CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe: which SSIP to pick (2026)

Two of the four mainstream UK SSIP schemes. Same 15 Core Criteria, same Deem to Satisfy passporting, different price points and different turnaround speeds. Pick one and your bids clear the pre-qualification gate. Pick the wrong one and you've paid more for slower service.

This is the head-to-head for UK cleaning and FM SMEs picking their first SSIP scheme, or thinking about switching. Honest, opinionated, with the maths laid out.

• Both CHAS Standard and SMAS Worksafe SSIP test against the same 15 Core Criteria. Buyers asking for either should accept the other under Deem to Satisfy.
• CHAS Standard starts from £429+VAT for a sole trader. SMAS Worksafe SSIP starts from £345. Both scale by headcount.
• SMAS aims to certify clean applications in 1 to 10 days. CHAS turnaround varies by backlog but is generally days, not weeks.
• Neither is required by name on most council cleaning contracts under £5m. The buyer asks for SSIP-recognised accreditation; both qualify.
• Higher tiers map to the Common Assessment Standard (PPN 03/24) for projects over £5m. CHAS Elite and Worksafe Pro are the equivalents.
• CleanTender is not an SSIP scheme — you still need one. CleanTender stores which scheme you hold and feeds it into the qualification scan so the evaluator knows what your bid can claim.

What's in this comparison¶

• Why both schemes exist (and why it doesn't matter which you pick first)
• CHAS Standard at a glance
• SMAS Worksafe SSIP at a glance
• Price head-to-head
• Turnaround head-to-head
• When to step up to CHAS Elite or Worksafe Pro
• Where CleanTender fits
• Verdict + what to do today

Why both schemes exist (and why it doesn't matter much which you pick first)¶

Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) is the umbrella governance body. Underneath it sit four mainstream member schemes — CHAS, SMAS Worksafe, SafeContractor, and Constructionline — each running its own assessment process against the 15 Core Criteria SSIP defines. The criteria are identical. The schemes compete on price, speed, and brand familiarity with specific buyers.

Under the Deem to Satisfy (DTS) rule, holding any one member scheme means buyers asking for another have to accept yours. There's an admin fee for the passport but it's a fraction of a full new assessment. So if you're picking a first scheme, the question isn't "which scheme will every buyer accept" (the answer is any of them). The question is "which one is cheapest and fastest for me right now".

Pick the cheapest scheme that processes your application fastest. If a buyer demands a different scheme later, passport into it via DTS for under £100 instead of paying full price.

Pro tip

CHAS Standard at a glance¶

CHAS is the longest-established of the SSIP member schemes. Most public-sector buyers will recognise the name. CHAS Standard covers the SSIP 15 Core Criteria. Pricing starts from £429+VAT for a sole trader and scales by headcount up through the brackets (5 to 15, 16 to 30 employees).

Higher tiers exist (CHAS Elite is the CAS-mapped option for £5m+ projects under PPN 03/24). For most cleaning work below that threshold, Standard is the right tier.

SMAS Worksafe SSIP at a glance¶

SMAS Worksafe is positioned as the fast-turnaround scheme. Pricing starts from £345 entry, which is below CHAS's £429+VAT floor for sole traders. SMAS aims to certify clean applications in 1 to 10 days, which is the fastest of the four mainstream schemes. The Worksafe Pro tier is the CAS-mapped option for higher-value work.

Some buyers familiar with CHAS by name may not have heard of SMAS Worksafe. That's fine — the SSIP umbrella recognition means any DTS passport will clear the pre-qualification gate regardless.

Price head-to-head¶

On entry pricing, SMAS wins by roughly £100 a year for a sole trader, before VAT. As headcount climbs, the gap narrows or flips depending on the bracket. Always check the live price grid on the scheme's site for your headcount before deciding.

Turnaround head-to-head¶

SMAS publishes a 1-to-10-day target for clean applications. CHAS doesn't publish a comparable number publicly, but reviewers and consultants generally describe it as days rather than weeks for a clean application — slower than SMAS at the fast end, faster than Constructionline (which Trustpilot users report at 10 to 16 working days).

If you have a tender deadline and you're not yet accredited, SMAS is the safer bet on speed. If timing isn't critical, both will get you certified in time for a tender published a fortnight out.

When to step up to CHAS Elite or Worksafe Pro¶

PPN 03/24, in force from 27 June 2024, mandates the Common Assessment Standard on public-sector projects over £5 million. CHAS Elite and Worksafe Pro both map to CAS. Below the £5m threshold, the entry-tier scheme is sufficient and stepping up costs more for accreditation you don't need.

Step up only if you're chasing high-value NHS or central-government work, or if a Tier 1 contractor partner mandates CAS for sub-contractors on a long-running project. For routine council and school cleaning, CHAS Standard or Worksafe SSIP is the right tier.

Where CleanTender fits¶

CleanTender is not an SSIP scheme. You still need CHAS, SMAS, SafeContractor, or Constructionline as your pre-qualification gate. What CleanTender does is store which scheme you hold (one of 30+ structured profile fields) and feed that into the qualification scan against every contract.

The CleanTender profile in full

One-time setup. The fields the evaluator reads against on every scan and every bid draft:

• Company basics: trading name, annual turnover (most public buyers want turnover at least 2× contract value), years trading (councils often ask for 3+), operative count.
• Insurance cover: actual public liability and employer's liability £ figures. £5m PL is a typical floor; statutory employer's liability minimum is £5m.
• Quality standards: ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 45001 (H&S), BICSc accreditation, plus all four SSIP schemes (CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, SMAS), and COSHH compliance.
• Vetting and policies: DBS policy, TUPE experience, Modern Slavery Act policy, Equal Opportunities policy, Social Value policy with National TOMs alignment (10 to 20% bid scoring weight under PPN 002), environmental / green cleaning policy, KPI framework, business continuity plan.
• Sector experience: schools, NHS, local authorities, housing associations, food and BRC, universities, leisure centres, offices, public conveniences. Tick the sectors you currently or recently held contracts in. The evaluator boosts scores on sector-relevant tenders and only flags genuine gaps.
• Regions covered: 12 UK regions. Buyers value local mobilisation; the qualification score reflects whether you cover the contract's region.
• Free-text company description: the bits the structured fields don't capture — flagship clients, niche service lines, specialist equipment.

Why this depth matters: every qualification scan compares the contract pack against all 30+ fields plus the free text. The evaluator doesn't flag insurance you've already entered. It doesn't claim you lack ISO 9001 when you've ticked it. It doesn't flag region mismatch when you cover the area. Fewer false positives, more honest scores. Every bid draft also reads from the same profile, so the SQ response reflects your real position rather than aspirational claims.

Verdict + what to do today¶

1. If you have no SSIP and you have a tender deadline within a fortnight: pick SMAS Worksafe SSIP. The 1 to 10-day target is the safest bet on hitting the date.
2. If you have no SSIP and timing isn't tight: pick whichever scheme is cheapest at your headcount band. Check both live price grids before committing.
3. If you already hold one and a buyer demands the other: don't repurchase. Apply for a Deem to Satisfy passport. Fraction of the cost, often clears in minutes.
4. If you're chasing public-sector work over £5m: step up to CHAS Elite or Worksafe Pro for CAS-level accreditation under PPN 03/24.

Once your SSIP is sorted, the real bottleneck moves to qualification and drafting. For the broader picture, see Constructionline alternatives for why most contractors should drop Constructionline at next renewal, and the best UK tender platforms and bid tools roundup for the full bid stack.