From contractor prequalification to mobilisation

A contractor can pass a PQQ in one month and arrive on site in another. Between those events, the scope may change, an insurance policy may renew, the proposed supervisor may leave and a specialist subcontractor may be added. A passed prequalification file is useful evidence about the supplier; it is not a permanent permission to start every task.

The handover is the short, documented step that transfers the procurement decision to the people who will plan and control the work. This guide is for UK construction projects; a general contractor onboarding checklist covers the broader process.

What the handover must carry forward

Procurement should pass more than a green status. The project team needs the agreed scope, legal contracting entity, assessment basis, evidence reviewed, open exceptions, expiry dates and named decision maker. It also needs the assumptions in the bid: proposed people, subcontractors, method, equipment and programme. A tender answer that says “we can provide a competent supervisor” is not the same as naming the supervisor who will attend.

Use a one-page handover record with five sections:

1. Supplier and contract: the legal entity, contact, work package and any approved subcontracting arrangements.
2. Prequalification result: what was checked, by whom and when; whether any condition remains outstanding.
3. Time-sensitive evidence: insurance, accreditations, licences and training that need a fresh check before work.
4. Project differences: changes between tender scope and actual site conditions, people or methods.
5. Release decision: who can authorise mobilisation, what evidence they still need and the latest safe decision point.

The record prevents a common failure: procurement marks a supplier approved, while the site team assumes every project-specific check has also been completed.

Revalidate what can change

First compare the latest scope with the one used for prequalification. If the job now includes a different trade, design duty, hazardous material, occupied-site interface or out-of-hours work, decide whether the supplier has the competence and controls for that addition. Review the affected insurance terms and statutory registrations rather than simply noting the policy number.

Next verify the actual delivery team. Named roles, specialist qualifications and supervision arrangements should match the work. A replacement supervisor or subcontractor needs a new decision for the changed element. Our replacement subcontractor approval guide covers that later substitution task; this handover addresses the initial move from award to start.

Finally check dates at the planned start, not just at tender submission. A certificate that was valid at bid close can expire before mobilisation. If renewal is pending, assign an owner and a start condition. Do not describe the contractor as fully cleared while the condition remains open.

Hand over site and design information both ways

The HSE says pre-construction information and key design information should help plan the construction phase. On projects involving more than one contractor, the client must appoint the principal contractor early enough for it to work with the client and principal designer, and before the construction phase begins. A construction phase plan must be prepared before that phase starts; the principal contractor leads it on multi-contractor projects, while the contractor does so on a single-contractor project.

The project team therefore needs to pass site constraints and known hazards to the contractor, and obtain its proposed controls and resource plan in return. Confirm who coordinates interfaces with other trades and who maintains the construction phase plan. A procurement PQQ does not contain all of that detail. Nor does a generic RAMS become site-specific simply because it was attached to the bid.

Hold a release meeting, even for small jobs

The meeting can be brief, but it should produce a clear outcome: release, release with a closed pre-start condition, or do not start. Avoid an ambiguous “approved subject to documents” status if nobody is named to check the documents. Record:

• the scope and location approved;
• the current people and subcontractors;
• site information provided and questions answered;
• remaining evidence, its owner and due date;
• the construction-phase planning and supervision arrangements; and
• who made the start decision and when.

Scale the detail to the risks. A short routine job may need a concise review; complex or high-risk work needs more planning and specialist input. The HSE's guidance on using contractors links selection, risk assessment, information and supervision; it does not treat selection as the end of management.

Keep the approval live during delivery

The handover should set triggers for review: a change of scope, personnel, subcontractor, site conditions or critical evidence. It should also name who receives expiry warnings and who decides whether work can continue after a lapse. Those controls belong with the delivery team, not solely in a procurement mailbox.

When evaluating contractor prequalification software, test whether the product lets you show the underlying evidence and unresolved conditions to the person authorising work. Ask for a demonstration of your real handover steps. Software can organise records; it cannot replace the project team's work-specific judgement or HSE duties.

Sources and claim boundaries

• HSE — Planning for construction work: early appointment, pre-construction information and construction phase plan responsibilities.
• HSE — Using contractors: selection, risk assessment, information and management as linked steps.
• HSE — CDM 2015 guidance L153: principal contractor coordination and proportionate planning.
• HSE — Construction contractor role: planning, managing and monitoring the contractor's own work.

Editorial note: This is a process guide. It does not claim that Complys issues legal approval to start work, automatically checks policy exclusions or replaces a competent site review. Check live route and product claims at integration.