Definition
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire(PQQ)
The legacy term for the supplier selection stage.
A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) was the document UK public buyers historically used to assess supplier suitability before inviting shortlisted bidders to tender. It has largely been replaced by the Selection Questionnaire, though the term PQQ is still used informally and in some legacy or lower-value procurements.
Why the PQQ term persists
Standardisation under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced the Selection Questionnaire to bring consistency across buyers, replacing the varied, buyer-specific PQQ formats that made comparing requirements across procurements time-consuming for suppliers.
Despite this, many practitioners, especially in construction, facilities management and some council procurements, still refer to the pre-tender assessment stage generically as 'the PQQ', even when the document itself is technically an SQ.
What a PQQ typically covered
Where the term is still used, the content is broadly the same as a modern SQ: company details, financial accounts or turnover figures, relevant experience and case studies, health and safety policies, insurance levels and standard exclusion declarations.
- Company and group structure details
- Financial standing, often via three years of accounts
- Relevant project experience and references
- Policies on health and safety, equality and environment
- Exclusion and self-certification declarations
What suppliers should do about it
Suppliers should not worry about the label; the safest approach is to treat any pre-tender questionnaire, whether called PQQ or SQ, with the same discipline: accurate self-certification, up-to-date financial and insurance figures, and clear evidence of relevant experience mapped against the stated criteria.
Frequently asked questions
- Is PQQ still used in UK public procurement?
- The formal PQQ document was largely replaced by the Selection Questionnaire, but the term is still used informally by some buyers and suppliers to describe the pre-tender qualification stage, particularly in construction and property sectors.
- What is the difference between a PQQ and an SQ?
- There is little practical difference; the SQ is the standardised successor to the PQQ, covering similar exclusion, financial and technical questions in a more consistent format across public buyers. Suppliers can generally reuse PQQ-style answers when completing an SQ.
- Do small-value contracts still use a PQQ stage?
- Below-threshold or lower-value procurements sometimes skip a separate pre-qualification stage entirely and go straight to a combined ITT, but some buyers still run a light-touch PQQ or SQ-style filter even for smaller contracts.
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