Common Assessment Standard Updated Following Procurement Act

The Common Assessment Standard comprises an industry-agreed question set and corresponding assessment standards for the pre-qualification of suppliers.

There are two levels of certification: desktop and site-based. Companies apply to a Recognised Assessment Body for the certification level that is most appropriate for their business based on a range of factors including trade, size and the requirements of their clients.

Version 4.1 of the Common Assessment Standard was published on 24th February 2025 in light of the Procurement Act, which came into effect with the aim to improve and streamline the way procurement is done, and benefit prospective suppliers of all sizes, particularly small businesses, start-ups and social enterprises. The minor updates to the question set also reflect the changes to company size thresholds from 1st April 2025.

Download Version 4.1 of the Common Assessment Standard.

The new Procurement Act:

• Simplifies the bidding processes to make it easier to bid, negotiate and work in partnership with the public sector – including a new ‘competitive flexible’ procedure.
• Makes commercial frameworks more open, so prospective suppliers are not shut out for long periods of time.
• Removes bureaucratic barriers for smaller businesses and VCSEs so they can compete for more contracts – with strengthened provisions for prompt payment throughout the supply chain, enabling you to benefit from 30-day payment terms on a broader range of public sector contracts.
• Requires public bodies to provide consistent feedback for suppliers: a requirement on public bodies to provide bid assessments for final tenders.

The new Procurement Specific Questionnaire, which has been published for use by public sector clients under the Procurement Act, confirms at paragraph 45 that the Common Assessment Standard should continue to be used for pre‐qualifying suppliers for ‘works’ contracts. It also states that where possible, public sector clients should “avoid requiring Common Assessment Standard certified suppliers to re‐input their information”, which will reduce duplication for the supply chain even further.

Find out more about the Procurement Act.