UK supplier guide
PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire):
what it is now
A PQQ is a pre-qualification questionnaire: the supplier-suitability check before the tender. In UK public procurement it became the Standard Selection Questionnaire and, under the Procurement Act 2023, the procurement specific questionnaire.
Find tenders with a selection stage →Checked against primary sources4 sources linked below
- Know which questionnaire
- Keep the platform current
- Keep evidence ready
- Answer the specific parts
What is a PQQ, and what replaced it?
A suitability questionnaire; in public procurement it is now the PSQ plus your core supplier information on the central digital platform.
| Name | Regime | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| PQQ · pre-qualification questionnaire | Older UK public procurement; still used in private-sector tendering | Checks suitability before inviting tenders |
| SQ · Standard Selection Questionnaire | Public Contracts Regulations 2015 | Standard selection questions; still used for procurements started under those rules |
| PSQ · procurement specific questionnaire | Procurement Act 2023, from 24 February 2025 | Procurement-specific questions; standard details come from the platform (template) |
What does a PQQ ask?
Who you are, whether you are excluded, your financial standing and your technical ability.
Suitability
- Legal entity, ownership and connected persons.
- Convictions and other exclusion grounds.
- Accounts, turnover and insurance.
- Experience, certifications and case studies for this contract.
How do you make a selection questionnaire quick to answer?
Hold your standard details on the platform and your evidence in a library.
- Start with the source01
Know which questionnaire
PSQ under the Act, SQ for older procurements, own PQQ for private buyers. - Define the scope02
Keep the platform current
Core supplier information and a share code per bid. - Read the evidence03
Keep evidence ready
Accounts, insurance, certifications and case studies. - Make the decision04
Answer the specific parts
Associates, subcontractors and conditions of participation. - Name the next action05
Check before submitting
Every pass/fail condition met and every question answered.
A supplier’s review sequence, based on the primary sources below. It is not a measured outcome or a prescribed buyer timetable.
How do you prepare for one today?
Keep your platform record and a library of evidence ready, so each questionnaire is mostly a share code and the specific questions.
- Before you start01
Use the current documents
Check the primary publication and later changes before using the sequence below. - Check 202
Register on Find a Tender
Organisation, administrator and core supplier information (three-step guide). - Check 303
Keep two years of accounts ready
And insurance certificates, policies and certifications. - Check 404
Build an evidence library
Case studies with outcomes, references and named people. What bid writing involves → - Follow through05
Answer the procurement-specific parts
Associated persons, subcontractors and conditions of participation. PSQ guide →
An editorial order of work, not a buyer's fixed timetable. The current notice and documents determine participation and submission.
Do private-sector buyers still use PQQs?
Many do, especially in construction and facilities, with their own formats.
A PQQ arrives
Public buyer under the Act
Expect a PSQ and a request for your platform share code.Private buyer or main contractor
Expect its own PQQ, often aligned with industry schemes. Constructionline requirements →
Keep the standard answers current, and the PQQ shrinks to the specific ones.
PQQ → SQ → PSQ
The same job, renamed and restructured.Platform first
Standard details live on Find a Tender under the Act.Evidence library
Most effort is in specific, checkable evidence.
Search free and open the notice to see the participation requirements.
What else should you know about PQQ?
Check these points before committing your team’s time.
What does PQQ stand for?
Is the PQQ still used in UK public procurement?
What is the difference between a PQQ and an ITT?
What is the difference between a PQQ and a PSQ?
How do I pass a PQQ?
Where can you check the evidence?
Read the primary publication and the buyer’s current documents before acting.
| Source | What it supports |
|---|---|
| PA 2023 procurement specific questionnaire · Procurement Pathway ↗ | Replaces the Standard Selection Questionnaire's role, read 18 October 2026. |
| Central digital platform guidance · Cabinet Office ↗ | Core supplier information. |
| Supplier registration · Cabinet Office ↗ | Register, complete, share. |
| Procurement Act 2023 ↗ | Exclusions and conditions of participation. |
Which guide answers your next question?
Follow the part of the bid you need to work on next.
