UK procurement: feedback, standstill and remedies Q&A

Question 1

How long is the standard Procurement Act standstill period?

Accepted Answer

Where mandatory standstill applies, it must be at least eight working days beginning with the day the contract award notice is published.

The authority cannot enter into the contract during that period.

Some categories are exempt and an authority may state a longer period.

Do not substitute the older regime’s timing or count ordinary calendar days without checking the applicable definition and notice.

A live challenge should be reviewed promptly by a procurement specialist.

Question 2

What triggers standstill under the Procurement Act?

Accepted Answer

Publication of the contract award notice triggers the applicable standstill period.

This differs from assuming that the clock always begins when a supplier receives an individual feedback letter.

Assessment summaries should be provided before the notice where required, so suppliers have the relevant information.

Record both receipt of the summary and publication of the notice.

If the sequence or stated dates appear inconsistent, seek clarification promptly without assuming the legal deadline is suspended.

Question 3

Who must receive an assessment summary?

Accepted Answer

For a competitive tendering procedure, the authority must provide the required summary to suppliers that submitted an assessed tender.

The guidance distinguishes final assessed tenders from bids rejected at an earlier stage or disregarded for other reasons.

It encourages useful earlier feedback, but the statutory summary entitlement is not identical at every stage.

Check why your tender left the process and the governing regime before assuming the final assessment-summary rules apply unchanged.

Question 4

What information should an unsuccessful supplier receive in an assessment summary?

Accepted Answer

The summary should explain the required assessment information for the supplier’s tender and include the relevant information explaining the successful tender’s assessment, subject to appropriate redaction.

The authority does not have to write a direct side-by-side comparison of the two tenders.

Read the information against the actual criteria and scoring method.

A useful review identifies specific gaps or inconsistencies rather than assuming that a lower total score alone demonstrates an unlawful evaluation.

Question 5

Are assessment summaries published for everyone on Find a Tender?

Accepted Answer

The guidance does not require assessment summaries to be published on the central platform.

Authorities can provide them through an appropriate communication route, such as their e-procurement system or email.

Public award notices and supplier-specific feedback therefore serve different purposes.

Ensure that the nominated bid contact monitors the agreed channel around the award decision, and do not rely solely on a public notice search to identify whether detailed feedback has been sent.

Question 6

Do framework call-offs and dynamic market contracts always have mandatory standstill?

Accepted Answer

No. The Act lists exceptions, including call-offs under frameworks, contracts under dynamic markets and light touch contracts, together with certain direct awards.

An authority can choose a voluntary standstill where mandatory standstill is not required.

Read the notice and governing route rather than assuming every award has an eight-working-day pause.

The absence of mandatory standstill makes timely review particularly important if there is a potential legal issue.

Question 7

What happens if a buyer chooses a voluntary standstill?

Accepted Answer

A voluntary standstill under the relevant Act provisions must be at least eight working days, and the authority must not enter into the contract before it ends.

It can provide a defined opportunity to consider the award before signature even where a mandatory period is not required.

Confirm the period stated in the notice and its legal basis.

Voluntary standstill does not remove the need to meet any separate limitation and notification requirements for proceedings.

Question 8

Does sending a complaint email automatically stop the contract award?

Accepted Answer

No. Do not treat an informal complaint as equivalent to the legal steps that trigger automatic suspension.

The guidance explains that proceedings must be issued and the authority notified during the relevant standstill period for that mechanism to apply.

Other court orders may be available in appropriate circumstances.

If stopping signature matters, obtain specialist advice urgently and confirm the required procedure rather than relying on a buyer’s acknowledgement of your complaint.

Question 9

Does a supplier always have thirty days after losing to challenge?

Accepted Answer

No. For most Procurement Act claims, time generally runs from when the supplier knew or ought to have known the relevant circumstances, which can occur before award.

Some set-aside proceedings have additional rules and outer limits.

Standstill is a separate concept.

If the concern relates to published criteria, waiting until the result can be too late.

Obtain advice as soon as a material issue arises and preserve the documents showing when it became apparent.

Question 10

What should a supplier preserve when it suspects a procurement error?

Accepted Answer

Keep the notice, tender documents and versions, clarifications, submitted files, receipt, assessment summary, scores and a dated account of the issue.

Separate the suspected legal error from ordinary dissatisfaction with the commercial outcome.

A specialist can then assess the governing regime, evidence, timing and proportionate remedy.

Do not edit the retained original files to improve the case.

A clean documentary record is more useful than a lengthy allegation unsupported by the evaluation materials.

UK procurement: feedback, standstill and remedies Q&A

How long is the standard Procurement Act standstill period?＋

What triggers standstill under the Procurement Act?＋

Who must receive an assessment summary?＋

What information should an unsuccessful supplier receive in an assessment summary?＋

Are assessment summaries published for everyone on Find a Tender?＋

Do framework call-offs and dynamic market contracts always have mandatory standstill?＋

What happens if a buyer chooses a voluntary standstill?＋

Does sending a complaint email automatically stop the contract award?＋

Does a supplier always have thirty days after losing to challenge?＋

What should a supplier preserve when it suspects a procurement error?＋