The Role of the Work Completion Certificate (CEL) in Company Qualification
The Work Completion Certificate as a Core Requirement for SOA Certification.
Threshold for public works contracts
Mandatory for SOA certification
What Is a CEL?
The CEL (Work Completion Certificate) is a formal certificate issued at the contractor’s request by a public or private contracting authority, used to demonstrate compliance with technical and organisational capacity requirements.
Specifically, it certifies that the contractor has executed works, over a defined reference period, of a given monetary value and within one or more qualification categories recognised under the Public Contracts Code.
Information Required in a CEL
Contracting Authority Details
- Legal name
- Identification details
- Site supervisor / supervising engineer
Dates and Timeframes
- Start date of works
- Completion date
- Accounting / final measurement dates
Contract Information
- Contract identification details
- Executing contractor
- Location of the works
Subcontracting
- Subcontractors involved
- Scope of subcontracted works
- Subcontract values
Description of Works
- Type of works performed
- Value of individual work items
- Qualification categories (OG / OS)
Disputes
- Any disputes or claims arising during execution
Public-Sector CEL
- Issued by: Contracting authority (RUP + Supervising Engineer)
- Format: Fully digital, via the ANAC platform
- Identification: Linked to the contract through the CIG code
- SOA verification: Direct access to the ANAC database
Standard model: Single national template managed by ANAC
Private-Sector CEL
- Issued by: Legal representative of the client, countersigned by the supervising engineer
- Format: Handwritten or digital signatures
- Supporting documentation:
- Contract
- Invoices
- Technical drawings
- Bills of quantities
- Permits and authorisations
- SOA verification: Direct verification of authenticity and consistency of documentation
- Template: No standard national format; based on the SOA’s internal certification model
Foreign CELs
CELMAE (Italian companies operating abroad)
- Issued by Italian diplomatic or consular authorities
- Digital format via ANAC procedures
- Fully admissible for SOA certification
CELs for Foreign Companies
- Must be formally legalised (Apostille)
- Official sworn translation into Italian required
- Technical and financial supporting documentation mandatory
- Subject to enhanced scrutiny by the SOA
