There is no fixed deadline for collecting supplier data, but in practice this is almost always the part that takes the longest when compiling a digital product passport. With a supplier who already works in a structured way and is used to similar questions, this can be completed within a few weeks. With a supplier who is not, or with a product that is made through multiple links in the chain, this quickly extends to months.
The reason is simple: the provider who must deliver the passport is usually not the same party as the one who knows exactly the fibre composition, the production location or the origin of the material. That information must be requested, checked and sometimes repeatedly followed up. This is not a technical problem but a logistical and organisational process, and that process determines the turnaround time much more strongly than the choice of software or platform.
Where the turnaround time gets stuck
In practice, three things often go wrong. First, there is no fixed contact point at the supplier: the question comes in at sales, is forwarded to production, and sits there for weeks waiting. Second, the requested information is not delivered completely in one go, which means several rounds are needed to get the same answer right. Third, the information that does come turns out not to match what the regulation asks for: a supplier delivers, for example, a summary material overview, whereas what is needed is the composition per part of the product.
In chains with multiple links — a fabric that is woven in one country, dyed in another and sewn in a third country — each link counts towards the turnaround time. A delay at one link reverberates through the entire planning. This applies even more when a supplier is further away from the EU and less used to this type of request.
The role of intermediaries and agents
Many companies do not work directly with the factory but through an agent, a sourcing bureau or an importer. This can both shorten and extend the turnaround time. An experienced intermediary who knows the question can get the right data to the surface faster than a company that is contacting a factory for the first time itself. But an intermediary who passes the question on without checking what comes back themselves just adds an extra round to the process. Who performs which role in the chain, and who bears which responsibility, is described in the explanation per role in the chain.
What helps to prevent delays
The greatest time saving is not in the passport itself, but in the agreements already made beforehand. Contracts and purchasing conditions that specify which data a supplier supplies as standard, and in what form, save weeks in practice. This also applies to suppliers you have been working with for some time: if the question is seen as a one-off action rather than a fixed part of the cooperation, you have to start over again with each new season. Companies that want to see how far they currently stand can find that out in a few minutes via the free quick-scan that maps out your situation.
When is the best time to start
The delegated act for clothing is expected in 2027 according to the ESPR work plan, with expected implementation around 2029; this date is not yet fixed. This does not mean that waiting is the best strategy. Precisely because requesting and checking supplier data is the longest step in the process, this is the component where starting early yields the most. Companies that now map out which suppliers can provide which information will have a considerable head start over companies that only begin once the obligation becomes concrete. How that information is precisely processed into a passport is explained at the working method behind the product passport.
Would you like to know where your own supplier chain currently stands, and what data you could already request now? Take the free quick-scan or read through the topics in the knowledge bank; both give you a concrete picture in a few minutes without requiring you to commit to anything.