Prékwalification

Prékwalification, often shortened to prequalification, is a preliminary assessment process used in various fields, particularly in procurement, lending, and project management. Its primary purpose is to gauge a potential supplier's, borrower's, or contractor's basic suitability and capacity before they are invited to participate in a more detailed selection or application process. This initial screening helps to filter out entities that clearly do not meet fundamental requirements, thereby saving time and resources for both the evaluating party and the potential participants.

In procurement, prequalification is used to identify suppliers who possess the necessary financial stability, technical expertise, experience, and resources to undertake a specific project or contract. Vendors typically submit a prequalification questionnaire or proposal detailing their qualifications. For loans and mortgages, prequalification involves a lender evaluating a borrower's creditworthiness, income, and assets to estimate how much they might be able to borrow. This provides an indication of loan eligibility but is not a formal commitment to lend. In essence, prequalification serves as an early-stage due diligence step, establishing a baseline of acceptability.