No, you almost never need CHAS specifically. You need an SSIP-recognised certificate. CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS Worksafe, Constructionline, and Acclaim are all SSIP members and assess against the same 15 Core Criteria. SSIP mutual recognition ("Deem to Satisfy") means a current certificate from any one of them carries across the rest.
The exception is contracts above £5 million, where PPN 03/24 (effective 27 June 2024) requires the Common Assessment Standard (CHAS Elite, SMAS Worksafe Pro, or Constructionline Gold). Below £5m, basic SSIP clears the gate.
- No, you almost never need CHAS specifically. You need an SSIP-recognised certificate. CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS Worksafe, Constructionline, and others all sit under the same SSIP umbrella with mutual recognition.
- All SSIP members assess against the same 15 Core Criteria. A pass on one is a pass on all of them at the H&S core level.
- If a buyer's tender pack names CHAS specifically, the SSIP "Deem to Satisfy" (DTS) passport lets you convert a SafeContractor or SMAS certificate to a CHAS one for a fraction of the cost. Sometimes in 2 minutes.
- PPN 03/24 (live 27 June 2024) changed the rule for public sector contracts. Above £5m, contractors need to meet the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), not basic SSIP. CHAS Elite and SMAS Worksafe Pro are the CAS-level products.
- Most council and NHS cleaning lots are below £5m. Basic SSIP (any flavour) clears them. The expensive Elite/Pro tiers are over-engineering for a 3-van firm bidding £80k contracts.
- Decision rule: pick one SSIP scheme based on cost and renewal terms. Use DTS to passport when a buyer asks for a different one by name. Only step up to CAS when the contract is £5m+ or the buyer explicitly asks for it.
The CHAS sales rep wants you to think CHAS is the gate. SSIP exists because that is not true. You need an SSIP certificate. Pick the cheapest one with the renewal terms you like, and let mutual recognition do the rest.
What's in this guide¶
- The short answer (no, but with a footnote)
- How SSIP mutual recognition actually works
- Why some councils ask for CHAS by name anyway
- Deem to Satisfy: the passport that costs less than a fresh assessment
- PPN 03/24 and the Common Assessment Standard (the £5m rule)
- Cost comparison: CHAS vs SafeContractor vs SMAS Worksafe in 2026
- Decision tree: which scheme should you actually pay for
The short answer¶
No. You need an SSIP-recognised health and safety pre-qualification certificate. CHAS is one of them. SafeContractor is another. SMAS Worksafe is another. They are all members of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and they assess contractors against the same 15 Core Criteria covering H&S policy, risk assessments, training records, and accident reporting.
Mutual recognition between SSIP members is the whole point of the umbrella. If you hold a current certificate from any one of them, the others are required to recognise it as proof of equivalent H&S standards.
The footnote: above £5m on a public-sector contract, the rules tightened in 2024. You need to be at Common Assessment Standard (CAS) level, which is a higher tier. More on that further down.
How SSIP mutual recognition works¶
SSIP is the umbrella. The member schemes are the products. The H&S assessment underneath them is the same 15 Core Criteria. That is the rule that makes mutual recognition possible.
| Scheme | Core SSIP product | Higher-tier (CAS-level) |
|---|---|---|
| CHAS | CHAS Standard | CHAS Elite (Common Assessment Standard) |
| SafeContractor | SafeContractor Approved | SafeContractor with CAS / additional checks (modern slavery, environment) |
| SMAS Worksafe | SMAS Worksafe | SMAS Worksafe Pro (Common Assessment Standard) |
| Constructionline | Constructionline Bronze / Silver | Constructionline Gold (incorporates CAS) |
| Acclaim Accreditation | Acclaim H&S | Acclaim with CAS |
Common SSIP member schemes in the UK in 2026 with their core SSIP product and any higher-tier add-on.
If two cleaning firms hold valid certificates from any two schemes in that table, their basic H&S credentials are equivalent. The buyer's procurement team is supposed to accept either certificate as proof of the same thing.
Why councils still ask for CHAS by name¶
If mutual recognition is real, why does the tender pack say "CHAS or equivalent"? Or sometimes just "CHAS"?
Three reasons. None of them are about your H&S standards. They are administrative.
- The buyer's procurement portal is hooked into one named scheme's database. CHAS clients use the VeriforceONE portal for ongoing monitoring. If the council has a contract with VeriforceONE, their compliance team finds it easier to verify a CHAS member than chase a SafeContractor PDF.
- Habit. The procurement officer wrote "CHAS" because the last 14 tenders said "CHAS". The wording goes through years of recycling without anyone updating it to reflect SSIP mutual recognition.
- A sub-section of buyers (often hard-FM-heavy councils) genuinely consider CHAS Elite or Constructionline Gold the de facto standard for higher-risk work. For a soft FM contract this is usually disproportionate, but the spec rolled over from a hard FM template.
None of these reasons override SSIP mutual recognition. Most public buyers will accept a Deem to Satisfy passport rather than disqualify a bidder over the wording. But you have to know how to ask.
Deem to Satisfy: the passport that fixes this¶
Deem to Satisfy (DTS) is the formal SSIP process for converting a certificate from one member scheme to another without a full reassessment. The new scheme accepts the H&S evidence that earned your existing certificate, charges you a fraction of a full assessment fee, and issues a fresh certificate valid until your original one expires.
How it works in practice. You hold SafeContractor. The council asked for CHAS. You go to CHAS, pick the DTS option, upload your SafeContractor certificate, pay roughly £100-£150 (versus £429 for a full Standard assessment), and receive a CHAS certificate. Often within 24 hours. Sometimes within 2 minutes if everything is already verified at the SSIP level.
| Path | Typical cost | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Full CHAS Standard assessment from scratch | £429 | 10-20 working days |
| DTS passport from SafeContractor or SMAS to CHAS | £100-£150 | 2 minutes to 24 hours |
| DTS passport from any SSIP member to SMAS Worksafe | Comparable to CHAS DTS | Same day |
| DTS passport from any SSIP member to SafeContractor | Comparable | Same day |
DTS passport timeline and approximate cost (excluding VAT) in 2026.
PPN 03/24 and the Common Assessment Standard¶
Procurement Policy Note 03/24 (effective 27 June 2024) updated the rules for UK public sector pre-qualification. It tells buyers to require contractors to meet the Common Assessment Standard, not basic SSIP, on certain contracts.
The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) covers 13 risk areas. Health and safety is one of them. The others include financial standing, environmental management, equality and diversity, modern slavery, quality management, business continuity, and information security. It is a deeper assessment than basic SSIP.
| Contract value | Required pre-qualification level | Examples of qualifying products |
|---|---|---|
| Below £5 million (most council and NHS cleaning lots) | Basic SSIP-recognised certificate | CHAS Standard, SafeContractor Approved, SMAS Worksafe, Constructionline Bronze/Silver, Acclaim H&S |
| £5 million and above (large frameworks, major NHS contracts, central government) | Common Assessment Standard (CAS) | CHAS Elite, SMAS Worksafe Pro, Constructionline Gold, Acclaim with CAS |
PPN 03/24 thresholds for UK public sector pre-qualification.
Most cleaning SMEs bidding council, school, and small NHS contracts will land in the first row. Basic SSIP clears the gate. The Elite and Pro tiers are aimed at firms bidding NHS Shared Business Services frameworks, large MoD lots, or anything north of £5m. If you are a 3-van operation bidding £80k a year contracts, paying for CHAS Elite is over-engineering and the renewal cost will hurt you more than the contract pays.
What CHAS, SafeContractor, and SMAS actually cost¶
| Scheme | First-year cost | Annual renewal | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHAS Standard | £429 | £200-£300 | Most-recognised brand. VeriforceONE portal monitoring is hooked into many council procurement systems. | Not the cheapest. Some buyers expect Elite, not Standard, on higher-value lots. |
| SafeContractor | £345-£500 (depends on staff count) | £250-£400 | Strong renewal experience, decent dashboard. Includes some modern slavery and environmental checks. | Renewal pricing scales with company size, can creep up. |
| SMAS Worksafe | £245-£395 | £195-£295 | Often the cheapest of the three at SSIP level. Worksafe Plus adds a PAS 91-style check. | Smaller buyer-side database. More likely to need DTS to a different scheme. |
Approximate UK 2026 first-year and renewal pricing (excluding VAT) for the basic SSIP product on each scheme. Pricing tiers vary by company size.
Decision tree: which one should you actually buy¶
- Are you bidding any contract above £5m? If yes, buy a CAS-level product (CHAS Elite, SMAS Worksafe Pro, or Constructionline Gold). Most cleaning SMEs will not be here.
- Are most of your target contracts on a council portal hooked into VeriforceONE? If yes, CHAS Standard is the path of least resistance. Their compliance team will verify you instantly.
- Are you cost-sensitive on first-year and renewal fees? If yes, SMAS Worksafe is usually cheapest. You will use DTS to passport to CHAS or SafeContractor when a buyer asks for one by name.
- Is your existing client base on SafeContractor? If yes, stay there. The dashboard, audit cycle, and renewal experience are good and DTS handles the rest.
- Buy ONE scheme. Not two or three in parallel. Renewal fees compound. DTS exists to handle the cross-recognition.
If you want the deeper head-to-head between the two most-asked schemes for cleaning SMEs, the CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe comparison covers cost, audit depth, renewal terms, and which buyers tend to ask for which by name. The wider best SSIP scheme for small business UK shortlist ranks the five main SSIP options by cost and audit experience for soft FM SMEs.
What to do this week¶
- Find the next 5 cleaning tenders you would normally bid. Read the SQ and accreditation gate sections. Note whether they say "SSIP", "CHAS or equivalent", or just "CHAS".
- If you do not hold any SSIP certificate yet, pick one based on cost and your client base. SMAS Worksafe is usually the cheapest entry point. Do not buy CHAS Elite as your first move.
- If you hold one already and a buyer asks for a different scheme by name, do NOT pay for a fresh full assessment. Apply for a Deem to Satisfy passport. Cost: roughly £100-£150 versus £429.
- Diary your renewal date with a 60-day reminder. Lapsed SSIP certificates auto-fail the SQ at most public buyers and you cannot fix it in two weeks.
- Only step up to CAS-level products when a buyer explicitly requires the Common Assessment Standard, or when you are bidding contracts above £5m. Below that, basic SSIP clears the gate.
Sources
- Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) · SSIP umbrella body, mutual recognition rules, member scheme list
- PPN 03/24: Standard Selection Questionnaire and Common Assessment Standard · Effective 27 June 2024; £5m threshold for CAS-level pre-qualification
- Common Assessment Standard (Build UK) · 13-area assessment standard accepted by UK public buyers
- CHAS · SSIP member scheme, runs CHAS Standard and CHAS Elite (CAS) products
- SafeContractor · SSIP member scheme operated by Alcumus
- SMAS Worksafe · SSIP member scheme; Worksafe Pro is the CAS-level product
- Procurement Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk) · Live for new procurements from 24 February 2025; underlying framework for PPN 03/24
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
- No, almost never. UK public buyers should accept any current SSIP-recognised certificate (CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS Worksafe, Constructionline, Acclaim, and others) as proof of equivalent health and safety pre-qualification. SSIP members assess contractors against the same 15 Core Criteria. If a tender pack names CHAS specifically, you can use the SSIP "Deem to Satisfy" (DTS) passport to convert your existing certificate to CHAS for a fraction of the cost of a full assessment, often within 24 hours. The exception: contracts above £5 million now require Common Assessment Standard (CAS) under PPN 03/24, which means CHAS Elite or SMAS Worksafe Pro level.
- Deem to Satisfy (DTS) is the SSIP cross-recognition mechanism that lets a contractor with a certificate from one SSIP member scheme convert it to another scheme without a full reassessment. You apply to the target scheme (say, CHAS), upload your existing certificate (say, SafeContractor), pay a reduced fee (roughly £100-£150 versus £429 for a full Standard), and receive a fresh certificate from the target scheme valid until your original one expires. Turnaround is typically 24 hours, sometimes within 2 minutes if everything is already verified at the SSIP level. DTS exists because SSIP members assess against the same 15 Core Criteria, so the H&S evidence is already verified.
- In theory no, in practice sometimes. SSIP mutual recognition means a council should accept any valid SSIP member certificate. In practice, some buyers have administrative reasons to want a named scheme (their procurement portal is hooked into the VeriforceONE database used by CHAS, for example, or the wording rolled over from prior tenders). If they refuse, do not pay for a fresh full CHAS assessment. Apply for a Deem to Satisfy passport instead. Cost: roughly £100-£150. Time: same day. Result: a CHAS certificate valid until your original SafeContractor one expires.
- For most council and small NHS cleaning lots, CHAS Standard (or any equivalent basic SSIP product) is enough. CHAS Elite is the Common Assessment Standard (CAS) product, which covers 13 risk areas including financial standing and environmental management. Under PPN 03/24 (effective 27 June 2024), Common Assessment Standard is required for public sector contracts above £5 million. Below that threshold, basic SSIP clears the gate. Most cleaning SMEs bidding £80,000 to £500,000 contracts will be on the basic side. CHAS Elite is the right product when you are bidding NHS Shared Business Services frameworks or central government lots above the £5m line.
- CHAS Standard is approximately £429 plus VAT for the first year, with annual renewals around £200-£300 depending on company size. CHAS Elite (the CAS-level product) is significantly more expensive and overkill for contracts below £5m. SMAS Worksafe is usually the cheapest SSIP entry point at £245-£395 first year. SafeContractor sits between the two. For a small cleaning company starting out, the cheapest SSIP scheme that satisfies your near-term tender targets is the right answer. Use Deem to Satisfy to passport to a different scheme on the rare bid where the buyer insists. Do not buy more than one scheme in parallel. Renewal fees compound and DTS handles the cross-recognition for less.