Guide · Pass/fail gates

Pass/fail gates in UK construction tenders

Pass/fail questions are where most small-contractor bids die, often after days of work on the scored sections. They are also the quickest part of a tender to check. Read them first.

Health and safety: SSIP, CHAS and Constructionline

Many buyers ask for proof of a health and safety assessment. SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) is an umbrella under which member schemes, such as CHAS and SafeContractor, recognise each other's core assessments. Some packs name one scheme; others accept "SSIP or equivalent". Constructionline is common in council and housing work, and its higher levels add more checks. Read the exact wording: "must hold at tender return" and "must obtain before contract award" are very different deadlines.

Trade certification

Work-specific schemes are usually hard gates: Gas Safe for gas work, F-gas for air conditioning and heat pumps, NICEIC or NAPIT for electrical work, and third-party certification such as BM TRADA Q-Mark or FIRAS for fire doors and passive fire protection. If the scheme has to be held by the firm and not just one operative, check whose name the certificate is in.

Insurance levels

Employer's liability insurance is a legal requirement for most employers in the UK. Tenders then set their own minimums for employer's, public and sometimes professional indemnity cover, often higher than a small firm carries. Check whether the level is per claim or in the aggregate, and whether evidence is needed at tender stage or only at award.

Turnover and financial standing

Buyers often set a minimum annual turnover relative to the contract value, and may run a credit check or ask for accounts. Look for the exact ratio and the years it applies to. If you are below it, check whether the buyer accepts a parent company guarantee or allows you to rely on another firm's standing as part of a consortium or with a subcontractor.

Policies and statements

Expect requests for health and safety, environmental, equality, modern slavery (above the statutory turnover threshold), and quality policies, plus a carbon reduction plan on some larger central government contracts. These are rarely the reason to say no-bid, but missing ones take time to write well.

Exclusion grounds and debarment

Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers consider mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds and check the central debarment list. If anything might apply to your firm or a connected person, take advice before submitting.

A two-minute gate check

• List every "pass/fail", "mandatory" or "must" item in the selection questionnaire.
• Mark each as held now, held by the deadline, or not held.
• Any "not held" that cannot be fixed before the deadline is a no-bid.
• Anything unclear: send a clarification question early. The answer is published to all bidders, and it often settles the decision.

See also: the full bid / no-bid checklist.

This is general guidance written from public sources (GOV.UK, Contracts Finder, Find a Tender). It is not legal advice; the tender pack always wins over a checklist.

BidKiller is an early interest list for a manual go/no-go read of UK construction tenders. Nothing is for sale yet. Join the waitlist if a person reading the pack for you would help.