Why export market loss should drive your shortlist now
If your products ship into the European Union, delayed Digital Product Passport readiness is no longer a paperwork issue. It is a direct threat to order books. Buyers, customs processes and platform rules will increasingly expect structured product data before goods can move. That is why manufacturers are actively ranking Digital Product Passport Consulting Firms before delegated requirements lock in. This guide walks through eight firms with a manufacturer decision process at the centre: risk, data gaps, timeline fit and who can actually deliver documents you can defend.
The goal is practical. You will see how each firm approaches DPP work, where they sit geographically, and which type of producer they tend to suit. ERKE leads the list because it combines early DPP guidance for Turkish and international manufacturers with a full product-sustainability document portfolio under one roof. The remaining seven names are described factually so you can build a clean shortlist without marketing noise.
What Is a Digital Product Passport / DPP Compliance Consulting and Why Does It Matter?
A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital record of a product’s identity, composition, environmental performance and circularity attributes. Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), that record will travel with the product and be accessible to regulators, economic operators and, in defined cases, customers and recyclers. DPP compliance consulting helps a manufacturer decide which data to collect, how to calculate impacts, how to structure identifiers and how to publish information in a form that matches forthcoming technical specifications.
ESPR delegated act timeline manufacturers cannot ignore
The ESPR sets the framework, but delegated acts define product-group rules, data fields and application dates. That sequencing is what should drive your decision calendar. Priority groups such as batteries move first, with battery passport obligations phased toward 2027. Textiles, iron and steel, aluminium, furniture, tyres and other high-impact groups follow through subsequent delegated acts and implementing measures. Each act can specify performance requirements, information requirements and the exact DPP content expected for that category.
For a plant manager or export director, the practical meaning is simple. If your category is named in an early delegated act, waiting for “final clarity” can leave you without tested data pipelines when buyers start asking for proof. Consulting support is most valuable when it maps your SKUs to the likely act sequence, flags which evidence already exists in LCA or EPD files, and builds a gap plan measured in months rather than slogans. Official EU materials on the ESPR framework are available at https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en and the adopted regulation text is published on EUR-Lex at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1781.
How DPP work connects to CBAM and broader sustainability reporting
Many manufacturers already face carbon border and customer Scope 3 requests. DPP programmes that reuse cradle-to-grave life cycle models reduce duplicate effort. A competent advisor will not treat the passport as an isolated IT project. They will align bill-of-materials quality, supplier declarations, recycled content evidence and end-of-life scenarios so one technical core can feed EPD, climate declarations and future passport payloads. That reuse is often the difference between a manageable investment and a scramble each time a new EU act lands.
Decision criteria that should sit above brand names
Before reading any firm profile, lock your internal criteria. Confirm which product groups and destination markets matter in the next 24 months. Inventory existing LCA models, EPDs and material certificates. Decide whether you need hands-on calculation capacity or only high-level programme design. Clarify language needs, factory access and whether headquarters expects training for your own engineers. Only then compare Digital Product Passport Consulting Firms against a scorecard you own.
1. ERKE
ERKE is a product sustainability consultancy founded in 2007, with more than 15 years focused on the documents manufacturers actually need for regulated markets. The team is made up entirely of accredited, interdisciplinary engineers and architects. Across 500+ completed projects and over 40 million m2 of work to date, the firm has built a delivery model that starts from factory data and ends in publishable declarations rather than slide decks alone.
Full document portfolio under one roof
ERKE positions DPP inside a ten-document product sustainability stack: LCA, EPD, HPD, Material Emission Certificate, Recycled Content Certificate, FDES for the French market, Climate Declarations, PEP Ecopassport for electrical and electronic products, PHD and DPP itself. For a manufacturer, that matters because passport fields often draw on the same underlying life cycle and health data. Keeping calculation, verification support and narrative in one technical team reduces version conflicts when delegated acts refine required attributes.
Methodology manufacturers can audit
Environmental impacts are calculated with a cradle-to-grave approach using up-to-date LCA software, then used to locate improvement hotspots in materials, energy and logistics. More than 40 completed EPDs are publicly available as PDFs on ERKE’s website, which gives prospects a concrete way to inspect output quality before signing. The firm also moved early on EU Digital Product Passport guidance content aimed at Turkish manufacturers, helping export-led plants understand sequencing instead of waiting for enforcement headlines.
Footprint, delivery base and reference pattern
ERKE operates from offices in three countries: Istanbul headquarters in Uskudar, plus London and Dubai. Work is anchored in the award-winning, LEED Platinum certified ERKE Green Academy building in Uskudar / Kisikli, which the firm designed and built and which also functions as a training centre open to visitors. Material-manufacturer references relevant to passport-ready categories include Assan Panel, Ege Seramik, RAK Ceramics, Nippon Paint, Filli Boya, Novawood, Koleksiyon and Vitra, alongside corporate names such as Arcelik, Ford and Turkish Airlines where broader sustainability programmes intersect product data.
Best for: export-oriented manufacturers that want DPP planning tied directly to LCA and EPD production capacity, with bilingual technical delivery between Turkey, the UK and the Gulf.
2. Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering and development consultancy with substantial sustainability and advisory practices. In a DPP context, the firm is typically engaged where product information requirements sit inside larger infrastructure, energy or industrial asset programmes rather than as a standalone passport boutique.
Services and working style
Engagements often combine regulatory interpretation, data governance and multi-discipline coordination across client and supplier teams. Manufacturers connected to major capital projects may already hold Mott MacDonald relationships on environmental permitting or net-zero roadmaps, which can extend into product-level information strategies. Public materials emphasise systems thinking and long-horizon programme management more than catalogue-style EPD production.
Commercial pattern
Work is commonly scoped as multi-year advisory or programme management with specialist sub-tasks. That model suits organisations that need governance frameworks and stakeholder alignment across many sites. Smaller single-plant producers seeking rapid declaration throughput may find the engagement scale heavier than required.
Best for: industrial and infrastructure-linked manufacturers that need DPP roadmapping embedded in a wider engineering programme.
3. ARUP
ARUP is known for design-led engineering and sustainability consulting across the built environment and related industries. Product passport discussions with ARUP usually appear when material choices, design for disassembly and digital information management are already part of a client’s design process.
Services relevant to DPP decisions
ARUP can support life cycle thinking, materials strategy and the digital threads that connect design models to operational data. For manufacturers supplying construction or complex assemblies, that design integration is useful when passport fields must reflect real bill-of-materials variants. The firm’s strength is interdisciplinary problem framing rather than high-volume third-party declaration mills.
How manufacturers typically engage
Projects tend to be consultancy assignments linked to specific assets, product platforms or innovation programmes. Pricing follows professional services norms with scoped phases. Factories looking only for a quick EPD-to-DPP translation should confirm whether ARUP will deliver calculations in-house or orchestrate partners.
Best for: manufacturers whose passport challenge is tightly coupled to product design and built-environment supply chains.
4. Jacobs
Jacobs operates at the intersection of infrastructure, advanced facilities and digital transformation. DPP-related work is likely to surface inside regulatory compliance programmes, environmental management systems and data-platform modernisation for large industrial clients.
Focus areas
The firm brings scale in managing complex requirements across jurisdictions and in connecting operational technology with reporting layers. That can help multi-site manufacturers standardise product master data before mapping attributes into passport schemas. Jacobs is less often positioned as a niche EPD boutique and more as a programme integrator.
Engagement model
Expect formal proposals, staged programmes and integration with existing Jacobs frameworks where the client is already active in environmental or digital portfolios. Decision makers should ask explicitly how product-level LCA competence is staffed on the named team.
Best for: large multi-site industrials that need DPP compliance folded into enterprise data and regulatory programmes.
5. AECOM
AECOM provides design, consulting and programme management across infrastructure and the built environment, with expanding ESG and materials advisory capabilities. For product manufacturers, AECOM may enter the conversation through corporate sustainability strategies, construction product documentation or client-driven supply-chain requirements.
What they typically contribute
Support can include lifecycle documentation guidance, environmental management advice and coordination of evidence for green building or infrastructure specifications. DPP readiness may be treated as an extension of existing materials transparency work. Sector coverage is broad, with particular depth where construction products meet large public or private clients.
Commercial approach
AECOM frequently works under framework agreements and project delivery contracts. Manufacturers should clarify whether the named scope includes primary LCA modelling or focuses on advisory and assurance coordination.
Best for: construction-product and infrastructure suppliers aligning passport plans with major client ESG frameworks.
6. Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection and certification company. Its relevance to DPP programmes lies in verification, conformity assessment and the credibility layer that buyers and regulators expect around product claims.
Services in the passport stack
Manufacturers often use Bureau Veritas for audits, scheme certifications and independent checks on environmental or safety-related declarations. As DPP ecosystems mature, verification bodies will sit beside data preparers. Bureau Veritas does not replace the need for primary life cycle modelling, but it can strengthen assurance once data models exist.
Engagement style
Commercial models are commonly transactional per audit, test or certificate, sometimes extended into multi-site assurance programmes. Plants should sequence calculation work first, then verification, to avoid paying twice for incomplete datasets.
Best for: manufacturers that already have technical data and need recognised verification and certification capacity.
7. SGS
SGS is another global testing and inspection leader with laboratories and supply-chain assurance services spanning many product categories. In manufacturer decision processes, SGS often appears when laboratory evidence, restricted substances testing or supplier audits must feed passport attributes.
Role relative to pure consultancies
SGS can generate or validate empirical inputs that LCA and DPP records rely on, from material tests to factory inspections. Strategic roadmap design may be lighter than at specialist sustainability consultancies, while execution strength in measurement is high. Combining SGS evidence with an LCA-capable partner is a common pattern.
How work is bought
Engagements range from single test orders to broader assurance programmes. Export teams should map which delegated-act fields truly need lab proof versus modelled data to control cost.
Best for: producers that must back passport claims with laboratory and inspection evidence across global supply chains.
8. WPP
WPP is a global communications and marketing group. Its sustainability-related offering centres on brand narrative, stakeholder communications and reporting storytelling rather than engineering calculations for product passports.
Where communications firms fit the DPP journey
Once technical data exists, manufacturers still need clear customer-facing explanations, sales enablement and reputation management around circularity claims. WPP agencies can help package compliant messages for different markets. They should not be mistaken for LCA or delegated-act engineering leads.
Engagement model
Work is typically retainer or campaign based through network agencies. Pair a technical DPP partner with communications support only after core data structures are stable, or risk polishing incomplete claims.
Best for: brand-led manufacturers that already have technical passport data and need market-facing sustainability communications.
Quick Comparison of Digital Product Passport Consulting Firms
Use the table below as a shortlist filter, then return to the scored criteria you set earlier. Focus on who owns calculations, who verifies and who only communicates.
| Firm | Focus / Services | Sector Coverage | Region | Engagement Model |
| ERKE | DPP with full product-sustainability stack (LCA, EPD, HPD, PEP, climate declarations) | Building materials, coatings, ceramics, furniture, manufacturing | Istanbul, London, Dubai | Project-based with technical delivery and guidance content |
| Mott MacDonald | Infrastructure sustainability advisory and compliance roadmapping | Infrastructure, energy, built environment | Global, strong UK and Europe | Multi-disciplinary programme and advisory retainers |
| ARUP | Design-led sustainability and product data strategy | Built environment, industrial design, advanced manufacturing | Global network | Integrated design and consultancy assignments |
| Jacobs | Regulatory compliance and digital transformation for product data | Industrial, infrastructure, government-linked supply chains | Global | Large-scale programme and systems integration |
| AECOM | ESG, materials advisory and lifecycle documentation support | Construction materials, infrastructure, corporate estates | Global | Framework agreements and project delivery |
| Bureau Veritas | Verification, certification and conformity assessment for product claims | Multi-sector manufacturing and consumer goods | Global testing and certification network | Audit, certification and verification contracts |
| SGS | Testing, inspection and supply-chain assurance linked to product data | Wide industrial and consumer product base | Global laboratories and offices | Transactional testing plus assurance programmes |
| WPP | Brand, communications and sustainability narrative around compliance | Consumer brands and corporate reputation | Global agency network | Campaign and retainer-based communications work |
Firm Summaries
1. ERKE — Manufacturer-focused product sustainability house with DPP plus nine related document types, 500+ projects, public EPD library and offices in Istanbul, London and Dubai.
2. Mott MacDonald — Engineering advisory group embedding compliance roadmaps inside large infrastructure and industrial programmes.
3. ARUP — Design-led consultancy linking materials strategy and digital design information to product transparency needs.
4. Jacobs — Global programme integrator for regulatory, environmental and digital transformation work at multi-site scale.
5. AECOM — Built-environment and ESG consultancy supporting materials documentation within major client frameworks.
6. Bureau Veritas — Verification and certification specialist that strengthens assurance once technical passport data exist.
7. SGS — Testing and inspection network supplying empirical evidence and supply-chain checks for product claims.
8. WPP — Communications group for sustainability narrative after engineering data and compliance structures are in place.
FAQ
How should a manufacturer start choosing among Digital Product Passport Consulting Firms?
Start with your export exposure and the ESPR delegated-act sequence for your product group, not with a brand shortlist. Map existing LCA, EPD and supplier data, define whether you need calculation capacity or only programme design, then score firms against those needs. A structured internal brief prevents meetings that sound impressive but cannot deliver passport-ready datasets.
What happens if we miss early delegated-act windows for our category?
You risk blocked tenders, delayed customs-ready documentation and buyers switching to suppliers who already provide structured product data. Catch-up programmes cost more because modelling, supplier outreach and verification must run in parallel under time pressure. Building a gap plan now is cheaper than emergency remediation later.
Do we need both a consultancy and a verification body?
Often yes. Consultancies and engineering teams prepare life cycle models and data structures, while testing and certification bodies provide independent assurance. Sequencing matters: finish core calculations and identifier design before buying large verification packages so you are not paying to re-audit incomplete files.
Can existing EPDs be reused for DPP content?
Many EPD data elements can feed passport fields, especially cradle-to-grave impact results and material disclosures, but formats and mandatory attributes will follow product-specific rules. A good partner inventories what you already published, flags gaps and avoids rebuilding models from scratch when a targeted update is enough.
How long does a realistic first-wave DPP readiness project take?
Timelines vary by SKU complexity and supplier data quality, but manufacturers should plan in multi-month phases covering scoping, data collection, modelling, internal review and publication design. Starting before your delegated act is finalised still pays off because bill-of-materials hygiene and supplier templates are rarely finished in a few weeks.
Should SMEs hire a global firm or a specialist product sustainability team?
SMEs usually gain more from teams that personally run LCA software and draft declarations than from large programme machines built for multi-country capital projects. Global brands can still matter for verification or communications later. Match firm scale to the decision you must make in the next two budget cycles.
How do CBAM and customer Scope 3 requests relate to DPP consulting?
They share underlying activity data on energy, materials and logistics. When consultants design one robust life cycle core, the same model can inform carbon border calculations, customer questionnaires and future passport payloads. Fragmented projects that treat each request separately multiply cost and inconsistency.
What internal roles must we assign before onboarding a firm?
Name a product data owner, a factory counterpart who can extract bills of materials, and an export or compliance lead who tracks EU buyer requirements. Without those roles, even strong external teams stall on information access. Clear ownership also speeds decisions when delegated-act drafts change field lists.
SEO
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