Keep your evidence current so every renewal is easy — and your grade only goes up
Prequalification is not one-and-done. SiteWise renews annually, and Totika results are commonly valid for around 12 months — so the contractors who renew painlessly are the ones who keep evidence flowing all year instead of rebuilding it the week before. Treat your safety system as business-as-usual and each reassessment becomes a formality.
Your grade has a shelf life, and clients check it is still current before they engage you.
A grade that has lapsed is, for many clients, the same as no grade at all — you can be passed over for work even though you passed last year. Maintaining your status is therefore part of keeping your pipeline open, not just an annual chore.
Each scheme sets its own validity, so know your dates.
| Scheme | Typical validity | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| SiteWise | Annual reassessment | Your score resets each year — last year's evidence will not carry you. |
| PreQual | Around 1–2 years (varies by category) | Confirm your renewal window with the scheme. |
| Totika | Around 12 months (up to 24 for sole traders / smaller categories) | Validity depends on your category. |
Always confirm current validity and renewal dates with your scheme — rules can change.
The trick is to stop treating evidence as a project and start treating it as a habit.
Every reassessment asks the same question — is the system operating now? If you are already running toolbox talks, recording incidents, updating registers and doing inspections as part of normal work, the evidence is simply there when you need it. A simple recurring rhythm keeps every scored area “warm”:
Lapsed insurances, certificates or licences can drag down an otherwise strong profile.
Public liability and other insurances, plus role-based certificates and licences, all have expiry dates that a profile may flag. Some schemes can store these and alert you before they lapse — use that, and keep your own reminder a month ahead so nothing expires mid-tender.
Use each cycle to move up — Amber to Green, Green toward Gold.
Because assessors reward depth and consistency of evidence, the natural way to lift your grade is to keep the system running well between assessments. Tighten the areas that scored lower last time, keep your records current and work-specific, and your trajectory tends to be upward rather than a yearly scramble to hold the line.
NZOHS gives you a complete health and safety management system you actually use day to day — so the dated evidence assessors want builds up on its own. Our monthly updates keep your policies and documents current with New Zealand requirements between assessments, and because the NZOHS team are qualified health and safety professionals, we are there for advice when renewal comes around.
Run one system year-round and let the evidence build itself. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
It depends on the scheme. SiteWise is reassessed annually, PreQual is generally around one to two years depending on category, and Totika results are commonly valid for about 12 months (up to 24 months for sole traders or smaller categories). Confirm your exact renewal date with your scheme.
No. SiteWise is reassessed annually and your score is based on current evidence, so last year's records will not carry you. Keeping evidence flowing throughout the year is what makes each reassessment straightforward.
For many clients a lapsed grade is treated like no grade, which can see you passed over for work even though you passed previously. Diary your renewal date and expiring documents so your status never drops mid-tender.
Keep the system running well between assessments and tighten the areas that scored lower last time. Because assessors reward depth and consistency of current, work-specific evidence, maintaining it year-round tends to lift your grade over successive cycles.
