INCA Member Forum – Common Assessment Standard

Pre-qualification costs the construction industry up to £1 billion each year and so INCA partners Build UK is rolling out the Common Assessment Standard to improve efficiency and to reduce duplication in the pre-qualification process:

• Accepted by a growing list of contractors and clients across the industry
• Annual certification from your choice of Recognised Assessment Body
• Two levels of certification – desktop and site-based – to suit your business
• Recognises other certifications such as ISOs saving time during the audit process
• Option to share your key pre-qualification data with other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more contractors and clients

To find out more about the Common Assessment Standard, what this means and just how this can benefit your own business INCA are holding a free member forum on Tuesday 20th February starting at 10:00 and lasting a maximum of 1 hour. This is a virtual event hosted on MS Teams where we will be joined by David Bishop, Project Director at Build UK who will present an introduction and explain the ins and outs of the scheme and explain exactly how it could benefit you, drive efficiencies and save you money. There will then be plenty of time to ask any questions you may have.

Common Assessment Standard Explained

The Common Assessment Standard has been developed by INCA partners Build UK and is designed to improve efficiency and reduce cost in the construction pre-qualification (PQ) process.

Companies that have the Common Assessment Standard are certified once a year by a Recognised Assessment Body and this is accepted by a growing list of Contractors and Clients who no longer specify a particular assessment body. This ever growing list currently includes the following:

• ASUC
• Balfour Beatty
• BAM Construction
• BCSA
• BESA
• Bouygues UK
• Canary Wharf Contractors
• Clancy Group
• Costain
• Derwent London
• Ferrovial Construction
• FIS
• HAE
• HS2
• IPAF
• ISG
• Keltbray
• Kier
• Lipton Rogers
• Mace
• McCarthy Stone
• Multiplex
• Novus Property Solutions
• Osborne
• SCAPE
• Sir Robert McAlpine
• Sisk
• Skanska
• STRABAG UK
• Tilbury Douglas
• VINCI Construction UK
• VolkerWessels UK
• Wates

Procurement Policy Note PPN 03/23 also enables central Government departments and wider public sector bodies to use the Common Assessment Standard to pre-qualify suppliers.

The Common Assessment Standard comprises an industry-agreed question set and corresponding assessment standards for the pre-qualification of suppliers. There are two levels of certification: desktop and site-based. Companies apply to a Recognised Assessment Body for the certification level that is most appropriate for their business based on a range of factors including trade, size and the requirements of their clients.

Recognised Assessment Bodies include the following:

All Recognised Assessment Bodies have demonstrated their capability to audit companies against the Common Assessment Standard.

For companies that employ fewer than 10 employees and have a turnover below £1.8 million or a balance sheet total less than £1.8 million, the assessment standards will be applied in a proportionate way.

The Member Forum

The forum itself will be hosted on MS Teams – the date again: Tuesday 20th February starting at 10:00 and we expect it to last for around an hour but will finish by 11:00 at the latest.

As ever this is a free event for all INCA members – simply complete your details below and we’ll send you the registration link and a reminder nearer the time.

If you are unable to attend but have any questions you’d like us to raise on the day please feed them in by email to info@inca-ltd.org.uk.

This event has now taken place – thanks to all who attended

Build UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. By bringing together Clients, Main Contractors, Trade Associations representing over 11,500 Specialist Contractors and other organisations committed to industry collaboration, Build UK represents in excess of 40% of UK construction.

Build UK does more than represent the UK construction industry, they work with their members and partners to drive change that strengthens the sector. They have three strategic priorities that focus their activity: Improving Business Performance, Increasing Productivity and Recruiting, Training and Retaining Talent.