Project Delivery
- Publication no: AP-C96-25
- ISBN: 978-1-922700-58-2
- Published: 18 December 2025
- Edition: 2.3
- PDF (free) Download
The National Prequalification System (NPS) delivers a harmonised framework for roadworks and bridgeworks construction contracts. Companies wishing to submit tenders to Australian road agencies for these contracts must be prequalified under the NPS.
These guidelines have been prepared as a template for road agencies to adapt for use within their local jurisdiction. They can be downloaded as a PDF or Word file from the supporting documents tab.
Companies should not use this version of the guidelines to submit their applications for prequalification or mutual recognition. Each road agency has produced a local version of the guidelines that can be downloaded from their website.
Edition 2.3 updates Edition 2.2 with changes to:
- clarification on the incurrence of administrative fee in Clause 1.3
- clarification on timeframes for assessment of financial capacity in Clause 2.3 and Appendix B
- clarification on shared liabilities for incorporated joint ventures in Clause 3.2
- clarification on resources committed to the joint venture from each party in Clause 3.4
- addition of the requirement for end of financial year accounts for overseas contractors in Clause 3.5
- clarification on additional charges for early re-assessment in Clause 5.4
- adjustments to contract capacity financial assessment outlined in Table B.1. rows 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3.
Superseded editions:
Edition 2.2 published September 2022 updated Edition 2.1 with changes to:
- clause 6.9 Appeals so that it no longer refers to an industry representative
- the assessment criteria in table B1 for the minimum number of professional engineers for R4/B4 and R5.
Edition 2.1 published in August 2019 updated Edition 2.0 with changes to:
- the assessment criteria for Work Health and Safety in Appendix B.
Edition 2.0 published in August 2017 replaced the operational guidelines provided in the 2010 report National Prequalification System for Civil (Road and Bridge) Construction Contracts, which provides an overview of the development of the NPS.
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 Background
- 1.2 Scope
- 1.3 Applications
- 1.4 Mutual recognition
- 2. Prequalification Categories and Financial Levels
- 2.1 Overview
- 2.2 Specialist categories
- 2.3 Financial levels
- 3. Prequalification Requirements
- 3.1 General
- 3.2 Full prequalification
- 3.3 Conditional prequalification
- 3.4 Unincorporated joint ventures
- 3.5 Overseas contractors
- 3.6 Exclusions
- 4. Assessment Criteria
- 4.1 Technical capability
- 4.2 Financial capacity
- 5. Assessment Process
- 5.1 Assessment of applications
- 5.2 Notification
- 5.3 Upgrading prequalification status
- 5.4 Cost of assessment
- 6. Maintenance of Prequalification Status
- 6.1 General
- 6.2 Provision of updated information
- 6.3 Prequalification status
- 6.4 Show Cause notice
- 6.5 Suspension
- 6.6 Downgrading
- 6.7 Cancellation
- 6.8 Reviews
- 6.9 Appeals
- 6.10 Cost of reviews and appeals
- 7. Tendering as a Prequalified Contractor
- 7.1 General
- 7.2 Joint ventures
- 7.3 Prequalification checks prior to awarding of a contract
- 8. Terms and Conditions of Prequalification
- 8.1 General
- 8.2 No guarantee of work
- 8.3 Application requirements
- 8.4 Confidentiality
- 8.5 Change of circumstances
- 8.6 Governing law
- 8.7 Applicant’s undertaking
- 8.8 Other
- 9. Definitions and Interpretation
- Appendix A Guidance for the Applicable Prequalification Category
- Appendix B Assessment Criteria