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PAS 91 Prequalification Questionnaire: What You Need to Know

· Last reviewed: 18 February 2026

If you tender for public sector construction work or supply to Tier 1 contractors, you will eventually encounter PAS 91. It appears in procurement frameworks, prequalification stages, and supplier onboarding processes — yet many SME contractors are uncertain about what it is, what it requires, and how it relates to the SSIP accreditation they may already hold.

This guide explains PAS 91 in practical terms: what it covers, who uses it, what documentation you will need, and how to prepare efficiently.

Disclaimer: This guidance is based on publicly available information about PAS 91 and established industry practice. TenderReady is not affiliated with BSI, any accreditation body, or any public sector procurement organisation. Requirements may vary between procurers — always check the specific PQQ you are responding to.

What Is PAS 91?

PAS 91 is a Publicly Available Specification published by BSI (British Standards Institution). Its full title is PAS 91: Construction prequalification questionnaires. It provides a standardised framework for PQQs used in the construction industry.

Before PAS 91, every procurer used their own bespoke PQQ format. Contractors were completing dozens of different questionnaires each year, often providing the same information in different formats. PAS 91 addresses this by defining a common set of modules and questions.

PAS 91 is not a law or regulation — it is a specification that procurers choose to adopt. However, UK Government procurement guidance strongly encourages public sector bodies to use PAS 91-aligned prequalification, and in practice it has become the de facto standard for public sector construction procurement.

Who Uses PAS 91?

You are most likely to encounter PAS 91 in the following contexts:

  • Public sector procurement — Local authorities, central government departments, NHS trusts, and housing associations commonly use PAS 91-aligned PQQs for construction and maintenance contracts.
  • Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors — Many principal contractors have adopted PAS 91 as the basis for their supply chain prequalification, particularly for subcontractors working on publicly funded projects.
  • Framework agreements — Construction frameworks (such as those procured through CCS, PAGABO, or regional frameworks) typically use PAS 91-aligned prequalification at the supplier admission stage.
  • Third-party prequalification services — Schemes such as Constructionline use PAS 91 as the foundation for their assessment, meaning that if you hold Constructionline accreditation, much of the PAS 91 ground is already covered.

Core Modules in PAS 91

PAS 91 is structured around a set of modules covering different aspects of a contractor's competence and standing. The typical core modules 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 — holding accreditation through an SSIP member scheme can satisfy this section in whole or in part.
  • 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 PAS 91 Relates to SSIP Schemes

There is significant overlap between PAS 91 requirements and SSIP accreditation, particularly in the health and safety module. If you hold current accreditation through an SSIP member scheme — whether CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, SMAS, Acclaim, or another member — you have already demonstrated compliance with the SSIP core criteria, which covers many of the health and safety questions in a PAS 91 PQQ.

In practice:

  • Constructionline is the most closely aligned with PAS 91, as its assessment is explicitly built on the PAS 91 framework. Holding Constructionline Gold effectively covers the health and safety, financial, and several supplementary modules.
  • CHAS, SafeContractor, and other SSIP schemes cover the health and safety module but not necessarily the financial, environmental, or quality modules.
  • 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 PAS 91 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 PAS 91 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 PAS 91 health and safety module. However, review it specifically against PAS 91 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

PAS 91 PQQs 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 is the standard framework for construction prequalification in the UK. Understanding its structure and preparing your documentation in advance will save you significant time and improve your success rate when tendering. If you already hold SSIP accreditation, you have a strong foundation — but PAS 91 extends beyond health and safety, so ensure your financial, environmental, quality, and equality documentation is equally well-prepared.

The contractors who win work consistently are not necessarily those with the most impressive credentials. They are the ones who respond to PQQs quickly, accurately, and completely — because they have their documentation organised and ready before the opportunity arrives.