Procurement updates - New Standard Selection Questionnaire - What you need to know
A new Procurement Policy Note has been published which provides an updated Standard Selection Questionnaire. This applies to all above-threshold procurements.
You are able to use the new Selection Questionnaire (SQ) straight away but the deadline to implement it into tenders is 27 June 2024.
The new SQ provides important guidance on considering bids from Russian/ Belarusian suppliers. It clarifies that if a supplier is organised under the law of Russia or Belarus or their Person of Significant Control (PSC) lists either country as their place of residency, contracting authorities are able to decline to consider their bids.
In addition, there are updated questions relating to construction contracts and central government procurement. We have summarised these below:
Updated payment related questions
The new SQ contains a requirement for all central government authorities procuring a contract over £5 million per year to ensure sufficient prompt payment systems are in place.
Updated steel related questions
This is only relevant to projects/procurements involving steel procurement. The updated questions will allow contracting authorities to assess the bidder's ability to manage the supply chain, deliver steel safely and ensure compliance with health and safety legislation.
Removal of reference to the PAS91
This set of additional selection questions was often used in construction procurements but was withdrawn by the British Standards Institute. If you are planning a construction procurement, you may wish to consider the Common Assessment Standard instead.
It is not known whether the SQ will still be used once the Procurement Act 2023 comes into force on 28 October 2024 or if the Central Digital Platform will be used to pull the necessary information through.