Shortlists in the construction industry
A shortlist is a list of candidates – things, people, or companies, etc – which have been reduced from a larger list with the intention of narrowing down the list further to leave just one candidate for the award of a prize, accolade, commission, selection and so on. The shortlist is usually an intermediate stage between the long list and the final choice.
People draw-up shortlists for all sorts of reasons: an individual may create a shortlist of cars before deciding which one to opt for; an employer may draw-up a shortlist of potential candidates to interview for an advertised job, while a judging panel may compile a shortlist of designs submitted to an architectural competition. In all these cases, the shortlist facilitates making a final choice and is sometimes inevitable if there are a large number of candidates to choose from initially.
Most design competitions are held in two stages: the total number of entrants is first reduced to create a shortlist (typically five or six) and the winner subsequently selected from that shortlist. A client may select the winner on the basis of track record compared to the other entrants; or may select on the basis of the design response, and so will be looking for an entry that embodies creativity, excitement and innovation.
The use of shortlists is also common in the selction of other suppliers in the construction industry. A pre-qualification process may be used to reduce a long-list of potential suppliers to a shortlist that will be invited to tender. This not only reduces the number of candidates that the employer has to consider, but also prevents innapropriate suppliers from wasting time and money preparing a detailed tender that is unlikely to be successful.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.