--- title: "Tender Notices Under the Procurement Act 2023: A Buyer’s Pre-Publication Checklist" canonical: "https://prestigecommercialconsulting.co.uk/articles/procurement-act-2023-tender-notice-pre-publication-checklist" author: "Prestige Commercial Consulting Limited" category: "Procurement Governance" published: "2026-10-26" modified: "" read_time: "6 min read" keywords: ["UK public procurement", "Procurement Governance", "Procurement Act 2023", "supplier readiness", "procurement evaluation", "public procurement frameworks"] --- # Tender Notices Under the Procurement Act 2023: A Buyer’s Pre-Publication Checklist A tender notice sets the terms on which the market first sees your opportunity. Check the route, scope, conditions, award method, documents and timetable before publishing under the Procurement Act 2023. # Tender notices under the Procurement Act 2023: a buyer’s pre-publication checklist A tender notice is more than an announcement. For an open procedure or competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, it starts the competition and tells suppliers how to participate. Incomplete or inconsistent information at this point can create avoidable clarification work and fairness concerns later. A robust pre-publication review checks the notice and the associated tender documents as one package. The checklist below gives a practical order for that review. ## 1. Confirm the route and legal basis Record that the Procurement Act 2023 applies to this procurement, including the commencement date and any transitional issue. Confirm whether the proposed route is an open procedure or a competitive flexible procedure, and that the internal approval covers it. Check the estimated contract value, including options, renewals and other relevant components, against the applicable threshold and notice rules. A buyer using an existing framework or dynamic market should check the distinct rules for that route. The notice should accurately describe the procedure the documents actually run. For a competitive flexible procedure, make the intended stages and any permitted down-selection, dialogue or negotiation understandable from the outset. ## 2. Describe the requirement and its boundaries A supplier should be able to understand the contract's subject matter, scope, location, duration and likely scale without guessing. Check that the notice, specification, pricing schedule and draft contract tell the same story. In particular, test the treatment of optional services, extensions, lots and interfaces with other contracts. Avoid a scope description so broad that it obscures what suppliers must price or deliver. ## 3. Check participation conditions If conditions of participation are used, state them clearly and connect each to the supplier's legal and financial capacity or technical ability to perform the contract. Check that evidence requests are proportionate to the requirement and do not accidentally exclude capable smaller suppliers. The evaluation team should be able to explain both the condition and how it will be assessed. Confirm that the notice and tender documents use matching terminology and deadlines for submitting evidence. ## 4. Publish a complete award method Read the award criteria, relative importance or weighting, assessment methodology and scoring instructions as a bidder would. Can a supplier tell what a strong response must demonstrate? Can the evaluation team apply the stated method consistently? Resolve internal disagreements before the notice goes live. Do not rely on later clarifications to introduce material evaluation rules that should have been available at the start. ## 5. Make the documents accessible Check every document link in an unauthenticated browser session and verify that suppliers can obtain the relevant tender documents electronically and without charge where the Act requires it. Ensure the files open, version numbers agree, schedules are included and accessibility or format issues have been addressed. Remove internal comments, tracked changes and confidential metadata. Name a working clarification contact and state how questions and answers will be shared fairly. ## 6. Test the timetable and dates Check the statutory minimum periods that apply to the procedure and circumstances, then assess whether the actual time offered is reasonable for this requirement. Take account of site visits, demonstrations, holidays, complex pricing and consortium formation. Reconcile the notice deadline with portal settings, document instructions, evaluation dates and planned award governance. State the time zone unambiguously. If the timetable changes, use the applicable notice and communication process rather than relying on a portal field change alone. ## 7. Sign off the published package Before release, assign a named reviewer to compare the final notice, documents and approval record. Ask them to check the route, value, scope, participation conditions, award method, document access, dates and contact details. Save the approved versions and a short record of the checks. After publication, handle corrections through a controlled change process and assess whether bidders need more time. A good tender notice gives the market a reliable starting point. The pre-publication test is simple: would a reasonably informed supplier understand the opportunity, how to compete and how the winner will be chosen from the material available today? ### Primary sources - [Cabinet Office guidance: competitive tendering procedures](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-define-phase/competitive-tendering-procedures-html) - [Cabinet Office guidance: conditions of participation](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-procure-phase/guidance-conditions-of-participation-html) - [Cabinet Office guidance: time periods](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-procure-phase/time-periods-html) *This is a practical checklist, not legal advice. Check the legislation and current guidance for the procurement in question.* ## About this article Published by [Prestige Commercial Consulting Limited](https://prestigecommercialconsulting.co.uk/about). Canonical HTML: [https://prestigecommercialconsulting.co.uk/articles/procurement-act-2023-tender-notice-pre-publication-checklist](https://prestigecommercialconsulting.co.uk/articles/procurement-act-2023-tender-notice-pre-publication-checklist) This article provides general procurement information and does not constitute legal advice.