Defensible answer
An answer its author can stand behind in front of a third party: source, page, version, score, named approver, replayable.
The vocabulary of tender and questionnaire response.
Five entries, each written so the complete definition sits in the first two sentences. The glossary grows continuously; tell us what is missing.
Five entries
Definitions
- 01
ITT
An invitation to tender (ITT) is the document by which a UK contracting authority invites suppliers to submit a priced, evidenced bid against a defined specification. It sets the response format, the award criteria and their weightings, and the submission deadline.
- 02
PQQ
A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) is the stage at which a buyer checks that a supplier meets minimum standards, financial standing, insurance, capability, compliance, before inviting a full bid. Its modern successor in UK central government practice is the standard selection questionnaire.
- 03
SQ
A selection questionnaire (SQ) is the standardised set of supplier suitability questions used in UK public procurement, covering exclusion grounds, financial standing, technical capability and, increasingly, social value and AI disclosure.
- 04
Security questionnaire
A security questionnaire is an assessment sent by a client, prospect or auditor to verify how a supplier protects information. It covers governance, access control, encryption, subcontractors, business continuity and incident handling, and expects documented evidence behind each answer.
- 05
DDQ
A DDQ, or due diligence questionnaire, is an investigation grid sent by an investor, acquirer or institutional client before a commitment. It covers governance, finance, compliance, operational risk and outsourcing, and each answer must be backed by verifiable evidence.
Also useful
Three terms we define on their own pages
Documentary gap analysis
Which requirements your existing documents cannot evidence, and how serious each gap is.
Data sovereignty
Data, processing and model remaining subject to the law their owner chooses, three layers, not one.
Definitions are useful. Evidence wins the deal.
Bring a real questionnaire: we run it in front of you, on your documents, in your environment.