SQ and PQQ response guide
SQ and PQQ are familiar terms for supplier selection questionnaires, but the form and terminology depend on the procurement. Read the buyer’s current instructions and find out what it needs to know about your organisation, exclusions, capacity and experience. Treat each declaration as a statement the person responsible must check. An old questionnaire can help you find information, but never copy it into a new submission without checking that it is accurate and still relevant.
Before you start
Who this helps
- A supplier completing selection or participation information
- A team updating an old SQ or PQQ for a new procurement
- A business coordinating declarations across partners or group companies
Points to check
- The contracting entity may differ from the trading name or parent company.
- A self-declaration still needs facts you can stand behind.
- Participation requirements and scored quality answers serve different purposes.
Identify the form and the applicable instructions
Check the procurement documents rather than relying on the label used in an invitation or old folder. Procurements under the Procurement Act use supplier information and conditions of participation, while earlier procurements can continue under their previous arrangements. The buyer may use a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) to request this information, including core supplier information from the central digital platform. In Scotland, the Single Procurement Document is used to assess selection information through a standard self-declaration.
Record whether information must be entered in the buyer’s portal, shared through the central digital platform or uploaded in a prescribed form. Use the latest version and note where the buyer has added specific requirements.
Confirm the legal entity and people who can verify it
Identify the organisation submitting the tender and the entity that would enter the contract. Check company details, addresses and any group relationships against your official company records. Do not use a parent company’s turnover or project history as if it automatically belongs to the bidder.
Where you rely on another organisation, such as a consortium member or subcontractor, read what the buyer requires for that arrangement and the evidence it needs. Involve whoever is responsible for the proposed legal and commercial structure before anyone completes the declarations.
Create an evidence and declaration register
For each requirement, record the answer, source, owner, approval status and any expiry or review date. Finance should verify financial information; HR, legal, compliance and delivery colleagues should check the areas they own.
Take particular care with declarations about exclusion matters, conflicts of interest, insurance, certifications and past performance. If a question is unclear or an answer may need explaining, raise it quickly. Do not guess a reassuring answer to keep the form moving.
- Legal identity and organisation information
- Financial records and any permitted support arrangements
- Relevant technical experience and responsible contacts
- Declarations, certifications and supporting explanations
Answer the requirement at the level requested
Where a form asks for a factual declaration, answer accurately and provide the specified supporting material. Where it asks for a contract example, explain the scope, dates, your role and why it is relevant to the requirement. Check that your referees have agreed to be named and that their contact details are right.
Keep participation information separate from the quality offer. Under the Procurement Act, participation conditions assess the supplier’s relevant capacity or ability; award criteria assess the tender. A detailed description of a future service does not necessarily answer a request for evidence of past experience.
Check what you need now and what can follow later
Find out when each condition, certificate or commitment must be in place. The applicable rules and procurement documents determine when a supplier must meet and demonstrate a requirement. Ask a clarification question if the evidence or timing is unclear.
Do not mark something as held because you plan to apply for it or have a quotation. Record where it actually stands, such as current, awaiting renewal or to be obtained by an agreed milestone, and answer in the form the buyer permits.
Check consistency before approval
Compare entity details, turnover periods, staff numbers, project dates and partner roles across the questionnaire, platform information and other attachments. Confirm that declarations are still correct on the day you submit and that the authorised person has approved them.
Keep the completed version and supporting evidence with the bid record. Bidgen can help organise and explain the response, but the people in your business who own each declaration need to verify it. Start by marking every answer that currently rests only on a previous tender rather than a checked source.
Common questions
01Can we reuse our previous SQ?
Use it to locate information and identify likely owners. Verify every answer against the new requirements and current facts, including dates, financial periods, certificates, references and declarations.
02Is a PQQ still used for every public tender?
No. Forms and terminology vary by regime, route and procurement stage. Follow the buyer’s current documents and portal instructions rather than assuming the old form applies.
03Can we rely on a parent company or partner?
Possibly, if the applicable rules and the procurement permit it. Check the evidence, commitments and entity-specific declarations required. Get internal commercial or legal advice if the structure is uncertain.
04Should the bid writer sign declarations?
Your organisation’s authorised person should approve and make the declarations, within the limits of their authority. A writer can gather the information and flag gaps, but should not vouch for company facts nobody has verified.