Purpose & Why
Why company prequalification exists and what it is meant to accomplish.
Company prequalification is the process of getting Sea Cool approved as a vendor before a construction company, property management company, developer, or similar organization can use us on a project.
The process is often complicated, inconsistent, and paperwork-heavy. It may involve portals, insurance documents, tax forms, licenses, safety information, references, banking information, financial documents, certifications, questionnaires, and follow-up.
Business goal
Sea Cool should be prequalified with as many high-value target companies as practical. Being approved ahead of time removes friction, improves access to bid invitations, and makes it easier for those companies to use Sea Cool repeatedly.
Do not confuse this with customer qualification
Customer lead qualification decides whether a lead is worth a site visit or estimate. Company prequalification gets Sea Cool accepted by another company as an approved vendor.
When to Use
The situations where the team should start the prequalification process.
Use this SOP when
- a GC, property manager, developer, construction manager, owner rep, or facilities team asks Sea Cool to prequalify
- Sea Cool wants to get on a vendor list before a project comes out
- a company sends a vendor onboarding link, portal invite, or questionnaire
- a bid platform, procurement site, or compliance portal must be set up
- an existing approval is expiring or needs updated documents
Do not use this SOP for
- deciding if a homeowner or commercial lead is worth pursuing
- deciding if one specific bid is a good fit
- sending sensitive documents without management approval
- changing legal, insurance, tax, banking, or financial information without authorization
Target Companies
The company types Sea Cool should prioritize for vendor approval.
Prioritize organizations that can repeatedly create opportunities for Sea Cool, not just one-time customers.
| Company Type | Why It Matters | Typical Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| General contractors | Control bid invitations, subcontractor lists, project access, and award flow. | Commercial window film, security film, shades, specialty scopes, punch-list work. |
| Property management companies | Need approved vendors across buildings, tenants, and portfolios. | Tenant improvements, capital improvements, repairs, privacy, glare, heat, security. |
| Developers | Influence standards, design teams, and project requirements before bids are issued. | New construction, multifamily, hospitality, mixed-use, commercial interiors. |
| Construction managers / owner reps | Help owners assemble vendors and control project process. | Early recommendations, budget pricing, finish-trade coordination. |
| Facilities teams and institutions | Often require vendor approval before work orders can be issued. | Schools, healthcare, municipalities, campuses, offices, retail groups. |
Simple Workflow
A clean process from opportunity intake through approval.
- Receive or identify the opportunity. Capture the company name, contact, portal link, deadline, and why the company matters.
- Confirm the request type. Identify whether it is vendor onboarding, prequalification, bid platform setup, compliance renewal, insurance update, or project-specific approval.
- Open the source folder. Start with Google Drive > Prequals and the Prequal Info spreadsheet. Do not bulk-send documents. Use only what the request requires.
- Build the required packet. Gather requested documents, check dates, and confirm whether management approval is needed before sharing sensitive items.
- Complete the form or portal. Answer consistently. If unsure, pause and ask management instead of guessing.
- Submit and save proof. Save confirmation emails, screenshots, or portal receipts in the correct Drive location.
- Track the status. Update the tracker with date submitted, current status, missing items, next follow-up date, and renewal or expiration date.
- Follow up until closed. A submission is not finished until Sea Cool is approved, rejected, or management decides to stop pursuing it.
Operating rule
Submission is not the finish line. Approval, rejection, or an intentional management decision to stop is the finish line.
Intake Checklist
The minimum information to capture before filling out any form or portal.
Company and request
- company requesting prequalification
- company type
- primary contact name, role, email, and phone
- portal name and link, if applicable
- deadline or target completion date
Internal handling
- reason for prequalification
- documents requested
- sensitive documents requested
- assigned internal owner
- next action and next follow-up date
Document Categories
The common document groups requested during prequalification.
| Category | Examples | Handling Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Company profile | Legal name, address, phone, website, services, years in business, ownership, overview. | Use approved company language. |
| Tax and vendor setup | W-9, tax classification, vendor forms. | Confirm current approved version before sending. |
| Insurance | COI, GL, auto, workers comp, endorsements, additional insured requirements. | Check dates and request new certificates when needed. |
| Licenses and certifications | Trade licenses, specialty structure license, manufacturer letters, training certificates, small business certifications. | Use the current Drive source. Do not assume old certificates are valid. |
| Safety and compliance | EMR letters, safety questionnaires, OSHA-related responses, jobsite compliance items. | Escalate anything uncertain or compliance-sensitive. |
| Financial and bonding | Bonding capacity, financial statements, tax documents, backlog, credit letters. | Management approval required before sharing. |
| Banking and payment | ACH forms, voided check copies, payment instructions. | Management approval required. Treat as sensitive. |
| References and projects | Largest completed projects, project examples, client references. | Use approved examples and avoid outdated or exaggerated claims. |
Status & Tracking
How to track every submission until it is approved, rejected, or closed.
| Status | Meaning | Next Action |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Company is worth pursuing but no submission has started. | Find contact or portal and start intake. |
| Requested | Company asked Sea Cool to prequalify or sent a portal/form. | Gather requirements and assign owner. |
| In Progress | Form, portal, or document packet is being prepared. | Complete missing fields and documents. |
| Waiting on Sea Cool | Internal info, document, signature, or approval is needed. | Escalate internally and set due date. |
| Submitted | Package has been sent or portal completed. | Save proof and schedule follow-up. |
| Waiting on Company | Recipient is reviewing or requesting corrections. | Follow up until approved or closed. |
| Approved | Sea Cool is accepted or active as a vendor. | Record approval, renewal date, and relationship owner. |
| Rejected / Closed | Not approved, no longer relevant, or management stopped pursuit. | Record reason and preserve documentation. |
Minimum tracker fields
Core fields
- company name
- company type
- contact name and email
- portal or platform
- internal owner
- priority
- status
Date and follow-up fields
- date requested
- date submitted
- last follow-up date
- next follow-up date
- approval date
- renewal or expiration date
- missing items
Sensitive Info Rules
Rules for tax, bank, insurance, financial, owner, and compliance information.
Do not store sensitive details inside this SOP
Do not place bank, tax, financial, owner personal information, credentials, portal passwords, or private document details inside this page or the Obsidian mirror. Keep sensitive files in Drive and share them only when required and approved.
Escalate before sharing
- banking or ACH information
- financial statements, bonding, credit letters, or tax documents
- owner personal information
- legal, safety, insurance, license, or compliance answers you are unsure about
Safe handling habits
- use the current Drive source file
- check dates and expirations before sending
- save confirmation receipts and screenshots
- record what was sent and when
- assign a follow-up date immediately after submission
Next Buildout
What should be added after the first light version is reviewed.
This version intentionally keeps the SOP light and avoids bulk-ingesting the full Drive folder.
Next useful additions
- a mapped index of the Google Drive Prequals folder
- approved standard answers for common portal questions
- a document checklist with owner, renewal date, sensitivity level, and source folder
- priority tiers for companies Sea Cool should prequalify with first
Likely supporting tools
- prequalification tracker template
- follow-up email template
- renewal reminder process
- approved company profile answer bank