qualification requirements

Qualification requirements are requirements set for suppliers who wish to participate in a public procurement. These are requirements that must be met for a business to be eligible to compete for the contract at all.

Why are qualification requirements set?

When the public sector purchases goods or services, they need to be confident that the supplier can actually deliver what is promised. The contracting authority therefore sets requirements for the suppliers' competence, experience, and financial standing.

Common types of qualification requirements

There are several types of qualification requirements that frequently appear in public tenders:

• Financial capacity (for example, minimum turnover requirements)
• Professional qualifications (such as relevant education or certifications)
• Technical competence (documented experience from similar contracts)
• Registrations (such as the business being registered in the relevant business register)

Documentation of the requirements

The tender documents will specify what documentation you must submit to prove that you meet the requirements. This may include, for example:

• Annual financial statements
• CVs for key personnel
• Reference projects
• Tax and duty certificates

Tools like Cobrief can help you keep track of qualification requirements and ensure that you have all the necessary documentation in place when submitting a tender.

A business that does not meet the qualification requirements will be rejected from the competition, regardless of how good the tender otherwise might be. It is therefore important to read through the requirements carefully before spending time preparing a tender. Once you have documented that you meet the qualification requirements, you can focus on writing a competitive tender that responds to the award criteria.