The UK Tendering Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Above-threshold contracts must be advertised on Find a Tender Service (FTS). Below-threshold contracts (over £10k for central government, £30k for other public bodies) appear on Contracts Finder. Many buyers also use their own portals — NHS Supply Chain, Crown Commercial Service frameworks, council e-procurement systems. Monitoring all of these manually is time-consuming; most businesses use an alert service or platform like RevnIQ.

Before doing anything else, read the contract notice and any supporting documents in full. Key documents to look for: the Specification of Requirements (or Statement of Work), the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) or Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), the Invitation to Tender (ITT), scoring guidance, and any draft contract terms. Many bidders skip to the price schedule — don't. The scoring criteria tell you exactly where marks are won and lost.

Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. Assess: Do you meet the minimum requirements (turnover, accreditations, experience)? Is the contract size proportionate — most buyers want annual turnover of at least two to three times the contract value. Do you have relevant case studies? Can you resource the bid alongside live delivery? Chasing contracts you're unlikely to win wastes time and dilutes your pipeline.

Many above-threshold procurements have a selection stage before the full tender. The Selection Questionnaire (SQ) — or the older PQQ format — filters suppliers on eligibility: financial standing, insurance levels, relevant experience, accreditations, and exclusion grounds. Pass this and you receive the full Invitation to Tender. Fail and you're out. The SQ/PQQ is largely standard under the Procurement Act 2023, meaning buyers can't deviate much from the model form.

The Invitation to Tender is the main bid. It typically covers: your technical approach/methodology, relevant experience and case studies, key personnel and CVs, social value commitments, and your commercial proposal (price). Each section is scored against criteria set out in the documents. Quality marks are awarded for evidence, specificity, and alignment with the buyer's stated priorities — not for length or enthusiasm.

Most procurements include a clarification window. Use it. If something in the documents is ambiguous — a requirement, a contract term, how a criterion will be scored — ask. Clarifications are usually published anonymously to all bidders, so you're also getting the benefit of other suppliers' questions. Don't submit a bid based on a misunderstanding you could have resolved.

Late submissions are almost always rejected, regardless of circumstances. Most buyer portals close automatically at the deadline — often to the second. Upload early. Check all attachments open correctly. Confirm file formats are accepted (many portals reject files over a certain size). Get internal sign-off early enough that a last-minute problem can be fixed.

After the deadline, the buyer's evaluation panel scores all responses against the stated criteria. Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers must score on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) — balancing quality and price. Buyers may come back with evaluation clarifications — questions about specific parts of your response. These aren't an opportunity to improve your answer, only to clarify what you meant.

Above-threshold contracts must have a standstill period of at least 8 working days (10 calendar days if notification is electronic) between the award decision and contract signature. During this time, unsuccessful bidders can challenge the decision. You'll receive an Award Summary telling you who won, the winning score, your score, and your ranking. If you're dissatisfied, you have the standstill period to seek further information or issue legal proceedings.

After standstill, the contract is signed. Most contracts include a mobilisation period — time to set up operations before service delivery starts. Read the contract terms before signing. Check payment terms, KPI requirements, termination clauses, and TUPE obligations if you're taking on staff from an incumbent.