What is Contractor Prequalification?
CAF Contractor Prequalification is a systems, policies and processes assessment of a cleaning contractor against the CAF Standard.
What is the aim of Contractor Prequalification?
The overall objective of the Contractor Prequalification scheme is to:
- Verify that cleaning contractors’ HR systems, policies and procedures are set up to promote compliance with the CAF Standard.
- Check samples of the information provided and any potential widespread non-compliance through worker engagement at a sample of the Contractor’s worksites annually, in a process conducted by United Workers Union.
- Promote good faith, collaborative relations between industrial parties to address issues of non-compliance with the CAF Standard.
- Facilitate the Certification of property portfolios.
To achieve Prequalification, the Cleaning Contractor must demonstrate compliance against the following criteria:
- Fair Labour Practices
- Responsible procurement and contracting
- Safe work
- Worker engagement
- Transparency, accountability & remediation
CAF prequalification is a responsible supplier program and the best way a contractor can check, and to demonstrate to clients, that its systems, policies and processes comply with the CAF Standard. Using a CAF Prequalified Contractor by itself is not enough to demonstrate that cleaners’ labour rights at an individual building are being respected. Prequalification can provide assurance that management systems, policies and procedures of a contractor are sound. However, factors such as procurement practices, contract pricing, site management and local work, health and safety risks can also be relevant, and these are checked by CAF in CAF Building Certification.
How is Contractor Prequalification different from Building Certification?
Unlike Building Certification, Contractor Prequalification does not assess labour standards at an individual cleaner level. It is almost impossible to assess employee conditions by simply assessing the supplier – unfortunately this is a deficiency of many social auditing and due diligence mechanisms as they are lacking the voice of the worker.
Contractor Prequalification is designed to create efficiencies in the CAF Building Certification process by providing documents that apply across the organisation just once as part of the Prequalification assessment, reducing the number of documents requested as part of the certification assessment.
Using a CAF Prequalified Contractor alone is not enough to demonstrate that cleaners’ labour rights at an individual building are being respected. This is because the Prequalification assessment process is focused on management systems, policies and procedures – checking that the right systems are in place at head office to facilitate compliance at an individual level.
Prequalification is a systems and compliance check of the Contractor’s employment practices. CAF Certification is an asset-based assurance mechanism that takes into account the responsibilities and input of the entire supply chain.
View a detailed comparison of contractor prequalification vs building certification
The table below outlines the different kinds of checks undertaken in a CAF assessment for contractor prequalification vs building certification.
| Examples of components assessed | CAF Contractor Prequalification | CAF Building Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll and attendance system | e.g. Assessment of payroll system, policies and procedures and adequacy of controls within the payroll system and attendance system to ensure that correct wages, tax, and super are paid. | e.g. Worker verification that correct wages and entitlements are being paid to verify correct payroll implementation. |
| Personal leave entitlements | e.g. Assessment of the company’s personal leave policy to ensure that it is aligned with minimum legal requirements. | e.g. Worker verification that personal leave entitlements are administered according to the policy. |
| Induction and training | e.g. Assessment of employee induction and training materials. | e.g. Assessment of training records for the site; e.g. Worker verification that cleaners are receiving sufficient training to do their job safely. |
| Bullying and harassment | e.g. Assessment of policy and procedure to support workers to raise grievances and/or instances of bullying and harassment. | e.g. Worker engagement to assess whether the workplace is free of bullying and harassment and/or to assess whether policy and procedure is implemented effectively. |
| Provision of chemicals, equipment, materials and PPE | e.g. Assessment of systems in place to provide, replace or repair chemicals, equipment, materials and PPE. | e.g. Worker verification that cleaners have access to all the chemicals, equipment, materials and PPE they need. |
CAF Contractor Prequalification Information Session
Presented by Dr Miriam Thompson and featuring guest speaker, Steven Peters, Sustainability Manager with ISPT. This presentation is relevant for both cleaning contractors and procurers of cleaning services. To view the responses provided to the attendee questions, see Prequal frequently asked questions below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Prequalified and Qualified?
There is no Qualification or Certification scheme for cleaning contractors within CAF. CAF Building Certification and, in the future, Portfolio Rating is initiated by property owners or managers. CAF Contractor Prequalification is the main mechanism for cleaning contractors to utilise CAF to check their compliance.
Through CAF Contractor Prequalification, CAF verifies that a cleaning contractor’s HR systems, policies and procedures are correctly set up comply with the CAF Standard. You can think of CAF Contractor Prequalification as a compliance check and a way that will also help your clients achieve CAF Certification at their assets, and a higher score in CAF Portfolio Rating.
Does achieving Contractor Prequalification mean the contractor is CAF Certified or Accredited?
No, CAF does not certify cleaning contractors. CAF only certifies buildings and portfolios, and the certification is therefore held by the owner of the property. CAF will never certify cleaning contractors because we understand that addressing the exploitation of cleaners is not the sole responsibility of cleaning contractors. Procurers and property owners are also responsible and play a key role, primarily through sustainable contract pricing and oversight of contract conditions.
If a building owner achieves CAF Certification for a building or a portfolio, does the cleaning contractor automatically become Prequalified?
No. While CAF Certification and CAF Contractor Prequalification are designed to complement each other, they are two separate schemes, and participation in one does not trigger awarding of the other. However, the presence of CAF Prequalified contractors within a portfolio, supports higher CAF Portfolio Rating scores and is a key factor in determining whether a portfolio meets the requirements for CAF Certification.
The objective of the CAF Contractor Prequalification is to assess whether the management systems used by the contractor are adequate for the building or precinct to comply with the CAF Standard. In practice, this means that a CAF Prequalified Contractor can provide documents that apply across the entire organisation just once during the prequalification assessment, so that during the building certification, assessments can focus on the implementation of the best practices, policies and procedures at the site level.
Can a building owner achieve CAF Certification for a building if their cleaning contractor is not CAF Prequalified?
Yes. However, a building or portfolio that are serviced by a CAF Prequalified Contractor can be assessed much more efficiently and effectively.
What is the importance of the contractor and union relationship as part of Contractor Prequalification?
Worker engagement is at the heart of CAF and is often the most effective mechanism for identifying compliance issues in relation to labour standards. Building some level of worker engagement into the process is essential for ensuring the integrity of CAF Contractor Prequalification, so that when a contractor becomes Prequalified it is a clear mark of quality and point of market differentiation.
In order for contractors to be able to successfully participate in CAF Prequalification and CAF Certification, contractors need to demonstrate that they are able to have a productive working relationship with the union, who represent the cleaning workforce. CAF Contractor Prequalification provides contractors who have no prior experience or engagement with CAF or the union with the opportunity to get “CAF ready” and to work together in the spirit of transparency to investigate and remediate any issues, so that industry standards can be lifted.
As a procurer of cleaning services, does engaging a CAF Prequalified Contractor guarantee that cleaning services will be delivered sustainably at my sites?
No. Whilst engaging a CAF-Prequalified contractor is an important risk mitigation strategy, working with a CAF Prequalified Contractor alone is not enough to demonstrate that cleaners’ labour rights are being respected at an individual building or portfolio. This is because cleaners’ working conditions are not solely the product of their employer’s actions, as procurers have significant power to shape standards either positively or negatively. For instance, cleaning services can only be delivered sustainably if the procurer plays their part by, for example, ensuring a fair contract price, implementing adequate oversight mechanisms and cooperating to eliminate or minimise WHS issues at sites they own or manage.
The only way to be sure that a Contractor’s management systems are being implemented effectively at their assets – that is, that cleaners are indeed being treated fairly, and are receiving their full wages and entitlements – is through assessment of that asset or portfolio. Procurers of cleaning services should pursue CAF Building Certification and eventually CAF Portfolio Certification in order to have assurance of labour standards compliance in their cleaning supply chain.
What will the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) be looking at as part of the screening process?
The FWO will review public records, such as compliance deeds, enforceable undertakings, penalties, and non-public records, such as compliance notices, as part of the CAF Contractor Prequalification eligibility screening process. They will then provide a report to CAF on the above.
What will the United Workers Union (UWU) be looking at as part of the screening process?
UWU will review its internal records, such as membership system, industrial records, legal cases to identify any compliance issues. Each contractor is asked to provide a list of all cleaning worksites and relevant workforce information for each worksite to the union, including the number of cleaning hours per week and the number of directly employed cleaners.
The contractor then facilitates paid time meetings at a sample of worksites selected by the union to gather feedback from workers on working conditions and evidence on any issues or concerns. The union meetings provide cleaners with an opportunity to discuss workplace matters and participate in a standard survey, as well as find out more about their workplace standards and rights by joining the union. UWU will then provide a report to CAF on the above.
Which external auditors will CAF engage for the Contractor Prequalification process?
For CAF Contractor Prequalification, CAF works with a specialist, experienced external audit firm that has been appointed and briefed by CAF to assess cleaning contractor’s systems, policies and procedures against the CAF Standard.
How long does Prequalification last?
The CAF Contractor Prequalification certificate will cover a period of one year, after which time an annual renewal process will take place. The contractor will also be subject to annual payment of fees and ongoing obligations.
To ensure ongoing compliance by the cleaning contractor, CAF will look at various factors to determine the annual renewal process. The process could include:
- A self-assessment questionnaire
- Submission of documentation
- Upgrade to the latest version of the CAF Standard, including implementation of any new policies and agreements
- If company-wide compliance issues are identified through CAF Building Certification (e.g. non-compliant employment policies or procedures), the contractor will need to demonstrate remediation at a company level
Importantly, the renewal will also be informed by worker feedback gathered at a sample of sites by United Workers Union over the preceding 12 months, so Prequalified Contractors will need to facilitate this process in conjunction with United Workers Union.
Will CAF protect the confidential and commercially sensitive information of contractors that is received through the Prequalification process?
Where necessary, a Confidentiality Agreement will be entered into (between the Cleaning Contractor and auditor) in relation to proprietary documentation that may be submitted by the Cleaning Contractor to demonstrate compliance with the assessment criteria.
As referred to above CAF works with both the United Workers Union and the Fair Work Ombudsman during a Prequalification Assessment. No information submitted to CAF during a Prequalification Assessment is ever shared with other contractors or industry stakeholders.
Approximately how long will the CAF Contractor Prequalification process take?
The CAF Contractor Prequalification process will take approximately 6 months from beginning to end, which includes the initial eligibility screening process, assessment of the contractor, and investigation and remediation of any issues that come out of the assessment. Contractors should ensure that their staff involved in the assessment have the resources and access to information to comply with CAF requests for information and timelines.
CAF will communicate and enforce strict deadlines to maintain the integrity of the prequalification assessment and program. Where assessment timelines stretch out beyond reason due to the failure of the Cleaning Contractor to submit documentation or otherwise meet the requirements for assessment, investigation and remediation, CAF may charge additional fees as per our Terms and Conditions.
What are the annual costs of CAF Contractor Prequalification?
| Annual company revenue | CAF Prequalification fees (annual) |
| <$50m | $17,800 (excl. GST) |
| $50m – $100m | $21,000 (excl. GST) |
| $100m – $300m | $24,000 (excl. GST) |
| $300m – $500m | $26,000 (excl. GST) |
| >$500m | $35,000 (excl. GST) |
Fees are effective from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Auditor Assessment
Fees exclude the cost of the assessment conducted by an external auditor as part of the application. This fee will vary depending on the nature of the assessment, however for a
standard assessment where no subcontracting occurs, and the contractor only has one entity, it is estimated to be around $9,500 (excl. GST).
GST
All fees listed exclude GST. Applicants will be required to pay the applicable annual Prequalification fee + GST in total up front in order to move into phase 2 of the Eligibility Screening.
Please contact prequalification@cleaningaccountability.org.au if you have any fee-related queries.
Has CAF considered a lower fee to encourage smaller cleaning contractors to participate?
CAF is not currently in a position to lower our fees; however, we may look to developing a small business model in the future.
How will being a CAF Prequalified Contractor help my business?
CAF offers Prequalified Contractors a badge that may be used across your marketing channels to show your company’s achievement. You can include the CAF Contractor Prequalification badge on your company website, social media channels, and in printed brochures, tender documents, annual reports and internal documents.
A building owner will be interested to engage with a CAF Prequalified Contractor because they understand that the cleaning contractors’ HR systems, policies and procedures have already been assessed by CAF and are correctly set up for the contractor to be part of CAF Building Certification and facilitate portfolio wide assessment.
Depending on your specific requirements and obligations you may also be able to cite CAF Prequalification in relation to separate requirements including, for example various audit, compliance or Modern Slavery obligations.
Will every contractor that applies for CAF Contractor Prequalification get to proceed with the eligibility screening and assessment process?
CAF aims to put 3 contractors through the CAF Contractor Prequalification process each year. Unfortunately, this means that not every contractor that applies will be selected for the program. Meeting the Self-Assessment Questionnaire threshold is not a guarantee that you will proceed.
As referred to above CAF Contractor Prequalification has several efficiencies and some parallel obligations with CAF Certification. Therefore, CAF will be prioritising contractors that provide services within the portfolios of property owners involved in CAF.