Tendering comes with an alphabet of acronyms, and PQQ, SQ and ITT are the three that confuse new bidders most. They are not competing things; they are stages and documents that fit together. Here is what each means and how they relate.

PQQ and SQ: the qualifying stage

PQQ stands for pre-qualification questionnaire, and SQ stands for selection questionnaire. They are essentially the same thing at different points in time: the qualifying stage of a tender. SQ is the term used in current public procurement, while PQQ is the older name still widely used in conversation. Either way, this stage checks that you are eligible: registration, insurance, finances, policies, references and exclusion declarations. It is mostly pass/fail. It decides whether you qualify to bid, not whether you win.

ITT: the award stage

ITT stands for invitation to tender. This is the main tender pack and the stage where the contract is actually won. It contains the specification (what the service must deliver), the quality questions or method statements (how you will deliver it), the pricing schedule and the instructions for submitting. Unlike the qualifying stage, the ITT is scored, usually on quality and price, and your answers here determine the result.

How they fit together

In a two-stage process, the PQQ or SQ comes first to filter the field, then qualifying bidders are invited to complete the ITT. In an open single-stage process, the selection and award questions sit in one document, but the distinction still matters: the selection part is pass/fail eligibility, the award part is scored quality and price. Knowing which is which tells you where to be meticulous (the gates) and where to win the marks (the method statements).

Other terms you will meet

A framework is a list of approved providers for a set period; a DPS is a dynamic purchasing system that stays open to join; an MEAT or most economically advantageous tender basis describes how quality and price are weighted. None of these change the basic shape: qualify, then compete.

Why the distinction matters

Providers lose bids by treating the qualifying stage casually and over-investing in a pricing line, or by writing thin method statements because they spent their energy on the SQ. Treat the SQ as a compliance exercise to pass without error, and the ITT quality questions as where the contract is genuinely won.

Get every stage right

Each stage has its own discipline, and a small error at either loses the contract. We handle the SQ and the ITT so providers qualify cleanly and score in the top band, with a 92% win rate across 200+ submissions, and most of our writers ran care services before they wrote bids. Get a free, honest assessment of your tender.