Vertice & EcoVadis embed ESG ratings in buying workflow

Vertice has partnered with EcoVadis to bring ESG ratings into its procurement workflow platform, becoming EcoVadis' first AI procurement orchestration partner.

The integration places EcoVadis ratings and scores alongside Vertice data on pricing, peer benchmarks, contract terms and risk within the buying process. The aim is to reduce the risk that sustainability information is assessed separately from commercial factors when procurement teams evaluate suppliers.

EcoVadis has assessed more than 175,000 businesses across 220 industries and 185 countries, covering environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. Vertice said its procurement dataset includes more than 250,000 negotiated contracts, more than USD $75 billion in global indirect spend and more than 2 million price points across more than 32,000 vendors.

According to the companies, the partnership is already being used by shared customers including Capita. That gives the announcement an early customer reference in a market where procurement software providers are trying to show that artificial intelligence tools can support day-to-day purchasing decisions rather than serve only as analytical tools.

Workflow change

Procurement teams face growing pressure to incorporate environmental, social and governance measures into supplier selection, but many still rely on separate systems for contract data, pricing intelligence and sustainability assessments. Bringing those data sources together in a single workflow could change how buyers weigh trade-offs between cost, risk and supplier conduct.

That matters as companies come under greater scrutiny over their supply chains from investors, customers and regulators. It also reflects a wider push in business software to embed external data into operational systems so staff do not need to switch between platforms to make routine decisions.

Capita outlined how the combined product will be used in practice. "Vertice powers AI procurement orchestration at Capita, and EcoVadis provides trusted sustainability ratings for our suppliers. Together, the integration of EcoVadis ratings within Vertice's AI procurement platform embeds supplier ESG performance into every procurement decision, ensuring sustainability considerations are evaluated alongside cost, risk and commercial factors," said Suraj Naik, Group Procurement Director and Chief Procurement Officer at Capita.

Industry analysts are also watching how procurement platforms connect AI tools to measurable business outcomes. "Sustainability commitments are won or lost in everyday purchasing decisions. In our 2026 IDC MarketScape, Vertice was recognized as a Leader for grounding its AI in real-world outcomes, not just process. Bringing EcoVadis' verified ratings on more than 175,000 companies into that same workflow extends these outcomes to ESG, giving procurement teams a far more complete view of every supplier they buy from," said Patrick Reymann, Research Director, Procurement Applications and Agents, IDC.

Market context

The agreement comes as software suppliers in procurement and finance try to distinguish themselves through data coverage as much as automation. In this part of the market, the breadth of supplier information can influence whether buyers see a platform as a transaction tool or as a source for negotiation and supplier management.

Vertice has recently received favourable mentions from research firms including IDC, Forrester and Lionfish, while customer reviews on G2 placed it first in procurement orchestration in seasonal grid reports this year. EcoVadis cited findings from the ERM Sustainability Institute's Rate the Raters survey, where it ranked in the top three among 14 providers for both quality and usefulness among corporates and investors.

Roy Tuvey, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Vertice, said the aim was to combine cost and sustainability information in one place. "Our customers want to be able to consistently make the best purchasing decisions through an AI-native platform, based on a single view of the most comprehensive intelligence. Partnering with EcoVadis helps us do that. Our agentic AI orchestration platform can now deliver robust and extensive ESG data alongside our own data on price, commercial terms and wider risk factors to hit both ESG objectives and cost savings goals. Customers will receive a more comprehensive view of their vendors, meaning smarter, more rounded purchasing decisions every time," he said.

For EcoVadis, the partnership extends its ratings deeper into the operational systems where supplier choices are made. Rather than sitting only in a standalone sustainability tool, those scores will now appear during purchasing and negotiation processes, where budget owners and procurement teams can act on them immediately.

Annette Gevaert, Senior Vice President, Alliances & Partnerships, at EcoVadis, said the partnership was designed to make sustainability data part of routine procurement decisions. "A resilient supply chain relies on sustainable procurement. By embedding trusted, verified sustainability data directly into the purchasing workflow, our partnership with Vertice ensures ESG impact is evaluated right alongside price and commercial terms every time a decision is made," she said.