1. Know the work and its risks
A contractor or client should understand the work, foreseeable risks and reasonably practicable controls. What evidence is needed depends on the activity and risk.
Contractor Prequalification & Tender Readiness
Prepare credible, relevant evidence for contractor onboarding and tender questions without confusing client requirements with New Zealand legal duties.
Important: General educational information, not legal or procurement advice. NZQC does not certify contractors, issue SiteWise assessments or guarantee approval, tender success or legal compliance. Requirements depend on the work, the client, applicable laws and any scheme rules.
2. Coordinate overlapping PCBU duties
Where PCBUs have duties concerning the same matter, they must consult, cooperate and coordinate so far as reasonably practicable. A contract alone does not remove those duties.
3. Prepare relevant training evidence
Keep appropriate training, instruction, supervision and competency evidence for the actual work. A training certificate does not automatically establish competence or tender eligibility.
4. Prepare incident and corrective-action records
Maintain accurate, relevant incident and corrective-action evidence. Avoid inventing zero-incident claims or presenting incomplete records as proof of a safe workplace.
5. Review client or tender requirements
Prequalification and tender questions differ by buyer and procurement process. Some clients may request policies, insurance, site-specific plans or external scheme evidence; not all are universal statutory requirements.
6. Understand SiteWise and external schemes
SiteWise and other prequalification programmes have their own rules and evidence requirements. NZQC is independent and does not issue scheme approval, accreditation or guaranteed scores.
Practical next steps
1. Start with the free contractor readiness checklist. 2. Explore the contractor evidence guides. 3. If useful, review the Contractor Ready Pack.
Product status: The Contractor Ready Pack currently uses interest registration; this is not a checkout or a promise of immediate delivery.
Source review: 10 November 2026. Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, WorkSafe NZ, NZ Government Procurement and scheme-specific guidance. Always confirm the current requirements for the particular tender.