PAS 91 Is Withdrawn: What Replaced It and What to Do Now

If you tender for public sector construction work or supply to Tier 1 contractors, you may have been told to expect a "PAS 91" prequalification questionnaire. The most important thing to know in 2026 is this: PAS 91 has been withdrawn. BSI withdrew the standard in 2023, and it is no longer maintained or updated.

PAS 91 has been replaced by the Common Assessment Standard, developed by Build UK. If a procurer or framework still refers to "PAS 91", they are almost always pointing you toward what is now assessed through the Common Assessment Standard and the SSIP member schemes that deliver it.

This guide explains what PAS 91 was, why it was withdrawn, what replaced it, and how to prepare for prequalification today.

Disclaimer: This guidance is based on publicly available information from BSI, Build UK, and established industry practice. TenderReady is not affiliated with BSI, Build UK, any accreditation body, or any public sector procurement organisation. Requirements vary between procurers — always check the specific prequalification request you are responding to.

What Was PAS 91?

PAS 91 was a Publicly Available Specification published by BSI (British Standards Institution). Its full title was PAS 91: Construction prequalification questionnaires (the last edition was PAS 91:2013+A1:2017). It provided a standardised framework for prequalification questionnaires (PQQs) used in the construction industry.

Before PAS 91, every procurer used its own bespoke PQQ format. Contractors completed dozens of different questionnaires each year, often providing the same information in different formats. PAS 91 reduced that by defining a common set of modules and questions, and for roughly a decade it was the de facto standard for public sector construction prequalification.

Why Was PAS 91 Withdrawn?

BSI withdrew PAS 91 on 21 April 2023 — that is the withdrawal date on BSI's own catalogue record for PAS 91:2013+A1:2017, which now carries the status "Withdrawn" (verified 2 September 2026). As construction procurement matured — particularly after the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Building Safety Act 2022 — the industry needed a single, consistently-governed prequalification framework that kept pace with evolving safety and competence requirements. PAS 91, as a standalone BSI specification, was no longer being maintained to that pace.

In its place, Build UK (working with the major SSIP schemes and Constructionline) developed the Common Assessment Standard — now the industry-recognised prequalification framework for construction. For public sector procurement, Build UK states that "Central Government departments and wider public sector bodies should use the Common Assessment Standard to pre-qualify suppliers in accordance with PPN 03/24" — so the direction of travel is towards CAS rather than legacy PAS 91-style PQQs.

If you are preparing for prequalification today, the Common Assessment Standard is what you should be ready for. We cover it in full in our dedicated guide: The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) Explained.

Where You Might Still See "PAS 91" Referenced

Even though the standard is withdrawn, the term has not vanished overnight. You may still encounter "PAS 91" in:

Older framework documentation — Some frameworks and supplier portals have not yet updated legacy references. The underlying assessment will, in practice, be the Common Assessment Standard or an SSIP scheme aligned to it.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 supply chain onboarding — Principal contractors that historically asked for "PAS 91 compliance" now generally accept Common Assessment Standard certification or current SSIP accreditation.
Public sector procurement — Local authorities, central government departments, NHS trusts, and housing associations follow the Cabinet Office's Standard Selection Questionnaire under PPN 03/24, and Build UK's position is that they should use the Common Assessment Standard to pre-qualify suppliers in accordance with it.

The practical takeaway: if you are asked for "PAS 91", confirm what evidence the procurer actually wants. In almost all cases, holding current SSIP accreditation from a registered assessment scheme (CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS, Once For All Health & Safety, Achilles, CQMS — or the Once For All SSIP bundled with a Constructionline membership) is what satisfies them. Where the PQQ names the Common Assessment Standard specifically, an SSIP certificate on its own does not answer it — you need a CAS-inclusive tier.

What PAS 91 Used to Cover (and What the Common Assessment Standard Covers Now)

PAS 91 was structured around a set of modules covering different aspects of a contractor's competence and standing. The Common Assessment Standard that replaced it covers broadly the same ground through what Build UK calls "an industry-agreed question set and corresponding assessment standards". The typical areas — then and now — include:

Company Information — Legal entity, registration details, VAT, key contacts, and scope of activities.
Financial Standing — Recent accounts, relevant turnover, and any significant financial events (insolvency, CCJs, or similar).
Health and Safety — Policy, risk assessment processes, training and competence, accident records, and enforcement history. This is where SSIP recognition is directly relevant: SSIP states that a valid assessment by one of its member schemes "will provide exemption against Section 4 of the CAS" — the health and safety section — and previously against "PAS91:2013+A1:2017: Table 4 – Module C4: Health & Safety".
Insurance — Employers' liability (mandatory minimum £5 million, though many contracts require £10 million), public liability, and professional indemnity where applicable.
Equality and Diversity — Arrangements for meeting the Equality Act 2010.
Environmental Management — Environmental policy and processes, which may include alignment to ISO 14001.
Quality Management — ISO 9001 certification or equivalent documented procedures.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) — Capability and experience where BIM is required.

Not every PQQ includes all modules. Procurers select those relevant to the contract. For simpler subcontract packages, you may only need to complete company information, financial standing, health and safety, and insurance.

How Prequalification Relates to SSIP Schemes

There is significant overlap between prequalification requirements and SSIP accreditation, particularly in the health and safety area. If you hold current accreditation through an SSIP registered assessment scheme — whether CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS, Once For All Health & Safety (the scheme that delivers the SSIP inside a Constructionline membership), or another registered member — you have already demonstrated compliance with the SSIP Core Criteria. Those are the health and safety threshold standard rather than the Common Assessment Standard itself, but they cover many of the health and safety questions any modern PQQ asks.

In practice:

Constructionline is closely aligned with the Common Assessment Standard, and historically built its assessment on the PAS 91 framework. Holding Constructionline Gold effectively covers the health and safety, financial, and several supplementary areas.
CHAS, SafeContractor, and other SSIP schemes cover the health and safety core but not necessarily the financial, environmental, or quality areas — though several now offer Common Assessment Standard certification that does.
Many procurers accept SSIP accreditation as evidence for the health and safety section, reducing the amount of additional information you need to provide. However, this is at the procurer's discretion — some will still ask for supplementary evidence.

The key point is that construction prequalification is broader than health and safety alone. Even with SSIP accreditation, you will likely need to provide additional documentation covering financial standing, insurance, environmental management, and other areas.

What Documentation Do Prequalification Assessors Typically Expect?

While exact requirements depend on the procurer and the modules selected, you should be prepared to provide:

Health and safety policy — Current, signed, and specific to your business
Risk assessments — Examples relevant to the type of work being tendered
Method statements — Demonstrating your approach to managing high-risk activities
Training records and competence certificates — CSCS cards, SMSTS/SSSTS, trade qualifications, plant operator certificates
Accident and incident records — Including RIDDOR reports and your accident frequency rate
Insurance certificates — Current and showing adequate cover levels
Audited accounts or management accounts — Typically the most recent two to three years
Environmental policy — And evidence of how you manage environmental risks in practice
Quality procedures — Whether certified to ISO 9001 or documented internal processes
Equality and diversity policy — Current and reflecting your legal obligations
References — Contact details for recent clients who can confirm satisfactory performance
Enforcement action history — Details of any HSE enforcement notices, prosecutions, or improvement notices

Practical Preparation Tips

Maintain a Prequalification File

Maintain a standing prequalification file with all your standard documentation. Update it quarterly and after any significant business change — current policies, certificates, accounts, and standard PQQ responses should all be readily accessible.

Align Your Documentation Early

If your health and safety policy already meets SSIP core criteria, it should be well-suited to the Common Assessment Standard health and safety section. Review it specifically against current expectations: ensure your policy references current legislation, names responsible persons, and includes arrangements for all activities relevant to your typical contracts.

Know Your Numbers

Financial questions catch out many SMEs. Know your turnover for the last three years, your largest single contract value, your current order book, and your credit score. Have your accounts available in the format the PQQ requests — do not assume management accounts will always be accepted where audited accounts are requested.

Be Honest About Enforcement History

Prequalification questionnaires ask about HSE enforcement action, prosecutions, and convictions. Dishonesty will result in disqualification. If you have enforcement history, be upfront — explain what happened and what you changed. Procurers are more understanding of a well-managed response than an attempt to conceal.

Use Your Accreditation Strategically

Where a PQQ asks for health and safety evidence and you hold SSIP accreditation, reference it prominently. Provide your certificate number and confirm which scheme you hold. Many PQQs have a specific field for SSIP registration, which can significantly reduce the supporting documentation required.

For more on how prequalification works across the UK construction sector, see our detailed guide: Construction Supplier Prequalification in the UK.

Summary

PAS 91 was the standard framework for construction prequalification in the UK for about a decade, but BSI withdrew it on 21 April 2023 and it was replaced by the Common Assessment Standard developed by Build UK. If you are preparing for prequalification today, the Common Assessment Standard — delivered through Build UK's recognised assessment bodies, including CHAS at Elite and Constructionline at Gold and above — is what you should be ready for. See our full guide: The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) Explained.

The fundamentals of preparing well have not changed: maintain a standing prequalification file, keep your documentation current, and reference your SSIP accreditation prominently. The contractors who win work consistently are not necessarily those with the most impressive credentials. They are the ones who respond quickly, accurately, and completely — because they have their documentation organised and ready before the opportunity arrives.

Not sure which accreditation route fits your business? See our decision guide: Which Construction Accreditation Do You Actually Need?.

Sources and References

PAS 91:2013+A1:2017, Construction prequalification questionnaires — catalogue record showing status "Withdrawn", withdrawal date "21 Apr 2023" — BSI Knowledge
PPN 03/24, Standard Selection Questionnaire (2024 update), paragraph 7 — "removed references to PAS91 which has now been withdrawn by the BSI" — Cabinet Office (PDF)
Common Assessment Standard — question set and recognised assessment bodies — Build UK
SSIP member register (Registered Member vs Supporter Member categories) — ssip.org.uk
SSIP Core Criteria for the demonstration of organisational capability — "any valid SSIP assessment completed by any of our member schemes and visible on the SSIP portal will provide exemption against Section 4 of the CAS"; also the PAS 91 "Table 4 – Module C4: Health & Safety" mapping — ssip.org.uk