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More construction buyers now require the Common Assessment Standard

At the beginning of October, three more large contractors joined the list of major construction buyers who specify the prequalification Common Assessment Standard (CAS).  

CAS specifiers

Buyers specifying the Common Assessment Standard (as of 7 October 2021)

  • Balfour Beatty
  • Bouygues UK (new)
  • Costain
  • Derwent London
  • HS2 (joint venture partners)
  • Kier
  • Mace
  • Multiplex
  • Osborne
  • Sir Robert McAlpine
  • Sisk
  • Skanska
  • VolkerWessels UK (new)
  • Wates (new)

Further buyers are expected to specify the CAS into 2022, and this may include more clients and public sector buyers. 

Significance for our sector

Increasing buyer specification of the Common Assessment Standard means the CAS is becoming increasingly significant (and may be already be vital) to many engineering services contractors, particularly those working with main building contractors. However, the CAS may also be specified in parts of the public sector and by various clients, in future.

About the Common Assessment Standard

The prequalification Common Assessment Standard (CAS) has been developed by Build UK, ECA and other industry bodies (ECA is deputy chair of the industry oversight group and chairs the group that recommends the CAS questions) . 

The proliferation of PQQs has long been a problem for suppliers and buyers due to the unnecessary cost and effort of filling in multiple PQQs and the cost of multiple certifications.  In addition, chasing numerous certification badges detracts from the business of ensuring, and delivering, supply chain capability and reducing risk. 

In view of this, the CAS has been designed to reduce PQQ cost and duplication for buyers and suppliers. It does this by providing one recognised industry PQQ standard that is widely specified and recognised by commercial and public sector buyers across construction and maintenance. 

The CAS is available as ‘desktop’ assessment or at the supplier’s site (‘onsite’ assessment), as required by buyers. CAS assessment incorporates (and goes well beyond) the basic health and safety PQQs asked by Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) assessor bodies. 

You can find out more about the CAS here.

Last updated 08 October 21