Construction services · Procurement
Subcontractor prequalification
Know a subcontractor is insured, licensed and safe before they get a subcontract, without a folder of half-checked certificates. The subcontractor answers the questionnaire through a shared link, and nobody joins your approved list until the safety manager and the operations manager have approved.
- Duration: 1 to 2 weeks
- How often: For every new subcontractor, and again at each review date
- Steps: 8 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 2 approvals
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Certificates arrive by email, and nobody looks at the expiry date until there is a claim.
A subcontractor gets a subcontract because a project manager needed someone fast.
Each project manager checks references their own way, or not at all.
Someone reads every questionnaire line by line to find what is missing.
With it
The subcontractor shares links and expiry dates through one link, and expiry dates are checked before approval.
Nobody joins the approved list until the safety manager and the operations manager approve.
Every subcontractor goes through the same questionnaire, checks and approvals.
An AI agent flags gaps and expiry dates, and the procurement coordinator checks them.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
A project manager or estimator wants to use a subcontractor that is not on the approved list yet. The procurement coordinator starts a run with the company name and trade.
- 1
Check the list and send the prequalification link
Day 1Procurement coordinator · Team
Check that the subcontractor is not already approved or turned down, then send them the shared run link with the questionnaire.
Checklist
- Not already on the approved list
- Requested by a project manager or estimator
- Shared link sent to the subcontractor
Fields to fill in
- Subcontractor name (required)
- Trade (required)
- Contact email (required)
- Planned end of the first job
- 2
Fill in the prequalification questionnaire
Days 1 to 5Subcontractor contact · Shared link
Through the shared link, the subcontractor shares a link to their insurance certificates, licenses and safety program, enters the insurance expiry date and describes their safety record, crew size and recent jobs.
Checklist
- Safety program in the shared folder
- Two recent references named
Fields to fill in
- Link to insurance, licenses and safety program (required)
- Insurance expiry date (required)
- Safety record for the last three years (required)
- Crew size and recent comparable jobs (required)
- 3
Check the answers for gaps
Day 6Prequalification checker · AI agent
The prequalification checker compares the answers with the checklist in its instructions, flags anything missing or unclear and any insurance that expires before the planned job ends, and drafts a follow-up message.
Fields to fill in
- Gaps and expiry warnings (required)
- Draft follow-up message
Checked by: The procurement coordinator checks every gap it found against the documents themselves in step 4.
- 4
Verify insurance and licenses
Hidden from the shared linkWeek 1Procurement coordinator · Team
Open the documents behind the link and check the policy limits, the insured parties and the license for the trade. If documents are missing, send the follow-up, mark the run as blocked and note what is missing.
Checklist
- Insurance limits meet your subcontract terms
- License valid for the trade
- Every gap from step 3 checked
Fields to fill in
- Insurance and licenses (required)
- Missing documents
- 5
Review the safety record and program
Hidden from the shared linkWeek 1Safety manager · Team
Read the safety record and the safety program, and decide whether they meet your standard for this trade. Note any condition, such as closer supervision on the first job.
Checklist
- Incident history reviewed
- Safety program covers the trade's hazards
- Crew training records checked
Fields to fill in
- Safety decision (required)
- Safety conditions
Approval: The subcontractor cannot be approved until the safety manager accepts their safety record and program.
- 6
Check references and capacity
Hidden from the shared linkWeek 2Project manager · Team
Call two references and check that the crew size and current workload fit the jobs you have in mind.
Checklist
- Two references called
- Crew size fits the work
- Current workload discussed
Fields to fill in
- Reference notes (required)
- Overall rating (required)
- 7
Decide on the subcontractor
Hidden from the shared linkWeek 2Operations manager · Team
Read the checks so far and approve the subcontractor for named trades and job sizes, or turn them down with the reason.
Checklist
- Insurance and license check read
- Safety decision read
- Reference notes read
Fields to fill in
- Decision (required)
- Approved trades and job sizes, or the reason for turning them down (required)
- Next review date
Approval: The approved list stays locked, and no subcontract is issued, until the operations manager approves the decision.
- 8
Update the approved list and tell the subcontractor
Hidden from the shared linkWeek 2Procurement coordinator · Team
Add the subcontractor to the approved list with their trades, limits, conditions and review date, or record why they were turned down, and tell them the outcome.
Checklist
- Approved list updated
- Insurance expiry date in the calendar
- Subcontractor told the outcome
Fields to fill in
- Link to the approved subcontractor list (required)
Done when
The subcontractor is approved for named trades and job sizes with a date for the next review, or turned down with the reason, and has been told the outcome.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Prequalification checker
Checks the subcontractor's answers for gaps and for dates that expire too soon.
What it does
- Compares the answers on the run with the checklist in its step instructions
- Flags missing answers and insurance that expires before the planned job ends
- Drafts a follow-up message to the subcontractor about what is missing
- Completes its step, so the procurement coordinator can check its findings
Checked by: The procurement coordinator checks every gap it found against the documents themselves in step 4.
Questions this template answers
Ask every new subcontractor the same questions about insurance, licenses, safety record and capacity, and check the answers before they get a subcontract. Steps 1 to 8 take each subcontractor from the questionnaire to a decision on your approved list, with the same checks every time.
Send one questionnaire that asks for links to the certificates and for the expiry dates, instead of collecting them by email. In step 2 the subcontractor shares the links and enters the insurance expiry date through a shared link, and in step 4 the procurement coordinator checks the documents behind them.
Record the expiry date and compare it with the planned end of the job before you approve. In step 3 an AI agent flags insurance that expires before the planned job ends, and in step 8 the procurement coordinator puts the expiry date in the calendar.
Ask for their incident history and safety program, and let your safety lead decide whether they meet your standard. Step 5 is an approval gate: the safety manager reviews the record and the program, notes any conditions, and the subcontractor cannot be approved until the safety manager accepts them.
Let AI check the answers for gaps and expiry dates, and keep every decision with your people. In step 3 the prequalification checker lists what is missing and drafts a follow-up message, and in step 4 the procurement coordinator checks its findings against the documents.
Give every approval a scope and a review date, and run the same prequalification again when that date comes. Step 7 records the trades, job sizes and next review date, and step 8 updates the approved list.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.