Procurement teams running pre-tender qualification on a major scheme spend a significant portion of their time validating contractor accreditations. For each shortlisted supplier, the team is verifying that current certifications are in place, that they cover the scope being awarded, that the contractor’s insurance and financial position support the contract value, and that all of this stands up to audit. Multiply that work across four packages on a single scheme, and the procurement timeline starts to slip before the technical evaluation has even begun.
Awarding multiple packages to a group whose divisions hold shared, group-level accreditations changes the procurement calculation significantly. The Globe Group’s accreditation portfolio is built specifically for this kind of multi-package appointment.
The accreditations that matter at procurement stage
Across the Globe Group, current accreditations include CHAS Premium Plus, Constructionline, Achilles, Safe Contractor, SMAS, Builders Profile, FORS, Builders Conference, ISO 9001, NASC (for scaffolding), CISRS (for scaffolding operatives), NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee (for roofing), and FASET (for fall protection).
This is not a matter of checking which divisions hold which certifications and then mapping them onto packages. The umbrella accreditations apply at group level, while the discipline-specific certifications sit with the relevant operating division. CHAS, Constructionline, and the equivalent supply-chain registers cover all four divisions. NHBC, LABC, and Premier Guarantee accreditation supports the new build housing work that Globe Roofing carries out for housebuilders. NASC and CISRS cover Globe Cambridge’s scaffolding operations. FASET covers Red Safety Netting’s fall protection work and is increasingly the differentiator that principal contractors look for at procurement stage.
What this means for QSs and commercial managers
For a QS preparing tender documentation, the practical effect is straightforward. Issuing four package enquiries to four separate contractors typically generates four sets of accreditation submissions, four sets of insurance documents, four sets of CDM 2015 supporting evidence, and four pre-qualification audits. Awarding the same four packages to the Globe Group means one consolidated submission covering the full scope, with discipline-specific evidence layered on top.
That alone reduces procurement administration. More importantly, it reduces the risk that a contractor on the shortlist has a lapsed certification that goes unnoticed during the rush to award. When accreditations are managed at group level under one quality management system, the renewal and audit cycle is centralised. There is one team responsible for keeping the supply-chain registers current, not four.
Principal contractor benefits under CDM 2015
Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor must satisfy themselves that the contractors they appoint have the skills, knowledge, experience, and organisational capability to carry out the work safely. That duty applies equally to every package on the project. Awarding four packages to four contractors means discharging that duty four times. Awarding to a group with shared, current accreditations means the principal contractor can rely on a consolidated evidence base.
This does not remove the principal contractor’s duty to verify suitability. It does mean the verification process is faster, the evidence is consistent, and the audit trail is easier to maintain. For a principal contractor running multiple concurrent schemes, that operational efficiency adds up.
The interface between accreditations and quality management
Accreditations on their own are paperwork. They become useful when they connect to a working quality management system. Across the Globe Group, the shared ISO 9001 framework means that the procedures audited under CHAS, Constructionline, and the discipline-specific schemes are the same procedures actually used on site. The documentation produced during delivery — inspection records, non-conformance reports, handover certificates — is the documentation those accreditations are validating.
For developers concerned about the gap between what was tendered and what is delivered, that alignment is meaningful. The accreditations are not a procurement ornament. They reflect the systems the divisions actually run.
Faster award, lower administrative overhead
The cumulative effect of shared accreditations across four divisions is a faster route from tender issue to contract award, with less procurement administration on the developer’s side and a clearer compliance position for the principal contractor. On a first appointment with the Globe Group, that benefit is meaningful. On repeat appointments, where the procurement team already knows the group’s accreditation status, the benefit compounds.
Talk to the Globe Group
To request the Globe Group’s full accreditation summary or discuss a forthcoming tender, contact us on 01223 890727 or email enquiries@theglobegroup.co.uk.
