Construction Accreditation & SSIP Support
Get Clear on What Buyers Need Before Starting Portal Submissions.
You have found a contract you want to bid for. Then you reach the supplier requirements: SSIP certification, Constructionline membership, policies, training records and evidence you are not sure how to provide.
Where do you start?
We help construction and related businesses understand contractor assessment requirements, improve their documentation and prepare the appropriate application.
We start with the work you want to win and the buyer’s actual requirements. Then we establish what you already have, what is missing and who needs to do what.
What Is SSIP?
SSIP stands for Safety Schemes in Procurement. It is a framework that supports mutual recognition of health and safety assessments carried out by member schemes.
You apply through an appropriate member scheme, which assesses your business against relevant criteria. SSIP itself does not issue your contractor certificate.
Buyers may request a particular scheme or evidence of an accepted SSIP assessment as part of their supplier approval process.
This can help reduce duplicated health and safety assessments, but it does not replace the need to manage health and safety properly in your business.
SSIP, Constructionline and ISO: What Is the Difference?
These terms often appear together, but they address different requirements.
SSIP Member Scheme Assessment
This assesses health and safety arrangements against the relevant SSIP criteria. Examples of schemes include CHAS, SafeContractor and SMAS Worksafe.
Constructionline Membership
Constructionline supports wider supplier prequalification. Requirements depend on the membership and assessment your buyer expects, and can extend beyond health and safety.
ISO Certification
ISO standards assess management systems, such as ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety.
One does not automatically substitute for another. We need to check what your customer accepts and what evidence is required before choosing a route.
Which Accreditation Does Your Business Need?
The answer starts with the opportunity you are pursuing.
A company working mainly on domestic projects may face different requirements from a contractor joining a principal contractor’s supply chain or tendering for housing association work.
The right route is the one that meets the relevant requirement, fits your capabilities, and makes sense for your next stage of growth.
Before applying, we look at:
- The buyer's stated scheme, assessment or membership requirement.
- The services and activities you want to supply.
- Your role and responsibilities on the project.
- The evidence and documentation you already have.
- The gaps your business needs to address.
- The time, cost and internal resources required to respond
Practical Support with SSIP Applications
We can help you interpret assessment questions and develop the supporting documents and evidence relevant to your business.
The exact submission depends on the scheme, your role and the work you undertake.
A document cannot evidence an activity that has never happened. If the assessor needs training records or evidence of checks, your business needs to complete and record those activities.
Depending on the assessment and your activities, that may include:
- A health and safety policy with clear responsibilities.
- Risk assessments and relevant working procedures.
- Training and competence records.
- Induction arrangements and toolbox talks.
- Subcontractor assessment and management procedures.
- Accident reporting and monitoring arrangements.
- Evidence that agreed processes are being used.
Constructionline Support
A potential client may ask for Constructionline membership or a particular level before accepting you into its supply chain.
We can help you understand the required assessment, review your existing documents and identify what needs to be developed.
For businesses considering Gold membership, we can review the relevant Common Assessment Standard requirements and prepare the supporting information. Wider prequalification may cover areas such as quality, environmental management, financial information and other business arrangements, depending on the assessment.
Your accountant, insurer or relevant specialist may need to provide some information. We agree on who owns each part so the application does not stall between departments.
Membership does not guarantee work. It can help satisfy a condition of being considered by a buyer.
Moving from Your Current Level to the Next
You may already hold an assessment or membership that suited your previous work, but your next customer expects more.
We can review what changes are needed and help you build a practical programme to support moving forward.
For one construction client, my initial work, for example, included an updated health and safety policy, additional policies and internal training materials. The next phase focused on rolling out training and developing the arrangements as I learned more about the business.
This is the approach I typically take: understand the next requirement, put the necessary foundations in place and help the team use them.
Avoid Repeating Work Unnecessarily
If you already hold a valid SSIP member scheme certificate, there may be a mutual recognition route when another buyer asks for a different scheme.
This is often called “Deem to Satisfy”. Eligibility, scope, additional information and fees need to be checked with the schemes involved.
It does not mean every broader supplier assessment is automatically covered. A buyer may still need information beyond health and safety.
We can help you establish what can be recognised and what additional evidence is needed before you repeat a full application.
Documentation Your Team Can Understand
A policy needs to fit the business, the people expected to follow it, and the importance of the task described
We keep documents clear and proportionate. If your team needs to understand a procedure quickly, burying it in unnecessary text will not help.
We also look at responsibilities. Who assesses subcontractors? Who keeps training records? Who checks that documents are current?
These questions matter because a portal submission should accurately reflect working arrangements in the business.
How We Work Together
Send Me the Requirement
Share the buyer’s request, the scheme name, the membership level and any deadline.
Review Your Starting Point
We look at your documents, evidence and current working arrangements.
Agree the Gaps and Responsibilities
We explain what needs attention, what I can develop and what your team or other advisers need to provide.
Prepare the Application
We develop the agreed documentation and check the evidence against the relevant assessment questions. Portal administration responsibilities are agreed as part of the scope.
Respond and Maintain
We can help interpret assessor feedback and address gaps. After approval, your business still needs to maintain the arrangements and prepare for future renewals.
The assessment scheme makes the approval decision. I help you prepare a submission that accurately reflects your business.
Support for Contractors Across Essex and East London
We work with construction businesses, facilities management companies, access providers and contractors delivering electrical, plumbing, gas and other building services.
Eye Bray is based in Brentwood, Essex, with a focus on Essex and East London. Document development and some application support can take place remotely, with site visits agreed where they add value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I apply directly to SSIP?
You normally apply through an SSIP member scheme. We can check the buyer’s requirements and identify the appropriate route before you begin.
Can you help with CHAS, SafeContractor or SMAS?
We can help review the chosen scheme’s requirements and develop relevant documentation and evidence. We confirm the scope of support against the specific application.
Is Constructionline the same as SSIP?
While Construction Line is on the spectrum of SSIP’s, its internal active buyer search functionality allows higher qualified providers, like public sector bodies and Tier 1 suppliers, to actively search for suppliers that fit their need and invite them to tender for jobs directly.
Does Constructionline Gold replace ISO 9001?
No. A buyer may accept particular prequalification evidence for one opportunity and require ISO certification for another. Check the requirement for the actual contract.
Can you guarantee approval or meet an urgent deadline?
The scheme you choose controls the assessment and approval decision. We can agree a target programme, but progress depends on your information, implementation and the assessor’s response times.
Can you manage the whole portal for us?
The level of support is agreed at the start. We can interpret requirements and develop documentation myself. Where your team can manage portal administration internally, I can also work alongside them.
What happens after approval?
Your documents and working practices need to stay current. Training, checks and records continue, and the scheme may require renewal or reassessment.
What will it cost?
The cost depends on the assessment, the documents and evidence you already have, and the work your team can complete. It is best to treat scheme membership and assessment fees separately from consultancy costs.
Have a Buyer Requirement You Need to Meet?
Send me what you have been asked for and explain the work you want to pursue.
We can establish the appropriate route and turn the requirements into a manageable plan.