SOA Certification: everything you need to know to obtain qualification
The SOA Certification is a mandatory document for companies wishing to participate in public procurement tenders for construction works exceeding €150,000. This certification verifies the company’s economic, technical, and organizational capacity, ensuring compliance with the specific requirements set by current regulations.
Classifications and amounts of SOA certificates
Companies are classified into different categories, each corresponding to a specific maximum contract value they can undertake. The table below outlines the various classifications and their respective financial limits.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| I | up to euro 258.000 |
| II | up to euro 516.000 |
| III | up to euro 1.033.000 |
| III-bis | up to euro 1.500.000 |
| IV | up to euro 2.582.000 |
| IV-bis | up to euro 3.500.000 |
| V | up to euro 5.165.000 |
| VI | up to euro 10.329.000 |
| VII | up to euro 15.494.000 |
| VIII | over euro 15.494.000 |
Special order requirements
In addition to general requirements, companies must demonstrate compliance with specific economic and technical criteria, divided into three main categories:
- Turnover in work
- Technical equipment
- Average annual workforce
| Ranking list |
1. Turnover in jobs of the ranking requested |
2. Technical equipment |
3. Average annual workforce (two alternatives) |
||||
| Total personnel cost employees amounting to 15% of turnover of which 40% for blue-collar staff |
Total personnel cost employees equal to 10% of the turnover of which 80% for technical staff with a university degree or diploma |
||||||
| total cost 15% |
of which for blue-collar workers 40% |
total cost 10% |
of which for technicians 80% |
||||
| I | 258.000 | 5.160 | 38.700 | 15.480 | 25.800 | 20.640 | |
| II | 516.000 | 10.320 | 77.400 | 30.960 | 51.600 | 41.280 | |
| Quality | III | 1.033.000 | 20.660 | 154.950 | 61.980 | 103.300 | 82.640 |
| III-bis | 1.500.000 | 30.000 | 225.000 | 90.000 | 150.000 | 120.000 | |
| IV | 2.582.000 | 51.640 | 387.300 | 154.920 | 258.200 | 206.560 | |
| IV-bis | 3.500.000 | 70.000 | 525.000 | 210.000 | 350.000 | 280.000 | |
| V | 5.165.000 | 103.300 | 774.750 | 309.900 | 516.500 | 413.200 | |
| VI | 10.329.000 | 206.580 | 1.549.350 | 619.740 | 1.032.900 | 826.900 | |
| VII | 15.494.000 | 309.880 | 2.324.100 | 929.640 | 1.549.400 | 1.239.520 | |
| VIII | 20.658.000 | 413.160 | 3.098.700 | 1.239.480 | 2.065.800 | 1.652.640 | |
IMPORTANT: from the third classification onwards, possession of the Quality Certificate is required
Special order requirements for works performed
For each certification category requested, the company must prove it has completed a specific volume of work, considering both total project value and the portion of high-value projects executed.
| BOTH REQUIREMENTS MUST BE FULFILLED | ||||||
| 2. Top jobs (three alternatives) | ||||||
| Ranking request |
Amount of ranking |
1. Total sum of works performed in the category required |
Execution 1 job in the category required |
Execution 2 works in the category required |
Execution 3 works in the category required |
|
| 90% of the amount of the ranking request |
40% of the amount of the ranking request |
55% of the amount of the ranking request |
65% of the amount of the ranking request |
|||
| I | 258.000 | 232.200 | 103.200 | 141.900 | 167.700 | |
| II | 516.000 | 464.400 | 206.400 | 283.800 | 335.400 | |
| Quality | III | 1.033.000 | 929.700 | 413.200 | 568.150 | 671.450 |
| III-bis | 1.500.000 | 1.350.000 | 600.000 | 825.000 | 975.000 | |
| IV | 2.582.000 | 2.323.800 | 1.032.800 | 1.420.100 | 1.678.300 | |
| IV-bis | 3.500.000 | 3.150.000 | 1.400.000 | 1.925.000 | 2.275.000 | |
| V | 5.165.000 | 4.648.500 | 2.066.000 | 2.840.750 | 3.357.250 | |
| VI | 10.329.000 | 9.296.100 | 4.131.600 | 5.680.950 | 6.713.850 | |
| VII | 15.494.000 | 13.944.600 | 6.197.600 | 8.521.700 | 10.071.100 | |
| VIII | 20.658.000 | 18.592.200 | 8.263.200 | 11.361.900 | 13.427.700 | |
IMPORTANT: from the third classification onwards, possession of the Quality Certificate is required
