DPP made simple for UK manufacturers

What the EU Digital Product Passport means in practice and how to prepare with confidence.

If you work in UK manufacturing, you’ve likely started hearing about Digital Product Passports (DPPs), perhaps followed by a sigh or a shrug. And it’s understandable. Another EU-driven compliance initiative, landing just as everyone’s getting to grips with ESG reporting and data privacy rules?

But this one’s different. The EU DPP initiative, due in 2026, will reshape how product data is managed and shared across entire supply chains.

For UK manufacturers that trade into Europe or supply those who do, it’s not a distant problem. It’s a live one.

What DPP actually is in plain English

A Digital Product Passport is a digital record that tracks a product’s entire lifecycle, from raw material to recycling. It will include information such as composition, environmental impact, repairability and compliance documentation.

Every product entering or circulating within the EU will eventually need one. That means any UK business that exports to Europe or supplies a company that does, must be able to collect, store and share structured data in a consistent way.

It’s about transparency and traceability. But more than that, it’s about proving sustainability and compliance through data, not paperwork.

The state of readiness

Forterro’s research shows that awareness of DPP remains low: only 49% of European industrial midmarket firms say they understand what DPP entails. In the UK specifically, just 47% know what it means and only half feel prepared to comply.

Even more concerning, a quarter of respondents admit they don’t know whether they’re ready at all.
Given that compliance deadlines are less than two years away, that lack of clarity could soon become a commercial risk.

The main barriers?

• Complexity of requirements (42%)
• Lack of compliance resources (42%)
• Lack of guidance (37%)

None of these are surprising, but they are manageable.

Start with the data not the deadline

The biggest misconception about DPP is that it’s primarily a compliance exercise. It isn’t. It’s a data project and a chance to strengthen how information flows through your business.

If you already manage traceability, quality assurance and product information within your ERP system, you’re halfway there. The challenge is integrating those data points into one consistent record that can be shared securely.

For most UK manufacturers, the smartest move isn’t to rush toward new tools it’s to audit what you already have.

Ask three questions:

1. Where is my product data stored today?
2. Who owns it and who maintains it?
3. Can it be exported in a structured, standardised way?

That’s the foundation for DPP readiness. The rest is iteration.

Budgeting for compliance

DPP doesn’t have to mean huge new spending. Across Europe, firms expect to invest an average of €32,255 in readiness, roughly £28,000 in the UK.That’s not insignificant, but compared to the potential penalties, supply chain disruptions, or lost tenders for non-compliance, it’s a modest investment in staying competitive.

And the benefits go beyond ticking a regulatory box. More than half (51%) of firms say compliance gives them a competitive advantage, influencing how they choose technology partners and how they win work.

Turning compliance into capability

Once your core data is structured, ERP can take over much of the heavy lifting:

• Storing and validating product information
• Linking documentation to serial numbers or batch data
• Automating reporting for audits and certifications

As Claudia Schmidhauser, Senior Principal, Product Management at Forterro, explains:

“A growing number of regulations will rely on DPP to make product information available digitally. When companies create a transparent data structure, the benefits exceed the effort required.”

When you think of DPP as a digital foundation and not just a regulatory hurdle, it becomes a tool for efficiency as well compliance.

The UK advantage

UK firms have a unique opportunity here. Many already operate under strict environmental and quality standards. By acting early on DPP, they can demonstrate readiness, reassure EU partners and strengthen relationships across borders.

DPP might be born from Brussels, but the competitive advantage belongs to those who implement it best, not those who wait the longest.