DPP software for garment factories
Most Digital Product Passport software is built for EU brands collecting data from hundreds of suppliers. DPPLive is built for the other end of that request: the factory that has to produce the data, style by style.
Why the factory needs its own DPP tool
Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781), the legal duty for a passport sits with the economic operator who places the garment on the EU market, usually the importer or brand. But almost every field in a textile passport starts at the factory: fibre composition, country of origin, chemicals, certificates, care instructions. The textile delegated act is expected around 2027, with obligations roughly 18 to 24 months later, so 2028–2029 for clothing. Buyers are not waiting. They are already adding product-data questions to RFQs and vendor manuals.
A factory answering those requests from spreadsheets re-types the same composition data for every buyer and every portal. Factory-side DPP software turns that into one record per style that every buyer can draw from. For the full background, read Digital Product Passport for Bangladesh garment factories.
What factory-side DPP software has to do
- Collect style data once. One record per style, in fields that follow ESPR Article 7, filled by the people who hold the data: merchandising for composition and identity, compliance for certificates and test reports.
- Keep the evidence with the claim. A fibre percentage or recycled-content claim is only as good as the test report or transaction certificate behind it. The EU registry checks that a submission is well formed, not that it is true.
- Reach tier-2 suppliers. Fabric mills, dye houses and washing units hold the hardest fields (fibre origin, dyes and finishes, SVHC declarations). The tool should make it easy to request and record their declarations.
- Print a working QR code. Either a GS1 Digital Link built on a GTIN, or a scheme that needs no GS1 licence, so small factories can start.
- Publish a public passport page. What a buyer, customs officer or consumer sees when they scan the label, in the buyer's language.
- Prepare the EU registry file. Only eIDAS-verified EU operators can register passports under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778; the EU registry has been live since 20 July 2026. The factory's job is to hand the buyer a complete, correctly structured file.
- Share with buyers without losing control. Buyer access that the factory grants and can withdraw, and data ownership that stays with the factory in the contract.
- Stay readable for years. Passport records must remain available long after the order ships.
How DPPLive covers each point
| Need | In DPPLive |
|---|---|
| One record per style | DPP generator: add the product once and the QR code and passport fill in. The data model follows ESPR Article 7; the 83 textile fields are listed publicly, 13 of them required before a passport is approved. |
| Data entry effort | The free readiness assessment shows which fields you already have. Bulk import from a spreadsheet creates many passports at once, and a new colourway can start as a copy of an existing passport. |
| Supplier declarations | The Compliance group of fields (certificates, REACH/SVHC, test reports, audits) is where most gaps sit; the data fields page suggests collecting it from suppliers with a one-page declaration form. |
| QR code | QR code engine. The default links through DPPLive's UPID, which needs no GS1 licence; GS1 Digital Link with a GTIN is supported. |
| Public passport | A public passport page whose headings and field names come in 9 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Bangla; product text appears as entered. Buyers who scan can contact you; the inquiry lands in your DPPLive inbox. |
| EU registry | EU registry submission file prepared for your buyer's registration under Regulation (EU) 2026/1778. |
| Buyer sharing | Buyer login portal on the Free plan; buyer access management with dual approval on custom plans. Buyers can also find factories with published passports by product type, certifications and country. |
| Teams and scale | Team accounts and roles, carbon calculator (ISO 14067), buying-house and agent portal, and ERP webhooks set up with our team, on custom plans. |
| Retention | Published passports stay publicly readable for the retention period the EU rules require, even after you leave. |
To see it rather than read about it, open the live passport demo; no login needed.
A checklist for choosing DPP software
- Is it built for the factory, or for a brand collecting supplier data? Both are legitimate, but they solve different problems.
- Can you start with one style for free, before any contract?
- Does the QR code work without a GS1 licence, and with one when a buyer requires it?
- Is the field list public, so you can prepare data before signing up?
- Does it produce an EU registry file your buyer can use?
- Who owns the data, and can you export it if you leave?
- Is support available in your language and time zone?
- Is the price set for a factory's budget, per month, without a long contract?
For a deeper comparison, see how to choose a DPP provider and build vs buy. A Bangla overview is in the বাংলা DPP গাইড.
Pricing
- Pilot: free. One style, full data depth, four weeks; one published passport with QR code.
- Free plan: up to 10 DPPs a month per factory, US$0. DPP generator and QR code engine, a public passport page in 9 languages, EU registry submission file, buyer login portal, inquiries from scanned passports, email and WhatsApp support in English and Bangla.
- Custom: more than 10 DPPs a month. Team accounts, carbon calculator, buying-house and agent portal, ERP webhooks; priced with you.
Custom plans are priced in US dollars, payable by bKash (card payment coming soon), month to month, cancel any time. Full details on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What is factory-side DPP software?
It is software a garment manufacturer uses to collect product data once per style, attach the evidence behind it, publish a Digital Product Passport with a QR code, and hand the data to each buyer in the form the buyer's EU registration needs. Brand-side tools collect data from many suppliers; factory-side software is where that data is created.
Does a Bangladeshi factory register passports in the EU registry itself?
No. Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1778 only economic operators whose identity is verified through eIDAS can register passports, which in practice means the EU importer or brand. The factory supplies the data. DPPLive prepares the EU registry submission file so the buyer's registration is quick.
Do I need a GS1 licence to use DPPLive?
Not to start. The default QR code links to the passport through DPPLive's own product identifier (UPID), which needs no GS1 licence. If your buyer asks for GS1 Digital Link, you can use a GTIN instead.
How much does it cost?
The pilot is free: one style, full data depth, four weeks. After that, DPPLive is free for up to 10 Digital Product Passports a month per factory. Factories that need more than 10 a month, or team accounts and the carbon, chemical and AI tools, get custom pricing, payable by bKash (card payment coming soon).
Textile passports are not mandatory until 2028–2029. Why start now?
Because buyers are already asking. The textile delegated act is expected around 2027, with obligations about 18 to 24 months later, but EU brands are adding product-data questions to RFQs and vendor manuals today. A factory that can answer from one record per style, with evidence attached, is easier to buy from.