Health and Safety Accreditations for Public Contracts

Last reviewed 19 October 2026. General guidance, not legal advice.

Public buyers have to check that contractors working on their sites manage health and safety properly. Instead of assessing every firm from scratch, many accept an accreditation from a recognised scheme. Holding the right one can be the difference between being allowed to bid and being screened out, especially for building maintenance, M&E, fire and grounds work.

Key points

• Most health and safety pre-qualification in UK construction and facilities work is based on the same core questions. PAS 91, the standard these were aligned with, was withdrawn by BSI in 2023, and Build UK's Common Assessment Standard is now the fuller industry standard.
• SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) is the umbrella body for these schemes. Members accept each other's current assessments under a "Deem to Satisfy" agreement.
• Mutual recognition is not universal in practice: some buyers and main contractors name a specific scheme, so check what your target buyers ask for before you pay.
• Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers cannot run a separate pre-qualification stage on most below-threshold contracts, but they can still ask for evidence of safe working when they assess bids.

What buyers are checking

Whether it is a school asking a cleaning firm about COSHH, or a council asking a roofer about working at height, buyers want evidence that you:

• have a health and safety policy and someone competent responsible for it;
• assess risks and write method statements for the work;
• train and supervise staff, and keep records;
• manage subcontractors;
• report and learn from accidents and near misses.

An accreditation shows that an independent assessor has already checked these things.

SSIP, PAS 91 and CAS in plain English

PAS 91 was a government-endorsed standard for construction pre-qualification questions, including a set of health and safety questions. BSI withdrew it in 2023. Its place has largely been taken by the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), developed by Build UK and assessed by recognised bodies including CHAS, Constructionline, Achilles and SMAS Worksafe (Build UK).

SSIP describes itself as "the mutual recognition scheme for occupational health and safety standards". Its core criteria were aligned with PAS 91 and act as a threshold standard approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Under SSIP's Deem to Satisfy arrangement, registered member schemes accept a current approval issued by another member, as long as it shows on the SSIP portal (SSIP).

In theory, this means one SSIP assessment should be enough for most buyers. In practice, some buyers and many main contractors still name a particular scheme, or ask for a higher level of assessment than the basic SSIP check, such as CAS.

The main schemes

These are the names you will see most often in tender documents. Each offers several levels of membership, and prices depend on your firm's size and the level you choose, so check each scheme's own website for current fees.

Trade-specific schemes sit alongside these and are often required too. Examples include NICEIC or NAPIT for electrical work, BAFE or FIA-linked schemes for fire safety, Gas Safe registration for gas work, and membership of the British Pest Control Association for pest control.

How to choose your first one

1. Look at what your target buyers ask for. Open five recent tenders in your trade and area, and note which schemes are named. Our contracts by trade pages are a quick way to find them.
2. Ask your main contractor clients. If you subcontract, your clients' supply chain portals often name the scheme they prefer.
3. Start with one SSIP-recognised scheme. It meets what many below-threshold buyers ask for, and you can add a higher level later.
4. Keep it current. Most schemes renew every year. A lapsed accreditation can disqualify a bid you have already written.

ISO 45001 and other standards

ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It is a bigger commitment than an SSIP scheme and is more often asked for on larger contracts and frameworks. Many small firms start with an SSIP scheme and move to ISO standards (such as ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environment) as their contracts grow.

Insurance

Tenders almost always set minimum insurance levels: typically employer's liability, public liability and, for some services, professional indemnity. The required amounts vary by contract, so check the tender documents and ask your broker before you bid. BidTrowel flags insurance requirements it finds in each notice on the contract's page.

Accreditation is not a substitute for a good answer

Even with an accreditation, many tenders include health and safety quality questions specific to the site. Use your accreditation as evidence, then answer the question asked: the risks at this site, how you will control them, and who is responsible. See how to write quality answers that score well.

Next steps

• Check which schemes the last five relevant tenders in your area asked for.
• Get one SSIP-recognised accreditation and keep it renewed.
• Get a free weekly shortlist of contracts matched to your trade and area, with accreditation requirements flagged: get free alerts.

Sources

• SSIP: about SSIP and Deem to Satisfy (checked 19 October 2026)
• UKAS: SSIP accreditation (checked 19 October 2026)
• Build UK: pre-qualification and the Common Assessment Standard (checked 19 October 2026)
• CHAS: PAS 91 vs SSIP vs CAS (checked 19 October 2026)
• Cabinet Office: guidance on below-threshold contracts (checked 19 October 2026)