Helping you to prepare for the Procurement Act
New tendering rules and process will be introduced in the UK on 24 Feb 2025 | Visit our Procurement Act Hub to learn about these changes, and what you can do to prepare.
The Procurement Act will change how suppliers bid for public sector tenders and how contracting authorities award contracts. One of the most significant changes is the introduction of new and updated notice types.
The UK government has put enhancing transparency and competition at the heart of the reform, and a range of new notice types have been created to support both of these aims. While more notices will increase the administrative effort for buyers, it greatly reduces the effort required for suppliers to participate in procurements.
The following notice types will give you greater visibility of upcoming opportunities, allowing you plan and prepare more effectively, while also offering greater market insights, helping to improve your long-term tendering strategies.
An announcement made before the start of the financial year, 1 April, detailing procurement plans for the next 18 months. Publication of these notices is mandatory for contracting authorities expecting to spend more than £100m in the next financial year. Only procurements worth more than £2 million each are required within Pipeline Notices.
An invitation for suppliers to participate in preliminary market engagement. These notices help contracting authorities explore their procurement requirements and options, while also allowing the market to prepare bid plans. These notices can also be used to inform suppliers that preliminary market engagement has taken place, providing details of the process and outcomes.
An optional announcement by a contracting authority, indicating its intention to publish a tender notice. These notices contain enough information for suppliers to start planning their bids, and primarily aim to shorten the tendering period. If the market is given advance notice of 40 days to 12 months, the tendering period for the associated procurement can be reduced to just 10 days.
Published to inform the market that a contracting authority intends to make a Direct Award (enter into a Public Contract with a supplier), without the use of a competitive tendering procedure. These notices provide a summary of the requirements and terms within the Public Contract, and the rationale for making the Direct Award decision. There is a minimum eight working day standstill period after the publication of this notice, after which point the Contracting Authority may enter into the Public Contract. There is no requirement to publish a subsequent Contract Details Notice in relation to the Direct Award.
Notices for Below-Threshold Contracts are commonly known as Low-Value Tenders, and advertise contracting opportunities valued above £12,000, while not exceeding the UK Public procurement thresholds. Due to their lower value, there are limited requirements for these procurements, making them great opportunities for SMEs and companies new to the public sector marketplace.
Notices for Public Contracts are commonly known as High-Value Tenders, and advertise contracting opportunities valued above the UK Public procurement thresholds. Due to their higher value, the questions within these tenders tend to require detailed responses and evidence to prove eligibility. These types of opportunities are suitable for larger businesses or companies with significant tendering experience.
Published to share a contracting authority’s intention to enter into a Public Contract with a supplier, or suppliers, following a competitive tendering procedure. These notices provide a summary of the requirements and terms within the Public Contract. There is a minimum eight working day standstill period after the publication of this notice, after which point the Contracting Authority may enter into the Public Contract.
Before entering into a Public Contract, Summary Assessments must also be sent to all suppliers who submitted a tender, whether they were successful or not.
Used to notify stakeholders that a contracting authority has entered into a contract with a supplier, or suppliers, following a competitive tendering procedure. These notices must be published within 30 days, and if the value of the work is over £5 million, copies of all contracts and associated KPIs must be included.
Informs the market that a contracting authority has decided to cancel the procurement process, following the publication of a Tender or Transparency Notice. This could be due to a change in circumstances, or no suitable suppliers submitted bids for the contract. No bids for the contract will be considered and no contracts awarded.
An announcement detailing a contracting authority’s intent to establish a dynamic market. These notices include information about the buyers’ needs, technical requirements, payment terms, and joining instructions. These function like Tender Notices, and invite suppliers to submit bids for relevant opportunities within the Dynamic Market.
Used to notify stakeholders that a contracting authority has established a Dynamic Market, following a competitive tendering procedure. These notices include lists of which suppliers have been admitted, and details of which parts of the Dynamic Market they have access to.
Published, at least annually, to provide details of supplier performance against set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). They are associated with Public Contracts valued at £5 million or greater, for which at least three KPIs must be set to measure supplier performance.
Used when changes or modifications are required to ensure a contract can still be fulfilled despite changing demands or circumstances. Typically, these notices would be used to overcome the materialisation of known risks, the need for additional resources, and unforeseen circumstances.
Used to inform the market that a contract has ended. They are mandatory for all Public Contracts, and are published regardless of successful fulfilment or early termination of contractual obligations.
Used when changes or modifications are required to ensure a Dynamic Market fully meets the needs of the buyers. The conditions for membership may not be modified during the term of the Dynamic Market, but parts and specifications may be edited as required. These notices define the nature and scope of the modifications made, as well as details of newly added or removed suppliers.
Used to inform stakeholders that the Dynamic Market has ceased to operate. These notices primarily contain administrative information.
Published every 6 months to provide a summary of payments relating to Public Contracts. These notices help ensure Contracting Authorities comply with agreed payment terms, and detail their adherence to the 30-day payment policy.
