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Must have | You cannot go live without it |
| Should have | Valuable, workarounds exist |
| Nice to have | Decide only if everything else is equal |
Typical must-haves include framework coverage, data collection with owners and approvals, audit trail, emissions calculation with factor sources, role-based access, and export options.
Step 3: Build a shortlist
Use our directory filters by category and framework, then limit the list to four or five vendors. More than that and demos blur together.
i-ESG
Seoul-based ESG data and risk management platform with modules for materiality, reporting, supply chain risk and carbon tracking.
VERSO
Munich-based sustainability software and advisory firm covering ESG data management, double materiality, VSME reports and supply chain due diligence.
Planted
German startup offering an AI-assisted ESG management platform for carbon accounting and CSRD reporting.
Pulsora
ESG management platform for collecting sustainability data and preparing framework reports.
Makersite
Product lifecycle intelligence software for LCAs, product carbon footprints and supply chain risk.
ClimateChoice
Platform that consolidates suppliers' climate disclosures into a comparable dataset for benchmarking, scoring and sourcing decisions.
Ordered by verified reviews and relevance. Listings are never ranked by payment. See all 117 providers
Step 4: Send the same questions to everyone
Ask each vendor the same written questions, covering security, data location, integrations, implementation time, support, pricing structure and assurance experience. Use our RFP checklist. Ask for the answers in writing so you can compare them.
Step 5: Run scripted demos
Give each vendor the same scenario and a sample of your own data. Ask them to show, not describe: how a data owner submits a figure, how it is approved, how the audit trail looks, and how a framework disclosure is produced.
Step 6: Score and check references
Score each requirement from 0 to 3 and weight must-haves heavily. Speak to two customers of similar size and sector. Ask what went wrong during implementation.
Step 7: Negotiate with the full cost in view
Ask for the total cost across three years: licences, implementation, extra entities, extra users, support and data connectors. Check contract exit terms and data export.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules change; check the official sources and talk to an adviser before you rely on it.
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