Prequalification for construction prime contractor

The City uses prequalification to maintain a list of Prime Contractors. These contractors meet the minimum standards for City construction work in various categories. If contractors want to work on major projects for The City, they need to be prequalified to bid on future jobs.

Suppliers can be prequalified under different categories as a general contractor. View the current prequalified contractor and category list.

Subcontractors are not required to be prequalified. Only contractors taking on the role and responsibilities of safety for the Prime Contractor are required to be prequalified. The Prime Contractor is responsible for ensuring subcontractors meet the minimum requirements for the project.

How to become prequalified

Application process

Application process

Contractors must respond to The City's Request for Prequalification (RFPQ) for Prime Contractor for Construction Projects. Complete the following RFPQ form(s):

We recommend using The City’s checklist to make sure you’ve included the major items before submitting your completed prequalification forms.

Email your completed forms and documents to prequalification@calgary.ca.

Prequalification submissions are reviewed across four major categories:

  1. Commercial (licensing, bonding, etc.)
  2. Safety (policies, procedures and tools meet OHS legislation)
  3. Environmental (policies, procedures and tools to meet environmental legislations)
  4. Technical (past project experience within the applicable scope of work)

Review and approval process

Review and approval process

The City aims to review and respond to submissions within 120 days. How complete, accurate, and good the submission is will affect this timeline. If The City needs to ask the contractor questions, it will take more time. Contractors should check the deadlines for answering questions from The City in the document.

After evaluating the submissions, The City will tell contractors who meet the minimum standards about their prequalification status. Approved contractors will be added to the prequalification list in the categories they qualify for.

Prequalification validity period

Contractor approval from the current RFPQ lasts for three years from the date of the prequalification notice. However, The City can re-evaluate or ask for more information from a Prime Contractor at any time during this period to keep their status. 

Contact us

For questions on prequalification
or to submit your completed
RFPQ forms, email prequalification@calgary.ca.

Resources

Related links

Current prequalified contractors

Prime Contractor for Safety responsibilities

The City uses the term "Prime Contractor for Safety" in all contract documents. This term is defined in The City’s Standard General Conditions (SGC) as

"…the role of "prime contractor" as that term is referenced in the OH&S Legislation."

On most City projects, the contractor doing the work must take on a Prime Contractor for Safety responsibilities, as defined in the SGC. According to Provincial Occupational Health and Safety laws, a Prime Contractor is needed when two or more employers are working at the same site, even if they aren't working at the same time, as long as their activities affect each other or are connected. The contractor, each self-employed worker, and the owner all count as employers. The Prime Contractor is responsible for:

  • Checking activities to make sure a work site's health and safety system is working well.
  • Organizing health and safety systems for different employers.
  • Making sure everyone at the work site communicates well about health and safety.
  • Ensuring that the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation is followed on the work site. This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Making sure first aid services, equipment, and supplies are at the work site.
    • Ensuring equipment set up by or for the prime contractor meets OHS Code rules as if the prime contractor was the employer.
    • Informing any employer at the work site about any hazards that could affect their workers.
    • Investigating serious injury incidents.
    • Managing controlled products.
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