Guidance

Annex B - Standard Selection Questions (HTML)

Published 27 March 2024

Part 1 Questions (General Information)

Mandatory (M) or Optional (O) to include in the selection questionnaire.

• M: Name (if, registered, please give the registered name).
• M: Registered address (if applicable) or head office address
• M: Registered website address (if applicable)
• M: Trading status
  • a) public limited company
  • b) private limited company
  • c) limited liability partnership
  • d) other partnership
  • e) sole trader
  • f) third sector
  • g) other (please specify your trading status)
• M: Date of registration (if applicable) or date of formation
• M: Registration number (company, partnership, charity, etc - if applicable)
• M: Registered VAT number
• M: Are you registered with the appropriate professional or trade register(s) specified for this procurement and as set out in the procurement documents in the country where your organisation is established?
  • If YES please provide the relevant details, including the name of the register and registration number(s) and, if evidence of registration is available electronically, please give the website address, issuing body and reference number.
• M: For procurements for services only, is it a legal requirement in the country where you are established for you to:
  • a) possess a particular authorisation, or
  • b) be a member of a particular organisation, to provide the requirements specified in this procurement?
  • If YES please provide additional details of what is required and confirmation that you have complied with this and, if evidence of compliance is available electronically, please give the website address, issuing body and reference number.
• M: Relevant classifications (state whether you fall within one of these, and if so which one)
  • a) Voluntary Community Social Enterprise (VCSE)
  • b) Sheltered Workshop
  • c) Public service mutual
• M: Are you a Small, Medium or Micro Enterprise ^{[footnote 1]}?
• M: Details of Persons with Significant Control (PSC)^{[footnote 2]}: ^{[footnote 3]}, where appropriate^{[footnote 4]}:
  • M: Name
  • M: Date of birth
  • M: Nationality
  • M: Country, state or part of the UK where the PSC usually lives
  • M: Service address
  • M: The date he or she became a PSC in relation to the company;
  • M: Which conditions for being a PSC are met:
    • M: Over 25% up to (and including) 50%
    • M: More than 50% and less than 75%
    • M: 75% or more
  • O: (Please enter N/A if not applicable)
• M: Details of your immediate parent company:
  • M: Full name of immediate parent company
  • M: Registered or head office address
  • M: Registration number (if applicable)
  • M: VAT number (if applicable)
  • O: (Please enter N/A if not applicable)
• M: Details of ultimate parent company:
  • M: Full name of ultimate parent company
  • M: Registered or head office address
  • M: Registration number (if applicable)
  • M: Head office VAT number (if applicable)
  • M: (Please enter N/A if not applicable)
• M: Are you bidding as a single supplier or as part of a group or consortium?
• M: If you are bidding as part of a group or consortium (including where you intend to establish a legal entity to deliver the contract), please tell us:
  • a) The name of the group/consortium.
  • b) The proposed structure of the group/consortium, including the legal structure where applicable.
  • c) The name of the lead member in the group/consortium.
  • d) Your role in the group/consortium (e.g. lead member, consortium member, subcontractor).
  • e) If you are the lead member in the group/consortium, whether you are relying on other consortium members to meet the selection criteria (i.e., are you relying on other consortium members for economic and technical standing and/or technical and professional ability?) and, if so, which criteria you are relying on them for.
• M: If you are proposing to use subcontractors/a supply chain please provide the following details for each subcontractor/supply chain member^{[footnote 5]}.
• M: Name
• M: Registration number
• M: Registered or head office address
• M: Trading status:
  • a) public limited company
  • b) private limited company
  • c) limited liability partnership
  • d) other partnership
  • e) sole trader
  • f) third sector
  • g) other (please specify your trading status)
• M: Registered VAT number
• M: SME?
• M: The role each subcontractor will take in providing the works and /or supplies e.g., key deliverables.
• M: The approximate % of contractual obligations assigned to each subcontractor
• M: Is the subcontractor being relied upon to meet the selection criteria (i.e., are you relying on the subcontractor for economic and technical standing and/or technical and professional ability?) and, if so, which criteria are you relying on them for?
• O: Please tell us which lot(s) you wish to bid for (where applicable).

Part 2 Questions (Exclusion Grounds Questions)

Grounds for mandatory exclusion

• M: Within the past five years, anywhere in the world, have you or any person who
  • is a member of the supplier’s administrative, management or supervisory body; or
  • has powers of representation, decision or control in the supplier^{[footnote 6]}
• been convicted of any of the offences within the summary below and listed in full in Annex D?
• M: Participation in a criminal organisation
• M: Corruption
• M: Terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities
• M: Money laundering or terrorist financing
• M: Child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings
• M: Any other offence within the meaning of Article 57(1) of the Directive as defined by the law of any jurisdiction outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• M: Any other offence within the meaning of Article 57(1) of the Directive created after 26th February 2015 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• M: If you have answered YES to any of the questions on mandatory exclusion grounds please provide further details, including;
  • date of conviction and the jurisdiction
  • which of the grounds listed the conviction was for
  • the reasons for conviction
  • the identity of who has been convicted
• M: If the relevant documentation is available electronically, please provide:
  • the web address
  • issuing authority
  • precise reference of the documents
• M: If you have answered YES to any part of the questions on mandatory exclusion grounds, please explain what measures have been taken to demonstrate your reliability despite the existence of relevant grounds for exclusion (Self-cleaning)

Mandatory and discretionary grounds relating to the payment of taxes and social security contributions.

The detailed grounds for mandatory and discretionary exclusion of a supplier for non-payment of taxes and social security contributions, are set out in Annex D, and should be referred to before completing these questions.

• M: Please confirm that you have met all your obligations relating to the payment of taxes and social security contributions, both in the country in which you are established and in the UK.
• M: If documentation is available electronically, please provide-
  • the web address,
  • issuing authority,
  • precise reference of the documents.
• M: If you have answered NO to this question, please provide further details including the following:
  • Country concerned
  • the amount concerned
  • how the breach was established, i.e., through a judicial or administrative decision or by other means
  • if the breach has been established through a judicial or administrative decision please provide the date of the decision
  • if the breach has been established by other means please specify the means.
• M: Please also confirm whether you have paid, or have entered into a binding arrangement with a view to paying the outstanding sum including, where applicable, any accrued interest and/or fines.

Please Note: We reserve our right to use our discretion to exclude your bid where we can demonstrate by any appropriate means that you are in breach of your obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions

Grounds for discretionary exclusion

The detailed grounds for discretionary exclusion of an organisation are set out in Annex D, and should be referred to before completing these questions.

• M: Within the past three years, anywhere in the world, have any of the situations summarised below and listed in full in Annex D applied to you?
• M: Breach of environmental law obligations? To note that environmental law obligations include Health and Safety obligations. See Annex D.
• M: Breach of social law obligations?
• M: Breach of labour law obligations?
• M: Bankruptcy or subject of insolvency?
• M: Guilty of grave professional misconduct?
• M: Distortion of competition?
• M: Conflict of interest?
• M: Been involved in the preparation of the procurement procedure?
• M: Prior performance issues?
• M: Do any of the following statements apply to you?
  • You have been guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required for the verification of the absence of grounds for exclusion or the fulfilment of the selection criteria?
  • You have withheld such information.
  • You are not able, without delay, to submit supporting documents if/when required.
  • You have undertaken to unduly influence the decision-making process of the contracting authority to obtain confidential information that may confer upon you undue advantages in the procurement procedure, or to negligently provide misleading information that may have a material influence on decisions concerning exclusion, selection or award.
• M: You are a relevant commercial organisation subject to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 if you carry on your business, or part of your business in the UK, supplying goods or services and you have an annual turnover of at least £36 million. If you are a relevant commercial organisation, please confirm:
  • you have published a statement as required by Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act
  • that the statement complies with the requirements of Section 54
• M: If you have answered YES to any of the questions relating to grounds for discretionary exclusion (or NO to any of the Modern Slavery Act questions), please explain what measures have been taken to demonstrate your reliability despite the existence of a relevant ground for exclusion? (Self-cleaning).

Part 3 Questions (Selection Criteria Questions)

O: Economic and Financial Standing

• O: If documentary evidence of economic and financial standing is available electronically (e.g., financial statements filed with Companies House), please provide:
  • the web address
  • issuing authority
  • precise reference of the documents.
• O: If documentary evidence of economic and financial standing is not available electronically, please provide a copy of your detailed accounts for the last two years (audited if required by law).
• O: Also please provide for any other person or entity on whom you are relying to meet the selection criteria relating to economic and financial standing a copy of their detailed accounts for the last two years (audited if required by law).
• O: If you cannot provide an electronic link to your audited accounts, and cannot provide a copy, please provide any of the following alternatives:
  • (a)  A statement of your annual turnover, Profit and Loss Account/Income Statement, Balance Sheet/Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Cash Flow for the most recent year(s) of trading and a bank letter outlining the current cash and credit facility position.
  • (b) Alternative information to evidence economic and financial standing if any of the above are not available (e.g., forecast financial statements and a statement of funding provided by the owners and/or the bank, charity accruals accounts or an alternative means of demonstrating financial status).
• O: Where we have specified a minimum level of economic and financial standing and/or a minimum financial threshold within the evaluation criteria for this procurement, please ‘self-certify’ that you meet the requirements set out in the procurement documents.
• O: Where you are relying on another member of your bidding group/consortium or any subcontractors or other security in order to meet the selection criteria relating to economic and financial standing, please confirm that the relevant person or entity is willing to provide a guarantee or other security if required.

O: Technical and Professional Ability

O: Relevant experience and contract examples.

Please provide details of up to three contracts to meet the technical and professional ability criteria set out in the procurement documents, in any combination from either the public or private sectors; voluntary, charity or social enterprise (VCSE) that are relevant to our requirement. VCSEs may include samples of grant-funded work. Where this procurement is for supplies or services, the examples must be from the past three years. Where this procurement is for works, the examples may be from the past five years.

The named contact provided should be able to provide written evidence to confirm the accuracy of the information provided below.

For consortium bids, or where you have indicated that you are relying on a particular member or a subcontractor in order to meet the technical and professional ability, you should provide relevant examples of where the consortium/particular member/subcontractors have delivered similar requirements. If this is not possible (e.g., the consortium is newly formed or a Special Purpose Vehicle is to be created for this contract) then three separate examples should be provided between the principal member(s) of the proposed consortium or members of the Special Purpose Vehicle or subcontractors (three examples are not required from each member).

Where the Supplier is a Special Purpose Vehicle, or a managing agent not intending to be the main provider of the supplies or services, the information requested should be provided in respect of the main intended provider(s) or subcontractor(s) who will deliver the contract.

For each contract, please provide the following information:

• Name of customer organisation who signed the contract.
• Name of supplier who signed the contract.
• Point of contact of the customer.
• Position in the customer’s organisation.
• E-mail address.
• Description of contract.
• Contract Start date.
• Contract completion date.
• Estimated contract value.

If you cannot provide at least one example of previous contracts that are relevant to our requirement, in no more than 500 words please provide an explanation for this and how you meet the selection criteria relating to technical and professional ability e.g. your organisation is a new start-up or you have provided services in the past but not under a contract.

Where you intend to subcontract a proportion of the contract, please demonstrate how you have previously maintained healthy supply chains with your subcontractor(s).

The description should include, but is not limited to, details of your supply chain management tracking systems to ensure performance of the contract and including prompt payment and whether you are a signatory of the UK Prompt Payment Code (or have given commitments under other equivalent schemes).

O: Insurance

Please confirm whether you already have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the commencement of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below:

Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £x

Public Liability Insurance = £x

Professional Indemnity Insurance = £x

Product Liability Insurance = £x

*There is a legal requirement for certain employers to hold Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of £5 million as a minimum. See the Health and Safety Executive website for more information: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse39.pdf.

O: Data Protection

Please confirm that you have in place, or that you will have in place by contract award, the human and technical resources to perform the contract to ensure compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulations and to ensure the protection of the rights of data subjects.

Please provide details of the technical facilities and measures (including systems and processes) you have in place, or will have in place by contract award, to ensure compliance with UK data protection law and to ensure the protection of the rights of data subjects. Your response should include, but should not be limited to facilities and measures:

• to ensure ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services;
• to comply with the rights of data subjects in respect of receiving privacy information, and access, rectification, deletion and portability of personal data;
• to ensure that any consent-based processing meets standards of active, informed consent, and that such consents are recorded and auditable;
• to ensure legal safeguards are in place to legitimise transfers of personal data outside the UK (if such transfers will take place);
• to maintain records of personal data processing activities; and
• to regularly test, assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the above measures.

O: Health and Safety

Please describe the arrangements you have in place to manage health and safety effectively and control significant risks relevant to the requirement (including risks from the use of contractors, where relevant). [Please use no more than 500 words.]

For use with Steel question: - Please provide all the relevant details of previous breaches of health and safety legislation in the last 5 years, applicable to the country in which you operate, on comparable projects, for both:

• Your organisation
• All your supply chain members involved in the production or supply of steel

O: Payment in Contracts Above £5m per annum (Central Government Contracts)

If you intend to use a supply chain for this contract, you must demonstrate you have effective systems in place to ensure a reliable supply chain. This question is focused on exploring your payment systems. 

If you do not intend to use a supply chain for this contract, you are not required to complete the subsequent questions.

Please confirm if you intend to use a supply chain for this contract or (if relevant) to deliver any call off contract that may be awarded under this framework agreement. 

If you answer “No” you do not need to complete the rest of this section. (YES/NO - Not scored) 

Please confirm that you have systems in place to pay those in your supply chain promptly and effectively, i.e. within your agreed contractual terms. (YES/NO - Pass/Fail)

Please confirm you have procedures in place for resolving disputed payments and invoices^{[footnote 7]} with those in your supply chain promptly and effectively. You should explain this in the tender documents. (YES/NO - Pass/Fail)

O: For contracts in the Public Sector

Please confirm that for public sector contracts awarded under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 you have systems in place to include (as a minimum) 30-day payment terms in all of your supply chain contracts and require that such terms are passed down through your supply chain. (YES/NO - Pass/Fail)

O: ^{[footnote 8]}Central Government Only - Payment in contracts (including contracts awarded under a framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system) over £5m per annum to be completed only if there is a supply chain^{[footnote 9]}

For contracts in both the Public AND Private Sector please provide the percentage of payments and invoices paid by you to those in your immediate supply chain on all contracts for each of the two previous six-month reporting periods^{[footnote 10]}.

This should include the percentage of payments and invoices paid within each of the following categories:

1. within 30 days.
2. in 31 to 60 days.
3. in 61 days or more.
4. due but not paid by the last date for payment under agreed contractual terms.

Please provide the average number of days taken by you to pay an invoice to those in your immediate supply chain on all contracts for each of the two previous six-month reporting periods. 

It is acceptable to cross refer to information that has previously been submitted to Government or other bodies or is publicly available (provided it covers the required reporting periods), including data published in accordance with the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017. If you do wish to cross refer, please provide details and/or insert link(s).

If you are unable to demonstrate that all invoices have been paid within the agreed contractual terms, please explain why. Note: if you are required to submit an action plan, this action plan must also set out steps to address your payment within agreed terms.

If you are unable to demonstrate that ≥95% of invoices payable to your supply chain on all contracts have been paid within 60 days of the receipt of the invoice in at least one of the last two six months reporting periods please provide an action plan for improvement which includes (as a minimum) the following:

1. Identification of the primary causes of failure to pay:

(a) 95% of all supply chain invoices within 60 days; and,

(b) if relevant, due but not paid by the last date for payment under agreed contractual terms

2. Actions to address each of these causes.

3. A mechanism for and commitment to regular reporting on progress to the bidder’s audit committee (or equivalent).

4. Plan signed off by director.

5. Plan published on its website (this can be a shorter, summary plan)

If you have an existing action plan prepared for a different purpose, it is acceptable to attach this but it should contain the above features.

O: Central Government Only - Carbon Reduction in Contracts Above £5m per annum

Please confirm that you have detailed your environmental management measures by completing and publishing a Carbon Reduction Plan which meets the required reporting standard

• Yes:
• No:
• PASS/FAIL

Provide a link to your most recently published Carbon Reduction Plan here:

Please confirm that your organisation is taking steps to reduce your GHG Emissions over time and is publicly committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050

• Yes:
• No:
• PASS/FAIL

Please provide your current Net Zero Target Date:

• Supplier Emissions Declaration:
• Baseline Year:
• Scope 1 emissions:
• Scope 2 emissions:

• Scope 3 emissions:

• Current/Most Recent Reporting Year:
• Scope 1 emissions:
• Scope 2 emissions:
• Scope 3 emissions:

O: Central Government Only - Skills and Apprentices Above £10m per annum

Please state whether you will be supporting apprenticeships and skills development through this contract.

If ‘YES’ please set out how you will develop and maintain skills to build a more skilled and productive workforce. Please also provide details of the process in place to ensure that your supply chain supports skills, development and apprenticeships.

You should confirm if evidence is available to support this if requested

O: Central Government Only - Procuring Steel in Government Contracts

For projects/programmes involving a relevant steel procurement^{[footnote 11]}, please describe the supply chain management systems, policies, standards and procedures you have in place to ensure robust supply chain management.

Please provide details of previous similar projects where you have demonstrated a high level of competency and effectiveness in managing all supply chain members involved in steel supply or production to ensure a sustainable and resilient supply of steel.

O: Central Government Only - Taking Account Of Suppliers’ Past Performance

On request, can you supply a list of your relevant principal contracts for supplies and/or services provided in the last three years?

On request can you provide a past performance certificate from those customers on the list?

If you cannot obtain a certificate from a customer, can you explain the reasons why?

If the certificate states that supplies and/or services supplied were not satisfactory, are you able to supply information which shows why this will not recur in this contract if you are awarded it?

O: Central Government Only - Tackling Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

If you are a relevant commercial organisation subject to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and if your latest statement is available electronically, please provide:

• the web address,
• precise reference of the documents.

If your latest statement is not available electronically, please provide a copy. 

If you are not a relevant commercial organisation subject to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (for example if your turnover is less than £36 million or you do not carry on your business, or part of your business, in the UK), please provide the above information in relation to any published statements on modern slavery or other relevant documents containing information of a similar type/level.

Any modern slavery statement or other statement or document should contain at least the following information:

a. the organisation’s structure, its business and its supply chains;

b. its policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking;

c. its due diligence processes in relation to slavery and human trafficking in its business and supply chains;

d. the parts of its business and supply chains where there is a risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place, and the steps it has taken to assess and manage that risk;

e. its effectiveness in ensuring that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in its business or supply chains, measured against such performance indicators as it considers appropriate;

f. the training and capacity building about slavery and human trafficking available to its staff; or

If all of this information is not included in your modern slavery statement or other statement or documents, please provide an explanation as to why not and/or assurances that it will be included before contract award.

M: Declaration

I declare that to the best of my knowledge the answers submitted and information contained in this complete document are correct and accurate, including parts 1, 2 and part 3.

I declare that, upon request and without delay I will provide the certificates or documentary evidence referred to in this document except where this documentation can be accessed by the contracting authority via a national database in any country free of charge or the contracting authority already possesses the documentation.

I understand that the information will be used in the selection process to assess my suitability to participate further in this procurement.

I understand that the authority may reject this submission in its entirety if there is a failure to answer all the relevant questions fully, or if false/misleading information or content is provided in any section.

I am aware of the consequences of serious misrepresentation.

Signature (electronic is acceptable)

Date

• M: Contact details of those making the declaration
• M: Contact name
• M: Name of organisation
• M: Role in organisation
• M: Phone number
• M: E-mail address
• M: Postal address

1. See EC definition of SME ↩

2. It is possible to decline to consider bids from Russian or Belarusian suppliers in certain circumstances. For suppliers who are constituted or organised under the law of Russia or Belarus or their ‘Persons of Significant Control’ information states Russia or Belarus as the place of residency, the supplier’s bid can be discounted.  See PPN 01/22 for further guidance ↩

3. UK companies, Societates European (SEs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are required to identify and record the people who own or control their company. Companies, SEs and LLPs are required to keep a PSC register, and must file the PSC information with the central public register at Companies House. See PSC guidance. Overseas bidders are required to provide equivalent information. ↩

4. Only information that relates to the persons with powers of representation, decision or control within the meaning of Regulation 57(2) can be considered in relation to the mandatory exclusion grounds and other details are requested for information only. ↩

5. This applies to all supply chain members and/or subcontractors, where their identity is known at this stage, irrespective of whether you are relying on them to meet the selection criteria.  Where a supply chain member and/or subcontractor has been identified in response to this question, any resulting subcontract entered into for that part of the works, services or supplies identified in response to that question will not be subject to the requirement for contracts to advertise the subcontracting opportunity, as set out in PPN 01/18. ↩

6. Note that should be included in e-procurement systems for this question: For the mandatory exclusion grounds only, you must complete the declaration for all relevant persons and entities. There are two categories of persons and entities: The first category is members of your administrative, management or supervisory board; secondly, entities and persons who have powers of representation, decision or control. You must decide, depending on the nature and structure of the entity or person who is bidding, which entities and persons this applies to in your particular circumstances. Clearly, members of your administrative, management or supervisory board should be easily identifiable and will cover company directors (or equivalent for other types of corporate entities) and members of an executive board.  The second category of those with powers of representation, decision or control, is likely to be more complicated. As an illustration, entities or persons with 25% or more shareholding (or equivalent for other types of corporate entities) are likely to have powers or representation, decision or control, although those with a lower shareholding may still have the relevant powers depending on their particular rights.  Similarly, your ultimate parent company (or equivalent for other types of corporate entities) is likely to have powers of representation, decision or control. Depending on your particular structure, intermediate parent companies who do not have a direct shareholding, directors or members of an executive board of your immediate parent company (for example in the case of an SPV set up specifically to bid for a particular contract), and holders of mortgages or liens may be covered. It isn’t necessary to identify which entities and persons you think are covered but you must be satisfied that your declaration is made in respect of all of those that are covered. ↩

7. This should include all situations where payments are due; not all payments involve an invoice (see PPN 10/23 Guidance Document (PDF, 208KB)). You should explain this in the tender documents. ↩

8. Central Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies ↩

9. ‘Supply chain’ means suppliers or subcontractors of any Tier that execute any works, supply any products or provide any services that are used wholly or substantially for the purpose of performing (or contributing to the performance of) the whole or any part of the contract. ↩

10. You should explain in the tender documents what a reporting period is by referring to the DBT Guidance. ↩

11. Applies to all Central Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies when conducting procurements covered by Part 2 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011, and the Concessions Contracts Regulations 2016, where steel is being procured directly or indirectly. ↩