Selection Questionnaire (SQ)

The Selection Questionnaire (SQ) is the UK's standardised approach to pre-qualification in public procurement. Introduced by the UK government to reduce the administrative burden on both buyers and suppliers, the SQ replaced the old Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) as the primary tool for assessing supplier suitability before issuing invitations to tender.

What is a Selection Questionnaire (SQ)?

The SQ was developed by the UK Cabinet Office and associated departments to create a consistent question set across government procurements. The goal was to allow suppliers, particularly SMEs, to complete a single standardised form rather than answering differently structured PQQs for every buyer. The Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) is the most developed version of this standardisation effort.

A standard SQ covers the same three areas mandated by EU and UK procurement law:

Part 1: Supplier information. Basic organisational information including legal status, contact details, registered address, and whether the supplier is part of a group of companies.

Part 2: Exclusion grounds. Declarations on mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, covering criminal convictions, insolvency, tax non-compliance, serious professional misconduct, and equivalent circumstances. Suppliers must declare any grounds that apply and, if applicable, provide details of self-cleaning measures taken.

Part 3: Selection criteria. Evidence of economic and financial standing (turnover, financial ratios, insurance) and technical and professional ability (references, certifications, key staff). Part 3 may be structured as pass/fail threshold criteria or as scored criteria leading to a shortlisted pool.

The SQ is specifically a UK procurement instrument. In EU member state procurements, the equivalent document is the PQQ or the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). Following the UK's departure from the EU, UK and EU procurement law have evolved independently, but the substantive requirements remain closely aligned in this area.

Under the Procurement Act 2023 and associated guidance, the SQ framework continues and the Central Digital Platform is intended to enable suppliers to store and reuse their selection information across multiple procurements, further reducing duplication.

Why the SQ Matters for Bidders

The SQ's standardisation is a genuine practical benefit for UK-based suppliers: completing a well-prepared SQ template once and adapting it for each procurement is significantly more efficient than answering bespoke PQQs from scratch for each buyer. Maintaining a current SQ template, with up-to-date financial data, references, and certifications, is good practice for any supplier active in the UK public market.

Key traps to avoid: using outdated financial year data; citing references that are outside the specified lookback period; failing to complete all sub-questions; and providing insurance certificate details that do not meet the stated minimum levels. Any of these can result in exclusion at the SQ stage.

Example

A Scottish facilities management company maintains a current SQ template that it updates quarterly. When a new healthcare framework is published requiring an SQ submission within three weeks, the company adapts its template, updates the three most relevant references, confirms its current ISO 9001 certificate is within scope, and submits within five days. Its competitors with no standing template spend two weeks gathering documents and submit with errors under time pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the SQ the same as the SSQ?

Not quite. The SQ is the broader category of selection document used in UK procurement. The Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) is a specific standardised version developed for central government use, with a fixed question set and a published guidance document. Some buyers use the SSQ as-is; others adapt it, calling the result an SQ. The distinction matters mainly because the SSQ has a published guidance document that sets expectations for how to answer each question.

Can buyers add their own questions to the SQ?

Yes, within limits. Buyers may add supplementary questions specific to the contract in question, such as sector-specific capability questions or pass/fail criteria unique to the procurement. However, they must not alter or remove the mandatory questions and declarations from the standardised sections.

Does the SQ apply to contracts below the procurement threshold?

The SQ is designed for above-threshold procurements. Below-threshold contracts are subject to lighter-touch rules, and many small buyers do not use a formal SQ. However, many buyers apply SQ principles to below-threshold procurement as a matter of best practice, particularly for services contracts.