Websites · 6 min read
Procurement teams Google you before they shortlist you
The accreditations, insurance and project data a PQQ check actually looks for.
The short answer
A website for construction and contractors needs accreditations, insurance levels and project pages showing value, duration, sector and client — the exact data a PQQ team checks before shortlisting. If that information isn't visible on the site, many commercial buyers won't add you to the list at all, regardless of your actual track record.
By Raja Wahab, Co-founder, Fixby Studios · Published · 6 min read
Why the website is part of procurement now
Commercial buyers and procurement teams running a PQQ process check a contractor's website as part of due diligence. If accreditations, insurance levels and project values aren't visible, the firm often doesn't make the shortlist, even with a strong track record on paper.
- "commercial builders [county]"
- "principal contractor [region]"
- "CHAS accredited builder"
- "fit out contractor [town]"
A website for construction and contractors that survives a PQQ check
- Project pages with value, duration, sector and client — the data a PQQ actually asks for.
- Accreditations and insurance levels stated clearly: CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, PL cover.
- Sector pages — education, healthcare, industrial, retail — since buyers search by sector.
- A tender or enquiry form that accepts supporting documents.
- Health and safety and social value statements, increasingly scored on public sector frameworks.
Four separate inboxes
- — Tender enquiries scattered
- — Compliance docs on a shared drive
- — Nobody sure what's current
One compliance system
- — Tenders, subcontractors in one place
- — Documents kept current
- — Single link to share with assessors
One place for tenders, subcontractors and compliance
A single system for tender enquiries, subcontractor applications and compliance documents beats four separate inboxes and a shared drive nobody fully trusts is up to date.
“PQQ teams check your website before they shortlist you.”
Cost
Project case studies, accreditation pages and a tender enquiry form are available on our monthly plans with no upfront build fee (see our monthly plans at /plans).
What a PQQ team actually looks for on a website
Before shortlisting, a procurement team will often check a contractor's website for evidence that matches what's claimed in the tender response: accreditation status, similar project experience and current insurance levels. A site that is vague or out of date raises doubt even if the underlying business is sound.
Project pages that state sector, value range and duration let a buyer quickly judge whether you've handled work of a similar scale before, which is often the first filter applied.
Social value is increasingly scored, not optional
Public sector and larger private frameworks now often score social value and health and safety commitments as part of the tender itself. A clear statement on the website, kept current, supports what's submitted in the actual bid documents.
Your questions
- Do we need to publish exact project values?
- A value range is usually enough and still gives PQQ teams the scale information they're checking for without disclosing commercially sensitive figures.
- How should we show accreditations?
- List each one — CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline — with the current status and renewal date, rather than relying on a badge alone.
- Can the enquiry form accept tender documents?
- Yes, we can set up document upload on tender and subcontractor enquiry forms so submissions arrive complete.
Raja Wahab is co-founder of Fixby Studios, a Huddersfield studio building websites, SEO, social media and business software for small, owner-managed businesses across West Yorkshire.
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Fixby Studios builds websites, runs SEO and manages social media for small businesses across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire. Web design in Huddersfield
Prefer to talk it through? Contact Fixby Studios, email info@fixbystudios.co.uk or call 07737 067552.
