Overview
UK public sector procurement follows a structured process governed by the Procurement Act 2023 for procurements started since 24 February 2025, with the older Public Contracts Regulations 2015 still applying to procurements begun before that date. While procedures vary by value and complexity, the core stages follow a consistent pattern from opportunity identification through to contract award. There are 20,325 open UK public sector tenders and planned procurements on TenderTracker right now.
The Key Stages
1. Find Opportunities
Contract notices are published on Find a Tender (above threshold) and Contracts Finder (sub-threshold). Monitoring these platforms — or using alerts — is the first step. You can search open tenders from both sources in one place on TenderTracker.
2. Selection Questionnaire (SQ)
For restricted and competitive procedures, buyers issue a Selection Questionnaire (formerly the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire / PQQ). This assesses whether your organisation meets minimum requirements — financial standing, relevant experience, and technical capability.
3. Invitation to Tender (ITT)
Shortlisted suppliers (or all suppliers in open procedures) receive the ITT. This includes the full specification, terms, evaluation criteria, and submission deadline. Your response is your formal bid.
4. Evaluation
Bids are evaluated against published criteria, typically a combination of quality and price. Under the Procurement Act 2023 the award standard is the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT), which replaced the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) and gives buyers more scope to weigh quality and social value. Evaluation must be fair, transparent, and follow the criteria stated in the tender documents.
5. Award and Standstill
The buyer notifies all bidders of the outcome. For above-threshold contracts, a mandatory standstill period (8 working days under the Procurement Act 2023, 10 days under the older PCR 2015 regime) allows unsuccessful bidders to challenge the decision before the contract is signed.
Key Fact
Under PCR 2015, buyers cannot use the SQ stage for sub-threshold contracts. Open procedures are more common for lower-value contracts, meaning any eligible supplier can submit a bid directly.
Common Procurement Procedures
- Open Procedure — any supplier can submit a tender; most common for straightforward procurements
- Restricted Procedure — two-stage process with SQ shortlisting before ITT
- Competitive Dialogue — used for complex contracts where the buyer needs to discuss solutions with bidders
- Competitive Procedure with Negotiation — allows buyers to negotiate with shortlisted bidders
For procurements started under the Procurement Act 2023, these procedures are simplified to the open procedure and a new competitive flexible procedure that buyers can shape to fit the contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the stages of bidding for a UK government contract?
The typical stages are: finding the opportunity on Find a Tender or Contracts Finder, completing a Selection Questionnaire if the procedure uses one, responding to the Invitation to Tender, evaluation of bids against published criteria, and finally award followed by a standstill period before the contract is signed.
What is a Selection Questionnaire (SQ)?
The Selection Questionnaire, which replaced the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), is the first-stage filter in multi-stage procedures. It checks whether your organisation meets minimum requirements on financial standing, relevant experience, and technical capability before you are invited to submit a full tender.
How long is the standstill period?
Under the Procurement Act 2023 the mandatory standstill period is 8 working days from publication of the contract award notice; procurements still running under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 use a 10-day standstill. It gives unsuccessful bidders a window to challenge the decision before the contract is signed.
What is the most advantageous tender (MAT)?
MAT is the award standard under the Procurement Act 2023, replacing the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) test. The change gives buyers explicit scope to weigh quality, social value, and wider benefits alongside price when scoring bids.
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