Founded by 4 Utilities in 1996, the UVDB pre-qualifies suppliers and contractors under the following headings:

• Personnel
• Financial (Equifax)
• Legal
• Associated companies
• Quality Assurance
• Locations
• Region of supply
• Social & Ethical
• Contact info
• Insurance
• Health and Safety
• Environmental
• Taxation (Construction Industry Scheme)
• Ordering
• Products/Services based on (UVDB and coding system)
• References 

UVDB is now used by over 50 UK Utilities including power, water, gas and telecoms.  It is a self-certification scheme and there are now over 5,200 registered suppliers and contractors.

There are over 900 standard codes and 2500 standard keywords that are developed by the utilities. These are reviewed on an ongoing basis and are modified by the Steering Group based on the continuing feedback from buyers and suppliers alike.

UVDB and EU Procurement Legislation

UVDB is operated as a 'qualification system' under Article 30 of the European Utility Directives. This means that subscribing organisations do not need to individually publish notices in the journal.  To announce this Achilles publish quarterly Qualification System Notices (QSN's) on their behalf.

There is a full range of EC Advice systems and services available to support UVDB.

Implementation and Support

Achilles offers all the necessary support to assist the adoption of the processes with Buyers and Suppliers:

• QSN Published on the OJEU
• Mailshot program to inform existing suppliers of the UVDB & transition timescales
• Consideration of any new UVDB product, service or work codes that may be required
• Nomination of principal contractors who may also benefit from using the UVDB
• Consideration of additional Achilles Services
• Comprehensive training of users.

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