DNK: The free platform for your sustainability report

Are banks, clients and partners subject to reporting requirements all asking you to disclose your sustainability information? Create a compliant report digitally and free of charge on the DNK Platform.

Your sustainability report done and dusted in five steps:

Register on the DNK Platform, select the relevant reporting standard (ESRS or VSME/VS) and start your report.
Enter your sustainability information using the DNK Checklists.
Complete your report, customise it to your corporate design and export it as a Word, PDF or XBRL file.
Have ESRS reports checked by your company’s auditor, or for VS reports request a DNK plausibility check.
Optional: Publish your report on the DNK website.

Create your free report

Who is the DNK offer directed at?

Are you subject to mandatory reporting?

Our ESRS module is designed for companies that are obliged to report under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or that choose to report voluntarily in line with the ESRS.

Do you wish to report voluntarily?

Our VS (VSME) module is aimed at companies that are not subject to mandatory reporting but wish to report nonetheless based on the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed small and medium-sized enterprises (VSME) or the new Voluntary Standard (VS).

Are you a trade or crafts business?

The Zukunfts-Kompass Handwerk module is specially tailored to the needs of trade and crafts businesses. It is based on the former “Nachhaltigkeits-Navigator Handwerk”.

Mockup Laptop Screen with the DNK Plattform on it

All signed up? What to expect on the DNK Platform

DNK Checklists: ESRS, VSME and VS requirements explained in easy-to-understand language.
DNK assistant: Step-by-step guidance for every stage of the report.
Progress indicator: Keep track of your progress as you work.
Teamwork: Use the comment function to assign tasks.
Sector-specific support: Practical tips and examples developed in collaboration with more than 20 trade associations.
Optimised readability: Display your completed report as continuous text – ideal for final checks.
DNK plausibility check: Have your finished report checked by an independent expert reviewer for consistency and formal completeness.
Export options: Export your finished report as a Word, PDF or XBRL file.

The most popular tool for SMEs in Germany, with over 5,500 companies signed up

What kind of companies report voluntarily? What does a completed report look like?

Companies ask us these questions time and again.

The DNK dashboard provides an anonymised overview of the VSME reports (in future also VS reports) created on the DNK Platform, broken down by reporting year, reporting module, company size, sector and federal state.
To the DNK dashboard

Head to ‘View reports’ for examples of completed reports from individual companies that have consented to publication. Filter by sector, number of employees, federal state, reporting year and Basic and Comprehensive Module.
View reports

How companies use the DNK Platform

Six company representatives discuss the main reporting challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises and share how they used the DNK Platform to create their reports. Jochen Baier, CEO of Bäckerei Baier, explains: “The checklists were really useful for creating our VSME report on the DNK Platform. They guided us through what was there and showed us how far along we were.” [Duration: 3 minutes]

New VS module: Your data imported automatically

The European Commission adopted the Voluntary Standard (VS) in July 2026. It replaces the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME). Our new VS checklist, published in September, sets out the requirements in easy-to-understand language and forms the basis for our new VS module. The transition from the existing VSME module to the new VS module is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Until then, companies can continue working as usual. After the transition, data already entered will be automatically transferred to the new VS module, meaning that only data points which have changed will need to be updated.

In September 2026, we will also conduct a survey on the ESRS module. We will consult both organisations that use the module and those that do not yet but are planning to produce an ESRS report, with the aim of clarifying which adjustments are needed. The ESRS module will remain unchanged until the end of 2026.

Foto von der Stakeholderdialog-Veranstaltung im April 2025

Actively supported by leading industry associations – with sector-specific guidance

In a pilot process involving more than 20 industry associations and their member companies, VSME guidance was developed that takes the specific needs of each sector into account. The guidance and practical examples are directly integrated into the DNK Platform. Using the sector classification stored in the company profile (NACE codes), the platform automatically displays relevant information for each VSME data point.

Create a Report

CSRD/VSME-compliant Reporting

Sustainability Code Reporting

Your sustainability report – free of charge