In December 2024, the UK Government rolled out the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) — the new replacement for the old SQ under the Procurement Act 2023. This isn't just a mild update—it's a wholesale shift toward smarter, fairer, and more social-value-focused procurement.

What Is a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ)?

A PSQ — Procurement Selection Questionnaire — is the standardised supplier qualification document used in UK public sector procurement under the Procurement Act 2023. It replaced the older Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ / PQQ). Get a PSQ wrong and you don't get to bid — regardless of how strong your response would have been.

PSQ vs PQQ: What Changed Under the Procurement Act 2023

The PSQ replaced the PQQ when the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. Same purpose — qualifying suppliers before invitation to bid — but a tighter, more standardised structure across UK central government.

The headline differences:

PSQ is more standardised. Before, every contracting authority could shape its own PQQ. Now there is a common PSQ template across most central government procurements, with proportionate sections rather than every-question-for-every-bid.
PSQ has updated mandatory questions — modern slavery statement requirements, social value weighting, and conflict-of-interest declarations are stronger than under the old PCR 2015 framework.
PSQ rules around proportionality are tighter. Buyers must justify why each question is asked. Suppliers can challenge disproportionate demands more directly.

Tenders advertised under PCR 2015 may still use legacy SQ formats during the transition. New procurements must use the PSQ. If you see a "PQQ" in a contract notice issued after February 2025, ask — it might be a misnamed legacy form, or it might be a non-PSQ supplementary questionnaire.

Why It Matters

Contracting authorities are now aligned on one format, with clear direction and higher expectations across the board. That means no more reinventing your responses per authority—but it also means the bar is higher. You'll need to demonstrate:

Supplier capability — realistically, not aspirationally
Risk management — owned, documented, and credible
Social impact — locality-driven, measurable, and contracted

CoP alone won't cut it. You need structured, insightful answers — with evidence.

CoPs (Conditions of Participation) sit alongside the PSQ as the other major gateway in UK procurement — see our deep dive on Condition of Participation for how the two interact at evaluation.

What the PSQ Asks: Section-by-Section Breakdown

The PSQ is structured into sections covering: supplier identity and ownership, financial standing, technical and professional capability, mandatory exclusion grounds, discretionary exclusion grounds, and (where used) social value commitments.

Each section is pass/fail or scored:

Supplier identity. Legal name, registered office, company number, ownership structure. Pass/fail on completeness.
Financial standing. Latest audited accounts, turnover thresholds, insurance levels (employer's liability, public liability, professional indemnity). Pass/fail on whether you meet the proportionate threshold.
Technical capability. Named comparable contracts (typically 3 from the last 3-5 years), key personnel CVs, accreditations relevant to the work. Scored on relevance and recency.
Mandatory exclusion grounds. Confirms no conviction for specified offences (corruption, fraud, terrorism, child labour, etc.). Pass/fail.
Discretionary exclusion grounds. Performance history, professional misconduct, tax compliance. Reviewed by buyer.
Social value. Where the procurement weighs social value, you state commitments around employment, environmental impact, community benefit. Scored.

The order matters. Most PSQs gate on identity and financial standing first — fail those and the rest is not assessed.

Common PSQ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The five most common ways PSQs fail:

Treating it as the bid. The PSQ is a qualification gateway, not a sales document. Long marketing-style answers to short factual questions are a red flag for buyers and waste your evaluator's time.
Over-evidencing. Buyers ask for proportionate evidence. Sending three years of audited accounts when one is asked for, or twelve case studies when three are requested, signals a supplier who does not read the brief.
Out-of-date insurance certificates. Insurance lapses are the single most common pass/fail failure. Check renewal dates against the submission deadline.
Missing modern slavery statement. If your group turnover crosses the £36m threshold, the statement must exist on your website and be referenced in the PSQ. Forgetting this is an automatic fail.
Generic case studies. Three comparable contracts means three contracts comparable in scope, scale, and sector. Submitting case studies from a different industry or contract value range scores poorly even if the work was strong.

Run the PSQ through a checklist review separate from the substantive bid. Different person, different mindset. The qualification stage is a paperwork exercise — the bid is the persuasion exercise. Conflating them is where teams lose.

PSQ Raises the Stakes — But Also Opens the Door

Challenges the PSQ brings:

Social value front and centre
No more generic statements. You need to show clear, localised benefits — upskilling, sustainability, or community impact tailored to the contract's location and scope.
Capability — audited and tested
They want you to show delivery credentials, technical know-how, financial soundness, and real-world track record — not vague marketing speak.
Risk = Reported
Don't just tick boxes on health & safety, cyber, or delivery. Show how you'll identify, mitigate, manage, and own every risk line item.
Compliance fatigue
One questionnaire across authorities should be more straightforward — but only if you adapt fast. Otherwise, you'll spend cycles guessing what they want.

How BidScript Powers You for PSQ Success

With BidScript, you can turn this shift into your competitive edge, not a compliance headache.

Treating the PSQ as a one-off form is what slows teams down. The right bid management software answers the eligibility section once, stores the evidence centrally, and reuses it the next time a similar tender drops.

Complete Within PSQ Templates
Built-in hints, navigation, and compliance prompts to ensure you cover all capability, risk, and social value angles — once, then reuse.
AI-Powered Answer Drafts
Generate first-draft answers using past wins, input your customer and contract, and let the AI give you a PSQ-ready draft in seconds.
Built-In Gap Analysis
See compliance holes well before submission — and fill them with AI-backed suggestions linked to your content library.
Embedded Social Value Builder
Social value isn't just a checkbox — it's part of the story. Our embedded builder helps you shape place-specific, credible commitments that fit the contract — and get noticed.
Collaborative Review Workflow
Bring in finance, ESG, operations, and legal reviewers directly within BidScript — no downloads, no version chaos, no dropped inputs.

The PSQ Advantage — If You Play It Right

BidScript + PSQ = better bids, faster

Let's face it: this new PSQ regime isn't going away. If you treat it as an obstacle, you'll lag behind. But if you use it to sharpen your bid strategy — and back it with AI-powered structure — you win.

Bottom Line

The PSQ is a game-changer in UK procurement — higher transparency, expectations, and depth. And BidScript is built for it. We don't just help you write faster — we help you think clearer, work smarter, and win tougher contracts.

Ready to transform the PSQ from headache to competitive edge?

Book a demo to see how BidScript turns PSQ responses into a reusable asset, not a one-off scramble.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a PSQ?

A. A PSQ (Procurement Selection Questionnaire) is the standardised supplier qualification document used in UK public sector procurement under the Procurement Act 2023. It replaced the older Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ / PQQ). The PSQ collects information about a supplier's identity, financial standing, technical capability, and compliance with mandatory exclusion grounds — used by buyers to determine whether a supplier qualifies to bid.

Q. What is the difference between a PSQ and a PQQ?

A. PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) was the term used under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. PSQ (Procurement Selection Questionnaire) is the term used under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February 2025. The structure is similar — both qualify suppliers before invitation to bid — but the PSQ is more standardised across central government and includes updated questions on social value, modern slavery, and conflict of interest. [VERIFY: PA 2023 commencement date with gov.uk]

Q. When did the PSQ replace the SQ?

A. The PSQ replaced the SQ when the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. Tenders advertised under the old Public Contracts Regulations 2015 may still use legacy SQ formats during the transition period, but new procurements must use the PSQ format. [VERIFY: exact commencement date with UK Cabinet Office guidance]

Q. Who has to complete a PSQ?

A. Any supplier responding to a UK public sector tender (above the relevant value threshold) where the buyer has chosen to use the standard PSQ. This includes central government, NHS trusts, local authorities, and many arm's-length bodies. Smaller, lower-value procurements may use a simplified version or skip the PSQ stage entirely.

Q. What documents do I need for a PSQ?

A. Typical PSQ supporting documents include: certificate of incorporation, latest audited accounts (or last two years), insurance certificates (employer's liability, public liability, professional indemnity), evidence of relevant accreditations (ISO 9001, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials etc.), a modern slavery statement (if turnover threshold met), and named references from comparable contracts. Exact requirements vary by procurement.

Q. What is the difference between a PSQ and an RFP?

A. A PSQ qualifies suppliers (can you bid?). An RFP / ITT is the substantive bid itself (why should we choose you?). PSQ is typically a pass/fail or scored gateway — fail it and you do not progress. RFP is a competitive evaluation against award criteria. In multi-stage procurements, the PSQ comes first, the ITT/RFP follows for shortlisted suppliers.

What Is a Procurement Selection Questionnaire (PSQ)?