PQQ Tender Writing – How to Complete a PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire)

A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) is a standardized document that evaluates whether your health and social care organization meets the basic requirements to tender for a contract.

Completing a PQQ effectively requires demonstrating your financial stability, relevant experience, and compliance credentials in a clear, evidence-based format that positions you to progress to the invitation to tender (ITT) stage.

What Is a PQQ and Why Does It Matter?

A PQQ serves as the first hurdle in the competitive tendering process for health and social care contracts. Think of it as your organization’s entrance exam – commissioners use it to filter out suppliers who don’t meet minimum standards before investing time reviewing full tender submissions.

According to UK government procurement guidelines, PQQs assess three core areas: economic and financial standing, technical and professional ability, and compliance with legal obligations. For health and social care providers, this typically includes Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration status, safeguarding policies, and sector-specific insurance requirements.

The stakes are high. Fail to pass the PQQ stage, and you won’t even get the opportunity to submit a full tender bid, regardless of how excellent your services might be. In 2023, NHS procurement data showed that approximately 40% of potential bidders were eliminated at the PQQ stage, primarily due to incomplete responses or failure to provide adequate evidence.

When Do You Need to Complete a PQQ?

You’ll encounter PQQs when bidding for public sector contracts in health and social care, particularly those advertised through Contracts Finder, Find a Tender Service (FTS), or local authority procurement portals. Most contracts valued over £138,760 require a formal PQQ process, though some commissioners use them for lower-value opportunities as well.

Private sector contracts increasingly adopt PQQ-style questionnaires too. Large care home groups, NHS trusts, and integrated care boards often use standardized qualification processes to manage their approved supplier lists.

How to Complete a PQQ: Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Read the Entire Document Before Starting

This sounds obvious, but rushing in causes mistakes. Spend 30-60 minutes reviewing the complete PQQ, noting all mandatory requirements, word counts, and evidence requests. Create a checklist of documents you’ll need – this might include insurance certificates, financial statements, policies, CQC inspection reports, and organizational charts.

Check the submission deadline and work backwards. Most comprehensive PQQs for health and social care contracts require 15-25 hours to complete properly, factoring in time to gather evidence and draft quality responses.

Step 2: Understand the Scoring Methodology

PQQs typically use pass/fail criteria rather than scored responses, but understanding what assessors prioritize helps you craft stronger answers. Commissioners look for three things: completeness (did you answer everything?), compliance (do you meet legal requirements?), and credibility (is your evidence convincing?).

Some PQQs include weighted questions where certain sections carry more importance. Financial standing and safeguarding usually carry higher weighting in health and social care procurement. If the PQQ guidance doesn’t specify weighting, assume all sections matter equally

Step 3: Gather Your Evidence Library

Strong PQQ responses rely on concrete evidence, not vague claims. Before writing anything, compile your evidence folder with:

Company registration documents and registration numbers
Latest audited accounts or financial statements (typically last two years)
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance certificates
CQC registration and latest inspection report
ISO certifications (if applicable)
Equality and diversity policy
Health and safety policy
Safeguarding policies for adults and children
GDPR/data protection documentation
Employee qualifications and training records
Client references or case studies
Organizational structure chart

Having these documents ready prevents last-minute scrambling and ensures you provide evidence that directly matches what commissioners request

Step 4: Answer Questions Directly and Concisely

PQQ questions are straightforward and compliance-focused. Don’t overcomplicate your responses. If a question asks “Do you have employer’s liability insurance?” – answer yes, provide your policy number, coverage amount, expiry date, and attach the certificate. That’s it.

For health and social care PQQs, common question categories include:

Financial Questions: Demonstrate financial stability through turnover figures, profit margins, and liquidity ratios. If your organization is pre-revenue or recently established, explain your financial backing clearly. Be prepared to submit actual financial statements – commissioners verify claims.

Experience Questions: List relevant contracts you’ve delivered, focusing on similar scope, scale, and client groups. A domiciliary care provider bidding for a learning disabilities support contract should highlight their LD experience specifically, not just general care work.

Capacity Questions: Show you have adequate staffing, facilities, and resources to deliver the contract. Include current workforce numbers, staff-to-client ratios, and recruitment capabilities. Many providers fail PQQs by not demonstrating sufficient capacity to take on additional work.

Compliance Questions: Confirm your registration with regulatory bodies (CQC, Care Inspectorate Wales, etc.), adherence to employment law, and implementation of required policies. Simple yes/no answers are fine if that’s what’s asked, but attach evidence documents

Step 5: Use the STAR Method for Case Study Questions

Some PQQs include questions requesting examples of previous work or problem-solving scenarios. Use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) framework to structure these responses clearly:

Situation: “We supported a 32-year-old service user with complex autism and challenging behaviors who was at risk of residential placement.”

Task: “Our brief was to develop a community-based support package that maintained his independence while ensuring safety.”

Action: “We created a bespoke person-centered plan, trained staff in positive behavior support, established consistent routines, and coordinated with clinical specialists.”

Result: “After six months, behavioral incidents reduced by 73%, the service user maintained his tenancy, and the local authority achieved 42% cost savings versus residential care.”

This structure provides concrete evidence of your capabilities without waffle.

Step 6: Address Pass/Fail Criteria Explicitly

Certain PQQ requirements are non-negotiable. For health and social care contracts, these typically include:

Current CQC registration (or equivalent regulator)
Minimum insurance coverage levels
No evidence of serious regulatory breaches
Financial stability indicators
Compliance with modern slavery legislation
Adherence to safeguarding requirements

If you don’t meet a mandatory criterion, your PQQ will fail regardless of how well you answer other sections. If you’re borderline on any requirement, address it proactively with explanation and evidence of remedial action.

Step 7: Proofread and Cross-Reference

Before submission, verify that every question is answered, all requested documents are attached, and your responses align with your evidence. Common errors include:

Referencing attached documents that weren’t actually attached
Contradictory information across different sections
Missing signatures or declarations
Outdated policy documents with expired review dates
Incorrect contact details or company information

Ask a colleague unfamiliar with your PQQ to review it. Fresh eyes catch mistakes you’ll miss after staring at the document for hours.

Common PQQ Mistakes in Health and Social Care Tenders

Vague Experience Claims: Saying “we have extensive experience in dementia care” means nothing. Specify “we’ve delivered 47,000 contact hours of dementia care across 12 contracts for 5 local authorities between 2020-2024, maintaining 95% service user satisfaction.”

Missing Regulatory Evidence: Your CQC rating matters enormously. If you’re rated ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate,’ address this head-on with your quality improvement plan and recent progress. Ignoring it raises red flags.

Outdated Policies: Submitting a safeguarding policy with a review date from 2019 suggests poor governance. Policies should be current, ideally reviewed within the past 12-18 months.

Insufficient Insurance: Many providers hold £5 million public liability insurance when the PQQ requires £10 million. Check requirements early – increasing coverage takes time.

Generic Responses: Copying and pasting standard company descriptions without tailoring to the specific contract shows lack of attention. Reference the actual service, location, and client group in your answers.

What Happens After You Submit Your PQQ?

The commissioning team evaluates all PQQs against their criteria, usually within 2-4 weeks. You’ll receive notification of one of three outcomes:

Pass: You progress to ITT stage and receive the full tender documentation. This is where the real competition begins – your PQQ simply proves you’re qualified to compete.

Fail: You’re eliminated from the process. Better PQQs include feedback explaining why you failed, which helps improve future submissions. Common reasons include financial instability, inadequate experience, or missing mandatory requirements.

Clarification Requested: Commissioners may contact you requesting additional information or evidence. Respond promptly and comprehensively – this is your chance to address any gaps.

PQQ vs. SQ (Selection Questionnaire): What's the Difference?

The UK government introduced the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ) to streamline procurement.

Functionally, SQs and PQQs serve the same purpose – pre-qualifying suppliers – but SQs use a standardized format across government contracts.

For health and social care providers, you’ll encounter both terms. The completion process remains identical: demonstrate financial standing, technical capability, and compliance.

Some NHS trusts and local authorities still use traditional PQQs, while others have adopted the SQ format.

How Long Should a PQQ Response Be?

Most PQQ questions don’t specify word counts, but concise, evidence-rich responses perform better than lengthy narratives. Aim for:

Simple compliance questions (insurance, registration): 2-3 sentences plus evidence
Experience questions: 150-250 words per example
Capability questions: 200-300 words with supporting data
Case studies: 300-400 words using STAR structure

If a PQQ imposes specific word limits, respect them exactly. Assessors may truncate responses that exceed limits, cutting off crucial information.

Building a PQQ Response Library

Smart organizations maintain a regularly updated PQQ library with pre-written answers to common questions. This includes:

Standard company background information
Financial standing statements
Quality assurance processes
Safeguarding approach
Staff training and development programs
Case studies of successful contracts
Policies and procedures

When a new PQQ arrives, you can adapt these core responses rather than starting from scratch each time. Update your library quarterly to keep information current.

Key Takeaways for PQQ Success

Completing a PQQ effectively requires methodical preparation, concrete evidence, and clear communication. The organizations that consistently pass PQQ stages treat them as opportunities to demonstrate credibility, not administrative burdens to rush through.

Start early, gather comprehensive evidence, answer questions directly, and proofread thoroughly. In health and social care procurement, your PQQ is your gateway to contract opportunities – invest the time to get it right.

For more guidance on the full tendering process, read our article on writing winning tender responses for health and social care contracts. If you’re struggling with specific sections, our guide to [demonstrating quality and compliance in care tenders] provides detailed frameworks for the most challenging PQQ questions