SQ
Acronym for Selection Questionnaire; the standardised pre-tender supplier assessment for UK central government.
Definition
SQ is the acronym for Selection Questionnaire, the standardised pre-tender supplier assessment introduced for UK central government contracts under Crown Commercial Service guidance. The SQ replaced the legacy PQQ format and covers organisational information, financial standing, technical capability, and exclusion grounds. The standardisation lets suppliers prepare reusable answers across central government departments.
How it works in practice
See the detailed Selection Questionnaire glossary entry for the substantive coverage. The short version: the SQ has three parts. Part 1 covers basic organisational information and mandatory exclusion grounds; failing any mandatory exclusion is automatic disqualification. Part 2 covers financial standing and discretionary exclusion grounds. Part 3 covers project-specific information (relevant experience, named case studies, key personnel, certifications, insurances). Part 1 and most of Part 2 are pass-fail; Part 3 is typically scored where the buyer is shortlisting. The Procurement Act 2023 retains the SQ as the pre-tender filter mechanism under the "conditions of participation" statutory label, with updated terminology reflecting PA 2023 language. Suppliers should maintain a master SQ document covering all standard topics and update it quarterly; the SQ template is updated periodically by Cabinet Office to reflect new policy areas (recent additions include carbon reduction commitments under PPN 06 and cyber essentials under PPN 09). KimonBids PSQ Response Bank stores reusable SQ answers and adapts them to each opportunity's specific question set. Strong bid teams maintain a sector-specific SQ variant alongside the master document so they can move quickly when frameworks in their target categories open for application; the marginal effort to maintain sector variants is small once the master is stable.
Common questions
Is the SQ used outside central government?
Increasingly yes. Many local authorities, NHS trusts, and other public bodies have adopted the standardised SQ format, often with sector-specific additions. The advantage to bidders is consistency: a single well-maintained master SQ covers most public sector pre-qualification needs.
How does the SQ change under the Procurement Act 2023?
PA 2023 uses the "conditions of participation" statutory label for what PCR 2015 called selection criteria. The substantive shape of the SQ continues largely unchanged with minor terminology updates. Cabinet Office published a refreshed SQ template aligned with PA 2023 commencement; check the current template version when preparing a response.
How often is the SQ template updated?
Cabinet Office reviews the template periodically and issues updates when new policy areas are mandated (PPN 06 net zero, PPN 09 cyber essentials, social value requirements). Material updates typically come every 1-2 years; minor wording clarifications more frequently. Subscribe to the Cabinet Office procurement policy update email to track changes.