Frequently asked questions

SimaPro desktop is a 32 bits Windows application that also runs on 64 bits Windows. We recommend you use Windows 10 or 11. Read the full technical requirements for installing and using the SimaPro desktop software to learn more. Please note that SimaPro is designed to run on Windows. Using SimaPro on Mac and Linux is possible with a Windows emulator.

SimaPro is a Windows application. To use SimaPro on a Mac and Linux systems, you would need to use a Windows emulator and have sufficient memory on your device. Please note that we do not provide technical support on non-Windows systems.

SimaPro comes with a wealth of life cycle inventory databases including ecoinvent v3, Agri-footprint, EU and Danish Input Output database, US Life Cycle Inventory database, as well as various data from industry associations in the Industry data 2.0 library.

Additional databases are available for download via the SimaPro Marketplace. You can explore which processes are in each database or search for a specific process using this Excel file.

Find the complete list here or check the SimaPro methods manual to learn more about each method.

SimaPro desktop software is available in 13 languages. This includes Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Swedish. You can change the software language by going to Tools > Language and selecting the language you want. We recommend restarting SimaPro afterwards.

The SimaPro online platform includes the web-based modules:

• SimaPro Collect for data collection
• SimaPro Flow (beta) for LCA modeling
• SimaPro Share for LCA result sharing
• SimaPro Explore for extensive scenario analysis

There are two user types on the platform – expert and business users. The expert role is suitable for LCA practitioners, whereas the business user role is especially created for non-LCA experts such as management, sales and marketing, product designers and procurement specialists. Business users can view results and compare scenarios that are based on the LCA model created by the expert user.

Expert access is included in the SimaPro Expert, Power and PhD plan. Business user licenses can be purchased separately. On our Help Center, you can learn more and compare the different user types.

Besides the databases integrated into the software, several additional databases are available in SimaPro format.

Available for free for SimaPro users:

• Agri-footprint
• AGRIBALYSE
• Environmental Footprint database*
• EXIOBASE
• Quantis World Food LCA Database
• WEEE LCI database

Paid databases:

• Carbon Minds
• DATASMART LCI package
• ESU world food LCA database
• IDEA Japanese Inventory database
• Social hotspots database

Please note that we have quality assured the correct implementation in SimaPro for the following databases: Agri-footprint, AGRIBALYSE, Carbon Minds, ecoinvent, Environmental Footprint database, EXIOBASE, Industry data library, Quantis World Food LCA Database, US Life Cycle Inventory database and WEEE LCI database. For questions related to any other database, please contact the database provider directly.

* You may use the Environmental Footprint database 3.1 free of charge if you are conducting PEF or OEF studies exclusively under the approved product groups and sectors, which have been approved (developed or updated) during the EF transition phase and as defined in the PEFCRs and OEFSRs, and in accordance with the End User License Agreements of all database providers.

You can purchase the SimaPro PhD plan only if you are a PhD student affiliated with an educational institute.

We offer a free one-year access to SimaPro Faculty and ecoinvent to educational institutions in lower-middle-income and low-income countries (defined in the UN Classification). You can request your free SimaPro Faculty using this form. We will process your request within 2 weeks.

A SimaPro subscription includes software and database updates and technical support. Service contracts are only applicable for perpetual license holders. As of April 2022, we no longer offer perpetual licenses (except for SimaPro Classroom). Please note that some of our partners still offer perpetual SimaPro licenses. Please contact your local partner if you need more information.

If you already have an ecoinvent license, you will receive a discount on your SimaPro plan. We deduct the price of the ecoinvent license, but you would still need to pay 500 EUR for the conversion to SimaPro, and the term difference (if the difference is more than 2 months).

The prices of SimaPro subscription plans include the SimaPro software, access to our helpdesk for technical support, and access to five databases: ecoinvent v3, Agri-footprint, Industry data 2.0, USLCI, EU and Danish Input Output database.

Any import taxes, duties or fees are to be paid by the ordering party. Payments are due in Euro (EUR).

SimaPro is distributed globally through the SimaPro Partner Network. As our partners charge in their local currency, deviations in price can occur due to currency exchange rate fluctuations and local taxes.

The single-user and multi-user versions of SimaPro require different types of installation. Single-user is the standard software installation where only one person can work on the same database and project at a time. The multi-user installation is a client-server system that enables collaboration – several users from the same organization can work in a shared database or project simultaneously. Moreover, you can define different user roles and access levels. The multi-user setup might cause slightly slower software performance and updating the software is more involving. More information about how multi-user works and technical requirements is available on the SimaPro Help Center.

It is possible to upgrade your plan from SimaPro Expert to SimaPro Power. Please contact your local partner or our Sales team to request the upgrade.

Below you can find the banking details of PRé Sustainability – the company developing the SimaPro software. Please make sure the invoice number is mentioned on your bank transfer.

Beneficiary:

PRé Sustainability B.V.
Stationsplein 121
3818 LE Amersfoort
The Netherlands

Name of our bank: Rabobank Amersfoort Eemland

Address of bank:

P.O. Box 620
3800 AP Amersfoort
The Netherlands

Bank account no: 30.22.93.302
IBAN nr: NL85RABO0302293302
SWIFT (BIC) address: RABONL2U
Sorting codes/Clearing House Code: none
Currency: all payments to us must be made in Euro (EUR).
Cost options: yours
VAT number: NL 8126.91.003.B.01

VAT (BTW/TVA/IVA/MOMS/MWS) is not to be paid by non-Dutch customers. If you order from an EU country, you are VAT exempt only if you state your valid VAT number on the order form. You can check the validity of your VAT number online.

Registration number Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Amersfoort): 32099599

Individuals or organizations without a VAT number ordering from within the European Union will have to pay 21% VAT.  We advise you to check with your administrative or financial department about having a VAT number before placing your order. You do not need to pay VAT if you hand over a document issued by your local tax office, certifying that you are exempt from VAT. Please note that Dutch customers always pay 21% VAT.

Are you based outside the EU? Then you do not need a VAT number. Please note that when you order through one of our local partners, they will charge local taxes as applicable in your country.

To use SimaPro, you must agree to the End User License and Service Agreement for SimaPro and the SimaPro SaaS Terms and Conditions Issued by PRé August 2020, as well as to the end user license agreements of database providers:

• ecoinvent data libraries: End User Licence Agreement (EULA) of ecoinvent Association for ecoinvent data (Version 3 of 1 April 2022)
• Agri-footprint data libraries: End User License Agreement Agri-footprint 6.0 via SimaPro (July 2022)

Find an overview of all EULAs applicable to our software products here.

PRé Sustainability, the developer of SimaPro, offers regular trainings on life cycle assessment and SimaPro. Three training courses are available: Effective LCA with SimaPro Desktop, Accessible LCA with the SimaPro Platform, and Product Environmental Footprint with SimaPro. Please check our training calendar for upcoming trainings.

Organizations from the SimaPro Global Partner Network also offer training courses on life cycle assessment with SimaPro. Trainings are available in various languages, formats (online, onsite, hybrid, in-house) and locations. Check the trainings overview for more information.

Of course, our SimaPro Support team is here to help you! Everyone with a valid SimaPro license (active subscription or perpetual license with a valid service contract) can benefit from our technical helpdesk. You can find a variety of articles and tutorials and contact our support team via the SimaPro Help Center.

Please note that we work with a Global Partner Network consisting of 25 SimaPro partners around the world. If you have purchased SimaPro through a local partner, they will act as your sales and support representative. Please direct your support questions to your local partner.

We work with a Global Partner Network consisting of 25 partners. Your local partner will serve as a SimaPro sales and support representatives, and you can rely on them to answer your support request in your local language.

If you need help with building your LCA model, and analyzing and interpreting your results, our support packages can help! A support package is a one-on-one consultation during which an experienced LCA consultant will guide you through setting up your model, calculating and interpreting your LCA results, and will answer any questions you may have. We offer 10-hour and 20-hour expert support packages.

We take information security seriously and understand that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your information are vital to your business operations, and our own success. We have implemented the ISO 27001:2013 standard for all processes supporting the development and delivery of the SimaPro online platform. ISO 27001:2013 is the international standard for the management of information security and provides a systematic approach to keeping sensitive company information secure. Getting the ISO 27001:2013 certificate is a reassurance for our customers that PRé complies with the highest standards regarding information security. PRé Sustainability B.V. is ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified under certificate number ISC 123.

Learn more about Information security at PRé

The SimaPro platform is hosted by MS Azure. Application and databases are hosted off-site, in Western Europe, and backups are created daily.

To ensure the security of our online platform, we perform penetration tests, dynamic application security testing, and static code analysis.

PRé/SimaPro does not transfer data outside EU. We treat all personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).