How to check an SSIP certificate's role and scope

An SSIP certificate can save a buyer from repeating a health and safety prequalification assessment. It does not answer every appointment question. The practical check is whether the right organisation has a current assessment for the relevant role, followed by a separate review of the work and people proposed for this project.

This guide is for UK construction clients and principal contractors appointing a supplier. For the scheme's purpose and mutual-recognition rules, see what SSIP is.

Start with the SSIP Portal

SSIP tells clients they can verify an assessed supplier directly through its Portal. Search the organisation's name and compare the portal result with the bidder's full legal identity. Retain the result or verification reference with the procurement decision. If the portal and certificate disagree, ask the issuing scheme to resolve the difference before relying on the record.

Check the issuing member scheme, current dates and approval category. A PDF sent with a tender may have been current when downloaded but out of date at appointment. Where the buyer's own preferred scheme is different, consider whether the supplier can use SSIP's Deem to Satisfy route rather than completing another full assessment. The route has scheme and membership limitations; confirm the position with the relevant member scheme.

Check the duty holder role, not just the logo

SSIP's core criteria are applied according to the relevant category and CDM duty holder role. The criteria distinguish, for example, a contractor, designer, principal designer and principal contractor. The extra matters considered for a principal contractor include construction-phase arrangements such as worker induction, emergency planning and information for the health and safety file. Designer and principal designer categories address design risk and coordination duties.

If the supplier will act as principal contractor, a general contractor assessment should not be treated as proof that its principal-contractor arrangements were assessed. If it will provide design services, check the appropriate designer role. Ask the scheme exactly which category is recorded when the certificate is unclear. The category is evidence about organisational arrangements, not a professional licence or an automatic legal appointment.

Match the business and the intended work

The registered entity must be the one being appointed or a clearly explained group entity with evidence of how the assessed systems apply. Then consider whether the supplier's nature of work aligns with the work in the contract. An assessment for general building work is not, by itself, proof of competence in a specialist high-risk operation.

The HSE says commercial clients must appoint contractors and designers with the skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability for the project. The required standard is proportionate to the task and risks. A health and safety prequalification result helps with organisational capability, but the buyer still needs to know who will do the work, under whose supervision and with which controls.

Make the project-specific decision separately

Before work starts, confirm the named team, specialist qualifications and statutory registrations where relevant. Review the site information, risk assessment, method statement and interfaces with other contractors. Decide what supervision and change-control arrangements are needed. If the task, supplier or personnel change, repeat the affected checks.

A compact decision record can distinguish the layers:

If the scheme record is missing or unclear, classify the supplier as unverified, not automatically unsuitable. Name the person who will obtain clarification and set a decision point before appointment or mobilisation. A procurement system should make that distinction visible.

SSIP is not full Common Assessment Standard certification

SSIP member schemes share health and safety core criteria. Build UK's Common Assessment Standard has a broader ten-section prequalification question set, including financial, environmental, information security and building safety topics. A bidder may have one, both or neither. Record which buyer requirement each certificate meets and do not relabel an SSIP approval as full CAS certification. Our CAS supplier guide covers the wider standard.

For a contractor prequalification software evaluation, ask to see how the product records the issuing scheme, category, dates, verification source and unresolved exceptions. Keep the actual portal check and professional appointment decision with a person. Complys is not an SSIP member scheme and does not issue accreditation.

Sources and claim boundaries

• SSIP — Clients: portal verification, member assessments and relevant categories.
• SSIP — Core Criteria: role-specific criteria, last updated 4 September 2026 on the source page.
• SSIP — Deem to Satisfy: mutual-recognition route and limitations.
• HSE — Commercial clients: project appointment duties under CDM 2015.
• Build UK — Common Assessment Standard: breadth of CAS compared with an SSIP health and safety assessment.

Editorial note: Verify portal, scheme category and criteria page at integration. The content makes no claim that Complys itself performs scheme verification or awards approval.