Specification to ease prequalification process

To help streamline the sometimes lengthy construction prequalification process, the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) has aligned its membership assessment form to PAS 91:2013.

Publicly available specification PAS 91:2013 sets out the content, format and questions commonly used for prequalification for construction project tendering.

“By aligning the membership assessment with PAS 91:2013 our members will have already answered the relevant questions for prequalification,” said Pete Walker, BCSA Director of Health, Safety and Training.

“This will streamline the process and hopefully mean PAS 91:2013 becomes the most widely used scheme, superseding other schemes. The BCSA is already a registered member of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP), which is also aligned to the health and safety section of PAS 91:2013”

In the construction supply chain, many suppliers seeking to demonstrate their suitability for delivering construction projects are required to submit to frequent prequalification processes involving many different questionnaire forms.
The BCSA said this leads to considerable unnecessary effort and wastes time and money, not only for those suppliers but also for the buyers and assessment providers who have to read and evaluate the varied information provided in many different formats.

“The many procurement offices that choose for whatever reason, to undertake their own prequalification activity, exacerbate this proliferation of questions and formats,” added Mr Walker.

The use of a set of common criteria by those who undertake prequalification activity or provide prequalification services will help to streamline tendering processes by reducing the need for multiple prequalification processes, facilitating the identification of suitably qualified and experienced suppliers, and increasing consistency between various prequalification databases.