How to Use a Training Matrix for PQQ Responses

Read the PQQ question before opening the spreadsheet

Pre-qualification questionnaires vary. Some ask for company accreditation, some for sample operative cards, some for supervisory qualifications, and some for a description of how you control subcontractors. Map each training-related question to a concrete extract or narrative. If the buyer wants evidence for the last twelve months of similar work, do not submit an unrelated office-based sample. Align the people you showcase with the trades in the bid.

PQQ-ready checklist

• Question-by-question owner for training answers
• Named sample matching the bid’s trade mix
• Current, expired and missing statuses visible before export
• Accreditation certificates stored separately from individual cards
• Subcontractor control explanation backed by real named examples
• File quality check: legible, correctly named, personal data minimised
• Version and date stamped on every extract sent to the bid team

Workflow from bid decision to submission

Give training administration enough lead time. Last-afternoon scans are how wrong names and expired cards reach the portal.

1. Highlight every PQQ question that needs training or competence evidence.
2. Select the sample workforce and confirm they still work for you or your supply chain.
3. Clear or explain gaps honestly in the narrative where evidence is incomplete.
4. Export the matrix extract and attach supporting files.
5. Have a second person spot-check three random rows against source certificates.
6. Archive the exact pack submitted with the tender reference.

Buyer-focused practices that stand up later

Winning suppliers are often asked to mobilise people similar to the PQQ sample. Keep the live matrix close to what you promised. If the bid relied on a particular supervisor’s SMSTS record, track that expiry through contract award. When frameworks require quarterly workforce returns, reuse the same field structure as the PQQ extract so teams are not rebuilding columns each time. Prefer systems that separate not required from missing—evaluators increasingly recognise empty cells as risk.

If you are comparing tools, look for fast filtered exports, evidence attachments, role-based assignment and audit history of date changes. Those features matter more for PQQ work than decorative dashboards. FieldClear is built around assigned requirements and expiry visibility; it will not write your method statements or score the tender for you. Choose any platform based on how your bid and site teams actually retrieve records under time pressure. Keep a short internal playbook so the next PQQ does not restart from a blank briefing—list standard sample sizes, file-naming rules and who signs off before upload.

No tool wins the tender alone

FieldClear helps organise assigned training evidence for PQQs and client packs. It does not guarantee compliance, accreditation or award. Evaluators decide; software only structures what you upload. This guide is not legal or procurement advice.