Catering Services and Food Procurement (CSFP) Toolkit
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)
The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) acts as a mechanism to shortlist potential bidders to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage. The PQQ should be prepared by the user department/budget holder and Procurement. Please see an example PQQ under Templates and resources below.
The objective is to ensure that the short-listed bidders:
- are the best qualified to provide catering services and/or food direct from wholesalers/producers
- would be acceptable in all ways, provided they submit the most attractive VFM tender
It is advisable that Contracting Authorities invite an optimum number of suppliers to the Invitation to Tender stage, typically five. However this shall be determined by the Contracting Authority's own procurement processes. The maximum number of suppliers to be short-listed should not exceed seven or else the attractiveness of the contract and the likelihood of winning is further reduced.
Evaluation of PQQ submissions
The PQQ evaluation process comprises of two stages:
- evaluation of their technical capability and organisation capacity; and
- assessment of their financial standing (evaluation of company financial accounts).
Stage 1: Technical capability / organisation capacity
Each member of the evaluation panel should independently assess each supplier submission based on the scoring criteria set out in the evaluation pack. An example PQQ Evaluation Model can be found under Templates and resources below. Each member of the panel should present their scores to the Facilitator prior to evaluation panel meeting.
The PQQ evaluation panel normally involves the following interested parties:
- End User
- Budget Holder/Project Manager/Technical Advisor
- Representative from Trade Unions
- Representative from Staff Restaurant Committee
A representative from Procurement would normally be appointed to chair/facilitate the evaluation meetings. For continuity, it is helpful if the evaluation panel members are the same for the PQQ and ITT evaluation.
Stage 2: Assessment of financial standing
A trained accountant or proficient procurement professional should undertake an analysis of the financial strength of the short-listed organisations to reduce, as much as possible, the risk of the preferred supplier going into liquidation/bankruptcy.
It is the Contracting Authority's responsibility to use an appropriate evaluation mechanism to ensure a fair, transparent and auditable process.
Templates and resources
Page last modified: 21 February 2008
Page published: 21 February 2008