EPDs On A Budget: What To Do First
Small budget, big portfolio, and more requests for EPDs than hours in the week. Here is a simple, commercial-first way to decide which product families go first so sales does not stall, specs do not slip, and renewal surprises do not eat next quarter’s pipeline.
Start with outcomes, not noise
EPDs are sales tools and risk shields. Prioritize families where an EPD will unlock bids or stop substitution, not where a single customer asked the loudest.
Revenue at risk, quantified
Estimate the next twelve months of revenue tied to projects that either prefer or require third party verified, product specific EPDs. Rank families by revenue at risk and gross margin, then by win probability once an EPD exists. If hard numbers are scarce, use past bid logs and channel feedback. Reliable cost averages are hard to pin down because each project scope differs.
Spec sensitivity, not vanity
Some categories are gatekept by EPDs. Others are not. Look at competitor coverage, typical spec language, and how often an EPD is marked as mandatory versus optional. If buyers must default to conservative generic values without an EPD, your product is more likely to be sidelined in tight carbon budgets.
Regulatory exposure you actually sell into
Map current sales by state and owner type. Several states and public owners require or strongly prefer EPDs for specific materials on funded work. Focus the first wave on families that match that footprint. LEED v5 continues to reward product specific declarations and many large owners align to it, even before final balloting.
Renewal and PCR timing
EPDs typically have a five year validity window, so an expiring declaration can knock a family out of contention overnight if it lapses during a bid window (EPD International General Programme Instructions, 2024). Program instructions also expect data to represent a recent one year reference period, so timing renewals after a clean data year reduces churn (UL Environmental Product Declarations Program Instructions, 2024).
Data readiness and factory complexity
Pick the lines where data capture will be fast. Fewer plants, stable formulations, and metered utilities shorten the runway. A partner that handles the heavy lifting of data collection, rather than pushing templates back to your team, turns months into weeks.
A one page scoring model you can run tomorrow
Give each family a 1 to 5 score in five dimensions. Weight them to reflect your strategy.
- Revenue at risk, weight 35.
- Spec sensitivity, weight 25.
- Regulatory exposure in active markets, weight 20.
- Renewal timing or looming expiries, weight 10.
- Data readiness and cycle time, weight 10.
Sort by total score. Fund the top two or three families this quarter. Recalculate quarterly as bids and regulations shift.
Tiebreakers that move real deals
Pick the family that sales can brief and launch quickly. Align with catalog updates or a trade show moment that puts the EPD in front of specifiers. If two lines are equal, choose the one with fewer SKUs to publish faster.
What to avoid
Do not chase low volume SKUs because they are easy. Do not wait for a perfect PCR if a widely used, appropriate one already governs the category. And dont kick a renewal into next year if the EPD will lapse during a key RFP season.
How this looks in practice
Week 1 to 2, confirm reference year and data owners. Weeks 3 to 6, pull data and model footprints, close gaps with targeted asks rather than blanket spreadsheets. Weeks 7 to 10, verification and publication with your chosen program operator. Timelines will vary with product complexity and portfolio size.
Keep momentum with small wins
Publish where the revenue and risk are greatest, keep renewals from expiring, and choose the factories that can deliver clean data. Repeat the scoring each quarter. The result is a steady drumbeat of EPDs that defend margin, win specs, and reduce scramble for the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are most EPDs valid and does that affect prioritization?
Most programs set a five year validity period, which makes renewal timing a direct prioritization lever. Families with declarations expiring in the next two to three quarters should move to the front of the line so specs are not lost to lapses. (EPD International General Programme Instructions, 2024)
What if a perfect PCR for my product does not exist yet?
Use the most appropriate existing PCR that competitors use, publish now, and track upcoming revisions. Waiting often costs more in lost bids than the effort to update later.
How do I score spec sensitivity without guessing?
Look at recent specs and RFPs, competitor declarations, and whether owners default to conservative generic values when no EPD is available. If those conditions are common, assign a higher score.
Can I prioritize by speed to publish without hurting ROI?
Yes. When two families are close on revenue and regulatory exposure, choose the one with cleaner data and fewer plants. Faster publication creates earlier revenue lift and builds internal momentum.
About the Author
With a passion for sustainability and a love for complex data, Toby helps manufacturers efficiently collect data from across their organization and get their EPDs done right. He’s especially interested in how AI can support human expertise, helping R&D and factory teams work faster, smarter, and with less friction.
