Prove a contractor is safe to work — before you appoint them
Collecting certificates isn’t pre-qualification. Complys checks that a contractor is competent, adequately insured and suitable for the work — then gives you a clear approved-to-work status you can stand behind.
A signed certificate isn’t the same as being suitable
Appointing a contractor who turns out to be under-insured, un-accredited or not competent for the work is a real risk — to safety, to your client relationship, and to your own duty to appoint competent people. Yet most pre-qualification still means a PQQ spreadsheet, a pile of PDFs, and someone hoping the insurance is high enough. Complys turns that into an assessment with an answer.
Assess suitability, not just paperwork
Check the contractor is right for the work — competence and cover, not just a document that exists.
Catch inadequate insurance
A policy below your required cover, expired, or excluding the activity is flagged, not waved through.
Stand behind your decision
A clear approved-to-work status with reasons gives you a defensible record of why a contractor was appointed.
How pre-qualification works with Complys
It sits inside contractor onboarding — but the assessment is the part that decides whether a contractor is in or out.
What Complys checks — and holds to a standard
Set the requirements once for each type of contractor, and every submission is measured against them.
Evidence assessed by AI
Each document is read and checked for validity, expiry, cover amount and scope — see document management.
Worker competence too
Company approved doesn’t mean every worker is — Complys ties in worker passports and their cards and training.
A clear status
A live compliance score and an approved-to-work status, with the specific reasons when a contractor isn’t met.
Works with SSIP, CHAS and the accreditations you already ask for
Complys is not a certification scheme and doesn’t issue SSIP or CHAS itself. What it does is collect and verify the accreditations a contractor already holds, check they’re current, and sit them alongside the insurance, RAMS and competence evidence — so you have one clear, up-to-date picture of whether a contractor is qualified, rather than a folder of separate certificates. Complys helps you evidence and manage compliance; it does not certify your contractors.
Pre-qualification software vs a PQQ spreadsheet
| Task | PQQ spreadsheet | Complys |
|---|---|---|
| Set requirements | One generic list | Per trade / risk level |
| Collect evidence | Email attachments | Secure upload, no account |
| Check cover level | By eye, if at all | Read and checked against your minimum |
| Check expiry | Manual diary note | Monitored with reminders |
| Worker competence | Separate, if tracked | Linked worker passports |
| Decision | A judgement call | Approved-to-work status with reasons |
| Stays current | Goes stale immediately | Re-qualified automatically |
Try contractor pre-qualification free for 90 days
No credit card, and nothing charged automatically when the trial ends. Set your standard and pre-qualify your first contractor today.
Start pre-qualifying →Contractor pre-qualification software — FAQs
What is contractor pre-qualification?
Contractor pre-qualification is the process of checking that a contractor or subcontractor is competent, adequately insured and safe to carry out work before you appoint them. It looks at insurance, health and safety accreditations, policies, risk assessments and the competence of the people who will do the work.
What's the difference between onboarding and pre-qualification?
Onboarding is the whole process of bringing a contractor into your supply chain and setting them up; pre-qualification is the assessment step within it that decides whether they are suitable to work. Complys does both — see contractor onboarding software for the full flow.
What does Complys check during pre-qualification?
Public and employers' liability insurance (including whether the cover level meets your requirement), accreditations such as CHAS, SMAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline, health and safety policy, RAMS, trade qualifications, worker cards and training, and DBS where relevant — plus any client-specific questions you add.
Does Complys check insurance cover levels, not just that a certificate exists?
Yes. Complys reads the insurance document and checks the insurer, dates, cover amount, type of cover and scope, so a policy below your required cover — or that excludes the actual work — is flagged rather than passed.
Is Complys an SSIP or CHAS scheme?
No. Complys is not a certification body and does not issue SSIP or CHAS accreditation. It helps you collect, check and evidence a contractor's compliance — including their existing SSIP or CHAS accreditation — and gives you a clear record of who is qualified to work.
Can different types of contractor have different pre-qualification requirements?
Yes. A scaffolder, a gas engineer and an electrician are held to different standards, so you build the right requirement set for each and only ask for what's relevant.
Does a contractor stay qualified after they pass?
Pre-qualification isn't a one-off. Complys monitors insurance, accreditations and training for expiry and reminds people before they lapse, so a contractor's status stays current instead of going stale the day after they're approved.
How much does contractor pre-qualification software cost?
You can start free with no card required. See Complys pricing for plans as your supply chain grows.
Know who’s qualified — before they start
Set your standard, request the evidence, and let Complys tell you who’s approved to work and who has actions outstanding.
Start freeRelated: contractor onboarding software, compliance document management, worker passports, and all workflows. Comparing options? See contractor compliance management software.