Hedgehog vs Parq for EPDs: Which Fits Manufacturers

What you are really buying

An EPD is a passport to more bids, not a trophy. The value shows up when sales can enter projects that screen for product-specific EPDs and move sooner. EPDs are generally valid for five years, so speed to publication compounds across multiple bid cycles (EPD International, 2024; IBU, 2024).

Two models, two tradeoffs

Hedgehog operates like a traditional consultant with a broad carbon accounting platform. It supports self-service workflows that a manufacturer team configures, with consultants available when needed. Parq concentrates on LCA and EPD delivery with AI-enabled process automation plus a white-glove data collection team.

Platform breadth vs depth for EPD outcomes

A Swiss Army knife is handy on a hike. A chef’s knife flies in a kitchen. Hedgehog’s broader suite can help a sustainability office track many topics, though some funcitonality may be peripheral to the narrow job of publishing EPDs. Parq’s focus aims that effort at one outcome and trims side quests.

Data collection is the real bottleneck

Most EPD delays start with utility pulls, bills of materials, waste logs, and line-level throughput. In self-service setups, internal teams chase that data and revisit it when gaps appear. Parq’s model assigns that work to specialists so your R&D and plant leaders avoid weekly spreadsheet archaeology.

Verification and where it gets published

Both approaches must land at a program operator for independent verification, then publication under ISO 14025 and EN 15804 rules. Minimum reporting of A1 to A3 is required under EN 15804 for construction products, with additional modules added by scope as needed (CEN EN 15804+A2, 2019). Parq is operator agnostic and commonly publishes in the US with Smart EPD and in Europe with IBU, though the choice should follow market needs.

Effort profile on your side

Hedgehog’s self-service plus consultant model typically expects your team to assemble datasets and operate the platform. That can work if internal bandwidth is abundant and structured. Parq is built for minimal lift on the manufacturer side, which is helpful when plant and product teams are at capacity.

Speed, quality, completeness

We care about all three because a fast EPD that misses required modules or key data can stall at verification. Parq’s promise centers on speed with accuracy and completeness, often roughly 70 percent faster than industry norms, while keeping auditors comfortable. Hedgehog’s pace will mirror your team’s availability inside the platform.

When each option fits

Hedgehog can fit enterprises that want a single home for corporate carbon accounting with EPDs as one stream among many. It suits teams that prefer to build internal muscle and can staff it. Parq fits manufacturers who want product-level LCAs and EPDs quickly, with white-glove data wrangling and clear project management so sales can enter more specs next quarter.

ROI clarity your CFO will back

The commercial math is simple. An EPD removes penalties in carbon accounting on many projects and keeps you in the running when owners or design teams filter for products with verified disclosures. Reliable cost averages vary by scope and geography, and public benchmarks are limited, so it is best to model payback against one or two mid-sized bids in your pipeline rather than generic averages. That is usually where teh win shows up first.

How to decide this week

1. Map your next three bids that mention EPDs and list the program operator those markets prefer.
2. Estimate internal hours you can realistically commit to data wrangling in the next 30 days.
3. Pick the partner whose model minimizes your internal hours while meeting operator and scope needs.

The takeaway

If you need broad carbon tooling with EPDs as a feature, Hedgehog’s model can work. If you need product LCAs and EPDs delivered in record time with minimal lift and operator flexibility, Parq is the specialist. Choose the knife that fits the job and move on the bids that matter most.