An evidence pack is not a folder containing every company document. It is a selected set of answers and references showing where information comes from.
Start with the actual request
Retain the questionnaire, version, deadline and requested period. Check instructions on formats, attachments and confidential information.
The EBA guidelines on ESG risks concern institutions' risk management. They do not mean every SME must complete an identical questionnaire or that VSME guarantees financing.
Build a record for each answer
Connect the proposed answer to its source, period, method and reviewer. Identify unavailable information.
Numerical answers need units and scope. Narrative answers must describe actual practice. If no plan or target has been adopted, do not hide that gap behind generic wording.
Check consistency without inventing contradictions
An environmental policy and no quantitative target are not inherently contradictory: the policy may cover different matters or contain no target.
Two different totals for the same consumption, mixed periods or a “measured” claim supported only by an estimate do warrant further investigation.
Prepare the shared copy
Use relevant attachments and aggregates where appropriate, excluding unnecessary personal data. Do not automatically send a whole payroll archive or medical documents.
Retain an attachment index and the submitted version. A later revision must remain distinguishable from the earlier delivery.
The step before answering
If sources are disorganised, begin with a data inventory. Preparing an urgent response does not automatically complete an entire report.
For mapping requests to VSME, see the interoperability table guide. Check each actual request: no dossier is universally valid for every bank.