ProD&S Certification, the " ESG " certification for the defense and security sectors

The ProD&S Certification is the first European certification ESG covering ethical, social, and environmental standards for defense and security professionals. It is intended for companies in the defense and security industrial and technological base (BITDS), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and military facilities and services. ESTRADS Certification issues the certification following verification of supporting documentation and an audit.

Why is there a defense-specific " ESG " certification?

Today, defense companies must demonstrate their ethical, social, and environmental commitments. Their public and private clients require this in their requests for proposals. Banks, investment funds, and insurers—which are often wary of this sector—want proof before committing.

A general-purpose certification framework rarely takes into account the realities of the sector: export compliance, protection of sensitive data, rare occupations, and military sites. The ProD&S Certification was designed for these companies and sites, with criteria tailored to their specific operations.

Recognition from defense stakeholders

ESTRADS Certification received an official letter of recognition from the DGA highlighting the relevance of his work. As this excerpt states:

“The Defense Industry Directorate (DGA/DID) has taken note of the work conducted by ESTRADS Certification in the field of ethical, social, environmental, and sovereignty certification as applied to complex and sensitive industrial sectors, and more specifically to strategic sectors related to defense and security. This letter serves as explicit recognition of the value of the approach developed by ESTRADS Certification as an independent private initiative aimed at supporting industrial stakeholders in a proactive effort to advance and structure their practices.”

With the ProD&S Certification, ESTRADS Certification has also been designated a “national defense partner company” by a decree issued by the Ministry of the Armed Forces on June 14, 2021.

Since the defense sector isn't universally accepted among my friends and family, I felt it was important to show that it can certainly be compatible with ethics, respect for people, rules, and the environment.

Christophe Delhaise-Ramond

Founder and CEO of Mind2Shake, ProD&S 3-Star Certification

What the ProD&S Certification Offers You:

Responding to RFP's

ESG -related criteria are playing an increasingly important role in government and major corporate tenders. Certification provides you with third-party verification and demonstrates that your practices are consistent with the values of the Ministry of the Armed Forces as well as those of major private contractors.

"This commitment allows us to make these initiatives more tangible for all our stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, insurance companies, banks, etc.) and to respond positively to CSR and ESG issues in response to requests for proposals in France and internationally."

Laurent Pourprix

CEO of Titan Défense; holder of ProD&S and ProTarmac 2-star certifications

Simplify Your Financing

Banks, investors, and insurers are often reluctant to get involved in the defense sector. Certification provides them with proof of compliance with ESG requirements, verified by an independent body. Several financial institutions in the sector work with ESTRADS Certification : ACER Finance offers certification to companies in its portfolio, SouvTech Invest requires it from companies raising funds on its platform, and Défense Angels sees it as a way to secure fundraising efforts.

“We see this initiative as a way to fully integrate the defense market into ESG frameworks, which financial and banking institutions claim to adhere to.”

Bernard Ochs

Partner at ACER Finance, a partner ofESTRADS Certification

Attracting and Retaining Your Teams

Job candidates, recent graduates, and new hires pay close attention to how a company treats its employees. This certification evaluates your policies on recruitment, gender equality, disability inclusion, training, and employee well-being, as well as your efforts to train the next generation in high-demand defense occupations. It provides you with a verified selling point for recruitment.

Showcase Your Efforts

You will receive a certificate and a communications kit: logo, plaque, diploma, and messaging guidelines. Your organization will be listed on the page Our References. For a military base, this is also a way to inform elected officials and residents of neighboring communities about its environmental and social initiatives.

Who is the ProD&S certification intended for?

Are you an industrial group?

Communicate with the general public and your employees about the efforts your company is making. Also, ensure that your subcontractors share your commitments to social and environmental responsibility.

Demand responsible behavior from your suppliers! To map all your suppliers based on their certifications: ATLAS.

Are you a mid-sized company or an SME?

Engage your teams and reassure your customers about your commitment to environmental responsibility. ProD&S Certification provides you with a comprehensive framework for evaluating your actions and planning for future sustainable development initiatives.

Are you a young startup in the defense and security sector?

Are you an innovative startup looking to incorporate responsible practices from the very beginning? ProD&S Certification helps you structure and strengthen your CSR approach by providing an assessment framework tailored to your startup. With a personalized approach, this certification supports you in implementing sustainable strategies, highlights your commitments to your partners and investors, and positions you as a committed and credible player in the market.

Are you a service or consulting firm?

Have you implemented an effective action plan to develop your CSR initiative? ProD&S Certification supports you as your initiative evolves, providing an assessment framework tailored to your business that allows you to move forward with confidence.

Do you manage a military site or service?

You have implemented numerous environmental and social initiatives. Your initiatives in the areas of energy conservation and waste management are essential. Use ProD&S Certification to inform local elected officials and residents of surrounding communities about your commitments and achievements. ProD&S Certification helps you highlight these actions while motivating your teams to continue and strengthen their efforts.

What the Certification Assesses

The ProD&S Certification evaluates an organization against more than 500 criteria tailored to its activities, size, and—in the case of a military facility—its mission. These criteria are grouped into broad categories:

Internal policies: recruitment; combating harassment, discrimination, and gender-based and sexual violence; gender equality; disability; workplace well-being; and training.
High-Demand Occupations: The Appeal of Defense and Security Careers, Passing on Expertise, and Building Skills.
Regulatory and Ethical Standards: compliance with laws and treaties, anti-corruption measures, transparency regarding share ownership and beneficial owners, social and tax compliance, and corporate governance.
Export Compliance: Adherence to export regulations.
Customers, suppliers, and subcontractors: ethical requirements throughout the value chain, shared code of conduct.
Environment: energy, resources, emissions, biodiversity.
Waste: reduction, sorting, recycling, and strict management of hazardous waste specific to the sector.
Responsible Innovation: Research and Development, Sharing Innovation.
Cybersecurity: raising awareness and training staff, tools for protecting sensitive data.

The questionnaire can be distributed among various managers within the organization: senior management, finance and legal, human resources, production, ESG, and site management.

To also measure your organization's level of autonomy (capital, dependencies, suppliers), the NSI Certification complements the ProD&S Certification.

A French organization for your sensitive data

A ESG -based assessment requires the disclosure of sensitive information: organizational structure, suppliers, subcontractors, and locations. ESTRADS Certification is 100% French-owned and is not subject to the Cloud Act: this data remains with a French provider Our sovereignty.

ESTRADS Certification It also conducts joint work on sovereignty with INAS, the National Institute for Strategic Affairs, through events, publications, and roundtables.

Our ProD&S Certification Partners

ESTRADS Certification 's Partners in the Defense and Security Sectors
Partner	Connection to national defense
DGA, Defense Industry Directorate	Letter of Recognition dated April 15, 2026
Ministry of the Armed Forces	Status as a National Defense Partner Company, Decree of June 14, 2021
GICAT	Consortium of Land and Air-Land Defense and Security Industries, Agreement and Preferential Rate
GENERATE	GICAT's Defense and Security Startup Accelerator, Agreement, and Preferential Rates
The Strategic Position	Supports strategic startups; reduced rate
Systematic Paris-Region	Competitiveness Cluster: Testimonial on Access to the Defense Industry
ACER Finance	Development Capital Fund, BITD SMEs
SouvTech Invest	Crowdfunding Dedicated to National Defense and Sovereignty
Defense Angels	Business Angels in Sovereign Technologies
FRENCHSHIELD	National Security Cluster
AN2V	National Video Surveillance Association
COGES Events and Eurosatory	ProD&S-certified trade show in 2022 and 2024; certified organizer
HELPED	Eurosatory section dedicated to crisis response
INAS	Think tank on sovereignty, joint projects

"We have chosen to work with ESTRADS Certification to highlight and certify the CSR, ethical, social, and environmental commitments of our startups in a credible and independent manner. ESTRADS Certification offers an approach tailored to early-stage companies, with criteria specific to their size and maturity, as well as progressive support that enables them to scale up quickly. In a context where financing remains complex in the defense sector, ESTRADS Certification serves as a true catalyst for building trust and fostering growth.”

Hubert Raymond

Manager of GENERATE by GICAT

“At La Place Stratégique, we support each cohort of companies as they build their structures and expand into demanding markets. The partnership with ESTRADS Certification emerged naturally, given the strength of their certifications and their independent approach, which is perfectly aligned with the challenges facing our industries. ESTRADS Certification provides concrete support to companies, whether regarding financing issues, structuring their responses to requests for proposals, or business development. It is a key partner in supporting their long-term growth.”

Stéphane Sentana

General Delegate of La Place Stratégique

Let's talk about your ProD&S certification

To find out about the target level, pricing, or special terms available to members of partner organizations, contact the team atESTRADS Certification. A certified organization that recommends ESTRADS Certification is also eligible for the referral program.