PQQ Explained: Pre-Qualification Questionnaires for UK Tenders
The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire is the first hurdle in many UK tenders. This guide explains what a PQQ is, how it differs from an ITT, what each section asks for, and why so many suppliers fall at this stage.
What is a PQQ?
A PQQ, or Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, is a shortlisting stage in public sector procurement. Its purpose is to filter the field before the detailed bidding begins. Rather than asking how you would deliver a contract, the PQQ asks a more fundamental question: are you a suitable, capable, and trustworthy organisation that should be allowed to bid at all?
In England the standardised version of the PQQ is the Selection Questionnaire, usually abbreviated to SQ. The terms PQQ and SQ are used interchangeably by many buyers and bidders, and you will see both in live tenders. Whichever label is used, the document performs the same job: it gathers consistent information about a supplier's financial health, relevant experience, and legal standing so that contracting authorities can decide who progresses to the next stage.
The PQQ is most common in restricted and multi-stage procedures, and in framework competitions where a buyer expects a large number of interested suppliers. By assessing suitability first, the buyer reduces the pool to a manageable shortlist of organisations that meet the minimum bar, then invites only those suppliers to submit a full tender. Not every procurement has a separate PQQ stage. In open procedures, suitability and the detailed bid are often assessed together in a single submission.
PQQ vs ITT: What is the Difference?
The PQQ and the ITT are two distinct stages with two different jobs. Confusing them is one of the most common mistakes new bidders make. Understanding the boundary between the two helps you put the right level of detail in the right place.
PQQ / Selection Questionnaire
The shortlisting filter. Assesses whether you are fit to bid.
- Tests suitability, financial standing, and experience
- Often pass or fail against minimum thresholds
- Self-declaration of exclusion grounds
- Produces a shortlist of eligible suppliers
- Comes first, before the detailed bid
ITT / Invitation to Tender
The main bid. Assesses how well you will deliver.
- Detailed technical, quality, and method responses
- Scored against weighted award criteria
- Includes commercial and pricing proposals
- Decides who actually wins the contract
- Comes second, sent only to shortlisted suppliers
In short: the PQQ asks whether you can be trusted to deliver, and the ITT asks how well you will deliver. For a fuller walk-through of the whole journey, see our First-Time Bidder Guide.
The Standard Sections of a PQQ
The Selection Questionnaire is structured in three parts. Knowing what each part is testing, and what evidence it expects, lets you prepare your responses methodically rather than scrambling at the deadline.
Part 1: Supplier Information
Basic details about your organisation: company name and registration number, address, structure (sole trader, partnership, limited company), trade memberships, and whether you are bidding alone, as a consortium, or with subcontractors. This part is rarely scored but errors here can cause administrative rejection.
Part 2: Grounds for Exclusion
A self-declaration that no mandatory or discretionary exclusion grounds apply. Mandatory grounds include convictions for fraud, bribery, money laundering, and certain tax offences. Discretionary grounds include insolvency, professional misconduct, and serious past contract failures. A truthful, accurate declaration here is essential, as a false statement is itself grounds for exclusion.
Part 3a: Economic and Financial Standing
Evidence that you are financially robust enough to deliver the contract. Buyers commonly ask for annual turnover (often against a minimum threshold of around twice the contract value), audited accounts or financial statements, key financial ratios, and proof of insurance such as public liability, professional indemnity, and employer's liability at the required levels.
Part 3b: Technical and Professional Capability
Evidence that you have the experience and competence to deliver. This typically means relevant contract examples from the last three to five years that match the scope and value of the opportunity, plus relevant accreditations (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001), Constructionline or CHAS membership, and policies covering health and safety, environment, and equality.
The PQQ Under the Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, replacing the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for most public procurement in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The new regime does not mandate a formally named PQQ stage in the way the older rules framed selection. Instead it uses the concept of conditions of participation, which are the requirements a supplier must meet to take part in a competition.
In practice the same checks still happen. Contracting authorities continue to assess legal and financial standing and technical ability, and they apply mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds. The Act also introduced an updated exclusions regime and a central debarment list. Many buyers continue to use a selection or pre-qualification questionnaire to gather this information, so the day-to-day experience for suppliers remains broadly familiar even though the underlying law has changed.
The key takeaway is that suitability assessment has not gone away. Whether a buyer calls it a PQQ, an SQ, or conditions of participation, you still need to prove your financial standing, demonstrate relevant experience, and confirm that no exclusion grounds apply. To understand the wider changes, read our guide to the Procurement Act 2023.
Common Reasons PQQs Fail
Turnover below the minimum threshold
Check the financial requirements before you start. If you fall short, consider bidding as part of a consortium or relying on a parent company guarantee where permitted.
Missing insurances or accreditations
Build a live evidence library so certificates, ISO accreditations, and insurance schedules are always current and ready to attach.
Contract examples that do not fit the scope
Choose examples that mirror the contract's scope, value, and sector. Map each example explicitly to the requirement being assessed.
Leaving mandatory questions blank
Treat every question as pass or fail. A compliance matrix ensures no mandatory field is missed before submission.
Inaccurate exclusion-grounds declaration
Complete Part 2 carefully and honestly. If a ground applies, set out the self-cleaning measures you have taken rather than concealing it.
Missing the submission deadline
Set an internal deadline at least 48 hours early. Procurement portals can fail and late submissions are automatically rejected.
How Glaxtons Helps With PQQs
The PQQ is where many capable organisations are filtered out before they ever get the chance to show what they can do. Because so much of it is pass or fail, getting it right is a matter of rigour and preparation rather than persuasion. Glaxtons has a 93% win rate and has helped clients secure more than £500M in public sector contracts, and a great deal of that success starts with a clean, fully compliant pre-qualification stage.
Our team reviews the selection criteria before you commit, confirming you meet the financial thresholds and hold the required insurances and accreditations. We build a compliance matrix that maps every question to the evidence it needs, draft your responses to align with the buyer's requirements, and quality-check the full submission before it goes near the portal. The result is a PQQ that clears the bar first time and carries you through to the stage where your real strengths can win the work.
We support PQQs across central government, NHS, and framework competitions. Explore our bid writing services, our work as NHS framework specialists, and our guidance on government frameworks.
PQQ Frequently Asked Questions
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National Highways
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Transport for London
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Crown Commercial Service
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With a 93% win rate and over £500M in contracts won for clients, our team makes sure your pre-qualification stage is clean, compliant, and competitive.