Abstract | A pre-normative assessment is presented for the q-factor of the FUSEIS pin-link steel lateral load resisting system for use in low/mid-rise buildings, within Eurocode 8. It is achieved by using the INNOSEIS methodology, a performance based methodological procedure to define behaviour factors for innovative systems. Applying this methodology, consistent behaviour factors can be obtained based on the definition of a set of structures to represent each class of buildings, with the use of nonlinear static and dynamic analysis methods and the incorporation of the effect of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty on the actual systems’ performance, to reach a uniform level of safety across the entire building population.