The Supplier Evaluation Procedure is a formal operational document that defines how your company selects, assesses, scores, and monitors its suppliers against environmental, social, ethical, and procurement criteria. It establishes a structured, repeatable process - from initial segmentation through annual re-evaluation - ensuring that sustainability requirements are integrated into every stage of the supplier lifecycle.
This document directly supports three of EcoVadis's four themes: Sustainable Procurement(SUP), which is the primary theme and where the scoring impact is highest;Ethics & Governance(FB), through the formalization of supplier due diligence and anti-corruption checks; and Labour & Human Rights (LAB), through the inclusion of social and safety scoring criteria. A robust, documented evaluation process is one of the strongest signals an EcoVadis assessor looks for when awarding points in the SUP chapter.

The list below outlines the core sections your Sustainable Procurement Policy should include to ensure full auditability and alignment with EcoVadis criteria:

For this procedure to be counted as valid evidence in an EcoVadis assessment:

When uploading this procedure to EcoVadis, attach the following to maximize your score:

Updating frequency varies by framework and internal policy standards. Recommendations include:

See an example here.

This template is designed to serve as an inspiration and foundational guide for the team drafting the Supplier Evaluation Procedure. To help maximize the potential assessment score, the structure, themes, and commitments outlined here have been explicitly mapped to align with EcoVadis evaluation criteria.
​ However, this document must be thoroughly appropriated.
A procedure is only valuable if it reflects reality. You must adapt this text to fit your company's specific operational context, supply chain structure, and available tools. Only include steps, roles, and metrics that are genuinely in place or formally planned for the near future.
Claiming practices you do not perform will not pass the evidence-gathering phase of the audit. Please review each section carefully - and in particular, review Section 5 (Sector-Specific Criteria) before publishing.

⚠️ Section 5 - Sector-Specific Criteria: what to keep and what to remove

Section 5 contains 6 sub-sections that apply only to companies operating in specific industries. Publishing them without review is one of the most common mistakes that creates audit exposure. Here is a guide to each sub-section:5.1 - REACH / Hazardous SubstancesKeep if: your company manufactures, imports, or uses chemical substances, paints, coatings, electronic components, or any product subject to EU REACH regulation (Regulation EC 1907/2006).
​Remove if: you are a pure service company, a software or consulting firm, or operate exclusively in sectors with no hazardous substance exposure (finance, HR services, digital, etc.). Remove the entire sub-section and replace with a single sentence: "Not applicable - [COMPANY NAME] does not handle regulated chemical substances."
​5.2 - Waste Management & End-of-LifeKeep if: your suppliers generate or manage significant volumes of industrial, chemical, or electronic waste; or if your product has an end-of-life obligation (WEEE, packaging directives, battery regulation).
​Adapt if: you generate only office/administrative waste - simplify this section to cover standard waste segregation and recycling supplier requirements, without the industrial waste criteria.
​Remove if: entirely a services company with no physical product supply chain.
​5.3 - Air Emissions & DustKeep if: your supply chain includes manufacturing, logistics (heavy fleet), construction, mining, or any process generating VOCs, particulate matter, or greenhouse gas emissions beyond standard office use.
​Remove if: you are a digital, professional services, or light-manufacturing company where supplier air emissions are not a material risk. Remove this sub-section entirely.
​5.4 - Conflict Minerals (3TG)Keep if:* your products contain tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold (3TG) - this applies primarily to electronics, aerospace, defense, automotive, and jewelry sectors. If in scope, reference the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation (2017/821) and OECD Due Diligence Guidance.
​Remove if: your supply chain does not include 3TG materials. This is the case for the vast majority of service companies, food & beverage, textiles (unless containing electronic components), and professional services. Remove this sub-section entirely- leaving it in implies a due diligence obligation you likely do not have, which an assessor will flag.*5.5 - Palm Oil & Deforestation-Linked Commodities Keep if: your products or supply chain include food ingredients, cosmetics, cleaning products, biofuels, or any commodity covered by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Reference RSPO certification expectations where relevant.
​Remove if: your company has no exposure to agricultural commodities. This applies to most industrial, technology, and professional services companies. Remove this sub-section entirely- it signals to an assessor that you haven't screened your supply chain for applicability, which weakens your credibility on the sections you do keep.5.6 - Consumer Health & SafetyKeep if: your suppliers produce goods that end up in the hands of consumers - food, cosmetics, toys, medical devices, electrical appliances, pharmaceuticals. Reference relevant EU directives (General Product Safety Regulation, Food Safety Regulation, etc.).
​Remove if: you are a B2B company where products are not consumed by end-users, or if your supply chain is entirely service-based. Remove the sub-section or replace with: "Not applicable - [COMPANY NAME] is a B2B entity whose products are not directly consumed by end-users."
​As a general rule: if you are unsure whether a sector-specific criterion applies, ask: "Would an EcoVadis assessor reasonably expect us to address this given our industry and product portfolio?" If the answer is no, remove it. A lean, accurate procedure scores better than a comprehensive one that overclaims.

Q1: Do we need both a Responsible Purchasing Charter and a Supplier Evaluation Procedure?
Yes, and EcoVadis rewards having both. The Charter is your policy commitment - it states your principles and what you expect from suppliers. The Procedure is your operational process - it shows how those principles are implemented in practice. Assessors look for the policy-to-action link. Having both, and cross-referencing them, is one of the clearest signals that sustainable procurement is genuinely embedded in your organization.
​Q2: We use an external platform (EcoVadis, Sedex, Ecovadis Sourcing, Vetting) to evaluate suppliers. Should we reference it?
Absolutely. If you use a third-party platform, reference it by name in Step 3 (Questionnaire & Documentation) and Step 4 (Scoring). Include screenshots or export reports as attachments. EcoVadis considers third-party assessments as strong evidence - but the procedure must explain how you use platform results to make decisions, not just that you subscribe to it.
​Q3: Can the procedure be in French only?
Yes, if your assessed entity operates primarily in France. EcoVadis accepts documents in the language of the assessed entity. However, if your scope includes international operations or subsidiaries, consider an EN version alongside the FR version, or a bilingual document. The French template provided follows French legal requirements (devoir de vigilance, RGPD, loi Sapin II, CS3D) and uses RGPD-compliant language throughout.Q4: How many suppliers do we need to have evaluated for this procedure to count?
EcoVadis doesn't specify a minimum number, but the evidence should show the procedure is operational, not just written. As a guideline, having evaluated at least your top 20 suppliers by spend (or all Strategic-tier suppliers) and being able to show results is sufficient for a strong score. If you are just implementing the process, attach evidence of the first evaluations conducted, even if coverage is partial.
​Q5: What if we don't have a formal scoring grid yet - can we still submit this document?
You can submit it, but remove or mark as placeholder any scoring table you cannot substantiate. An assessor will cross-reference the procedure with the evidence you provide. If Section 4.3 describes a weighted scoring grid but your attachments show only informal supplier conversations, that inconsistency reduces your score. It's better to describe a simpler, honest process and attach solid evidence than to describe a sophisticated process with no proof of implementation.