pre-qualify
verb
(alsoprequalify)ukus[T]FINANCE
if abankpre-qualifies someone for aloan, itcalculatesthelargestamountthat they would beabletoborrowbasedonincome, etc.:
Being prequalifiedmeansalendertellsyou how much you canaffordbut doesn'tcommitto aloan.
[I]COMMERCE
if acompanypre-qualifies forparticularwork, itprovesit has theability,experience, etc. to do it and isallowedtocompetefor it:
More than 100companiespre-qualified tobidfor the eight British Railtrainoperatingcompanies.