Pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ)
A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) is an older term for a form used to screen suppliers before tendering. For PCR 2015 procurements, the standard SQ replaced the PQQ; current Act procurements use their published conditions of participation instead.
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The term's history
A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) was commonly used to gather supplier information before inviting tenders. It could cover exclusion grounds, financial standing, experience, technical resources and other selection matters. Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, government guidance introduced the standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ) and said organisations in scope should stop using the standard PQQ.
The word PQQ still appears in supplier portals, old framework documents and buyer habits, so first identify the governing regime and the document the authority actually issued. The Procurement Act 2023 does not prescribe a PQQ or the PCR SQ. Instead, it allows proportionate conditions of participation about legal and financial capacity and technical ability, with the evidence and timing explained in the tender documents.
What a supplier should do
Do not submit an old corporate PQQ by default. Follow the live questionnaire or participation form, answer each question in the requested format and state whether you rely on another organisation's capacity. Check deadlines carefully: a PQQ or SQ may be an initial selection response, while an open procedure may require selection information with the tender. Keep exclusion declarations current.
For example, a portal may label its upload slot “PQQ” even though the authority's 2024 PCR documents require the standard SQ. The document and legal references control. Conversely, a 2025 Act competition may call a similar document a participation questionnaire; assess it against the published conditions, not the label. If a buyer asks for a PQQ in a new competition, ask a clarification question rather than guessing which evidence is required.