Selection questionnaire (SQ)
A selection questionnaire (SQ) gathers a supplier’s exclusion declarations and selection information under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It helps an authority decide whether a supplier is suitable to progress, rather than how its final tender scores.
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What an SQ tests
The selection questionnaire (SQ), also called the Standard Selection Questionnaire or SSQ, is the standard supplier-selection document for above-threshold procurements carried out under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It gathers general supplier information, exclusion-ground declarations and evidence about financial standing, technical ability and other selection criteria. The authority uses that information to decide which suppliers can proceed or, in an open procedure, to assess suitability alongside tenders as the PCR documents allow.
An SQ is different from award criteria. It asks whether the organisation is eligible and capable of performing the contract; the tender asks which offer is best. The authority should make questions relevant and proportionate and explain how the response will be used. A PCR framework call-off does not normally require a new completed SQ unless the framework terms require it.
How to prepare
Keep a controlled answer set for corporate details, insurance, accounts, policies, references and exclusion declarations, but tailor every answer to the live requirement. Record group-company, subcontractor and reliance arrangements accurately. Check whether evidence is requested now or only from the intended winner. False or stale declarations can affect exclusion decisions.
The Procurement Act does not mandate the PCR SQ template. Act procurements use conditions of participation and the authority's stated method, so a notice asking for core supplier information is not automatically an SQ. For example, if a 2024 PCR competition asks for the standard SQ, complete that form; do not replace it with a bespoke Act participation statement.