Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/selection-questionnaire Glossary # Selection questionnaire (SQ) A standard set of questions buyers use to check a supplier's eligibility, finances and capability before assessing its tender. Updated 14 Oct 2026 A selection questionnaire (SQ) is a standard set of questions a buyer uses to check whether a supplier is eligible and capable of delivering a contract: its company details, any exclusion grounds, financial standing and relevant experience. It used to be called a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ). ## What it means Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, central government set a standard SQ through procurement policy notes, most recently [PPN 03/24](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-0324-standard-selection-questionnaire-sq/ppn-0324-standard-selection-questionnaire-sq-html). PPN 03/24 also replaced the EU [ESPD](/glossary/espd) with the UK Single Procurement Document, which is the SQ template. The Procurement Act 2023 changes the approach. Much of what the SQ used to collect, such as basic company information, connected persons, financial information and exclusion grounds, is now "core supplier information" that suppliers enter once on the [Central Digital Platform](/glossary/central-digital-platform) and share with buyers, as [regulation 6 of the Procurement Regulations 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/692/regulation/6/made) requires. Buyers then ask any contract-specific questions separately. Any test of capability must be a "condition of participation" under [section 22 of the Act](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/22). It must be a proportionate way of checking legal and financial capacity or technical ability, and section 22(3) stops buyers demanding audited accounts from suppliers that are not legally required to have them audited. ## Why it matters for SMEs The old SQ was a common place for small suppliers to fall at the first hurdle, often on financial ratios or turnover tests. The Act's proportionality rules and the audited accounts protection help, but buyers can still set minimum standards. ## Practical tip Keep a "selection pack" ready: accounts, policies, accreditations, three strong case studies with contactable references and a broker's letter confirming you can get the insurance levels buyers usually ask for. (Section 22(3)(b) stops buyers requiring contract insurance to be in place before award.) Check the conditions of participation before reading anything else in a tender; if you clearly cannot meet one, ask a [clarification question](/glossary/clarification-questions) or move on. The SQ itself is still used for procurements that started under the old rules before 24 February 2025. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)6891 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)3954 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)1724 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)2428 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)1047 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)3336 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms - [PProcurement thresholdsThe contract values, including VAT, at or above which a public contract must follow the full competitive rules of the Procurement Act 2023.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/procurement-thresholds) - [RRe-tenderA new procurement run for work that is already being delivered under a contract that is ending or being replaced.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/re-tender) - [RReserved contracts (PPN 005)Competitions a buyer limits to certain kinds of supplier, such as local SMEs and VCSEs below threshold, or supported employment providers.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/reserved-contracts) - [SSME and VCSESMEs are small and medium-sized enterprises; VCSEs are voluntary, community and social enterprises. Both get specific attention in UK procurement policy.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/sme-vcse) - [SSocial value (PPN 002)The wider economic, social and environmental benefits a supplier commits to deliver through a contract, scored as part of the tender.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/social-value) - [SStandstill periodA pause of at least eight working days after a contract award notice, during which the buyer cannot sign the contract and bidders can challenge.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/standstill-period) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)