Notice types and sequences

For procurement processes starting 24 February 2025 or later, the notices specified by the Procurement Act 2023 must be published, except if Scottish rules apply, if Northern Irish rules apply to a below-threshold contract, or if using a framework, dynamic purchasing system or qualification system established under earlier legislation.

If a notice was published before 24 February 2025 under earlier legislation, on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales or eTendersNI, then all further notices published about the same procurement process must be of the types specified under the same legislation.

If a notice was published on Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) before 1 January 2021, all further notices about the same procurement process must be published there. The same notices may also be published on Find a Tender.

Procurement Act 2023 notice types

UK1 pipeline notice

Published about potential future contracts and dynamic markets.

Must be published between 1 April and 26 May inclusive for contracts over £2 million if a UK4 tender notice or UK5 transparency notice will be published in the 18 months starting 1 April. Can also be used to provide information on contracts that are further in the future, those with lower values, those that will be awarded under frameworks, and dynamic markets.

Not required for contracting authorities that will spend less than £100 million on relevant contracts in the financial year, for private utilities, or if Northern Irish rules apply.

UK2 preliminary market engagement notice

Published to provide information about how the contracting authority will be engaging with suppliers, or how they have already done that.

Must be published before any UK4 tender notice if preliminary market engagement is carried out for an above-threshold contract, or reasons for not doing so must be included in the tender notice.

UK3 planned procurement notice

Published to provide early information about a competitive procurement. Reduces the minimum tendering period to 10 days for an above-threshold contract, if published between 40 days and 1 year before a linked UK4 tender notice.

UK4 tender notice

Published to advertise for tenders or requests to participate using a competitive tendering procedure (open procedure or competitive flexible procedure), including when using a dynamic market or establishing a framework, but not for awards under frameworks.

Above threshold the normal minimum tendering period is 25 days, if electronic submission is allowed and all associated tender documents are provided with the tender notice.

UK5 transparency notice

Published to provide transparency before making a direct award. This includes switching an unsuccessful competitive tendering procedure to direct award (which can only be done after the submission deadline specified in the related UK4 tender notice).

UK6 contract award notice

Published after making an award decision and before a contract is signed, including when using a framework or if making a direct award. Starts the standstill period of at least 8 working days if one applies - the contract must not be signed until after this has ended. Also published if some lots will not be awarded.

Not required for awards under a defence and security framework.

UK7 contract details notice

Published after a contract has been signed, both above and below threshold.

Must be published within 30 days of signature if above threshold (or 120 days for light-touch contracts). The contract document (redacted as necessary) must be attached within 90 days (or 180 days for light-touch contracts) for contracts over £5 million.

Not required for private utilities. Attaching the contract document is not required if Welsh or Northern Irish rules apply.

UK10 contract change notice

Published before changing a contract’s value or term, or if it is transferred due to corporate restructuring.

The modified contract document (redacted as necessary) must be attached within 90 days of making the modification for contracts over £5 million (before or after the modification).

Not required for defence and security contracts, light-touch contracts, for private utilities, or if Northern Irish rules apply. Attaching the modified contract document is not required if Welsh rules apply.

UK11 contract termination notice

Published after a contract has ended, including when it has been completed successfully.

Must be published within 30 days of the contract ending.

Not required for private utilities.

UK12 procurement termination notice

Published if the procurement process for a contract has been cancelled and it will not be signed. Can be used to cancel a whole procurement, or a subset of contracts defined in a UK5 transparency notice or UK6 contract award notice but not yet signed.

Not required for private utilities.

UK13 dynamic market intention notice

Published before a dynamic market is established, to notify suppliers that they can apply to join. Contracting authorities cannot use the market yet.

UK14 dynamic market establishment notice

Published after a dynamic market has been established, to notify contracting authorities that they can now use it, and which suppliers are part of it. Further suppliers can apply to join.

UK15 dynamic market modification notice

Published after a dynamic market is modified, including when suppliers have been added or removed.

UK16 dynamic market cessation notice

Published after a dynamic market has ceased to operate. Contracting authorities can no longer use the market and suppliers cannot apply to join.

Not required for private utilities.

Procurement Act 2023 notice sequences

Contracting authorities link their notices together to provide information on the complete lifecycle of each contract. Linked notices are given the same procurement identifier (OCID). Different notice types are used depending on the procedure type and whether the contract is above or below the relevant threshold. Refer to Schedule 1 of the Procurement Act 2023 for more information on thresholds.

The following procedure types are allowed:

• Open procedure (above threshold) - for simple, single-stage procurements
• Competitive flexible procedure (above threshold) - where contracting authorities can design a more complex procedure
• Award under framework (above threshold) - also known as framework call-offs
• Direct award (above threshold)
• Below threshold

Using dynamic markets

Above-threshold use of dynamic markets must be through a competitive flexible procedure. Dynamic markets can also be used below threshold, but conditions for membership are not allowed below threshold, except for works contracts above certain values (see Section 85 of the Procurement Act 2023), for schools, or if Welsh or Northern Irish rules apply.

Establishing frameworks

Frameworks can be established using the open procedure, competitive flexible procedure or direct award, and the same noticing requirements apply as for other contracts. Open frameworks cannot be established by direct award.

Open procedure or competitive flexible procedure (above threshold)

If UK1 pipeline notices, UK2 preliminary market engagement notices or UK3 planned procurement notices are published, this can be done in any order, because there are different triggers for publishing them.

It is required to publish a UK4 tender notice, to invite either tenders or requests to participate. The only exception is if a qualifying utilities dynamic market is being used, in which case the tender notice can optionally be provided only to members of the market, instead of being published.

For UK6 contract award notices, UK7 contract details notices, UK10 contract change notices, UK11 contract termination notices and UK12 procurement termination notices, if there are multiple contracts in the same procurement, then notices might cover more than one contract, or there might be multiple notices each covering a single contract, depending on when the required information is available for each contract.

A UK12 procurement termination notice can be published to cancel a contract that has not been signed. Lots can also be cancelled either before the submission deadline in an edited UK4 tender notice, or after the submission deadline in a UK6 contract award notice.

Award under framework (above threshold)

If UK1 pipeline notices or UK2 preliminary market engagement notices are published, this can be done in either order, because there are different triggers for publishing them.

No UK4 tender notice is published. If there is a competitive selection process, then only suppliers on the framework can submit proposals.

For UK6 contract award notices, UK7 contract details notices, UK10 contract change notices, UK11 contract termination notices and UK12 procurement termination notices, if there are multiple contracts in the same procurement, then notices might cover more than one contract, or there might be multiple notices each covering a single contract, depending on when the required information is available for each contract.

A UK12 procurement termination notice can be published to cancel a contract that has not been signed.

Direct award (above threshold)

If UK1 pipeline notices or UK2 preliminary market engagement notices are published, this can be done in either order, because there are different triggers for publishing them.

For UK6 contract award notices, UK7 contract details notices, UK10 contract change notices, UK11 contract termination notices and UK12 procurement termination notices, if there are multiple contracts in the same procurement, then notices might cover more than one contract, or there might be multiple notices each covering a single contract, depending on when the required information is available for each contract.

A UK12 procurement termination notice can be published to cancel a contract that has not been signed.

A direct award following an unsuccessful competitive tendering procedure will link to that previous procedure, but is considered a separate process, so will have a different OCID.

Below threshold

A UK4 tender notice must be published before advertising a below-threshold contract elsewhere.

A UK7 contract details notice must be published for all below-threshold contracts. All other notice types from UK1 to UK12 can also be published, but are not legally required.

If a change to a contract’s value moves it above threshold then a UK10 contract change notice must be published, followed later by a UK11 contract termination notice.

Notices about below-threshold contracts are not required for concession contracts, utilities contracts, schools, or if Northern Irish rules apply.

Dynamic market

UK1 pipeline notices and UK2 preliminary market engagement notices can be published about dynamic markets as well as contracts, in either order.

Multiple UK15 dynamic market modification notices will be published as suppliers are added and removed from the market over time.

Further guidance on the Procurement Act 2023

Extensive guidance documents aimed at procurement practitioners and commercial policy leads in contracting authorities are available. They are intended to provide technical guidance and help with interpretation and understanding of the new regime.

Notices types from earlier legislation

The notice types published depend on the legislation involved:

Notice type sequences

Legislation	Planning	Tender	Contract
Public Contracts Regulations 2015	F01*	F02	F03
Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016	F04*	F05	F06
Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011	F16	F17	F18
Concession Contracts Regulations 2016	-	F24	F25
Regulation 1370/2007 on public passenger transport services by rail and by road	T01	-	T02
Design contest (PCR or UCR)	-	F12	F13

* F01 and F04 are considered in the tender stage if they include a call for competition

Other notice types:

• Social and other specific services - F21 (PCR), F22 (UCR), F23 (CCR) - used in future opportunity and later stages
• Qualification system - F07 (UCR) - with or without a call for competition
• Notice on a buyer profile - F08 (PCR, UCR or DSPCR) - can be used instead of F01, F04 or F16 future opportunity notices
• Subcontract notice - F19 (DSPCR) - used to advertise subcontract opportunities from an awarded contract
• Voluntary ex ante transparency notice - F15 (PCR, UCR, DSPCR or CCR) - used if awarding a contract without previously advertising it

Changes to published notices

Procurement Act 2023 notices can be edited to correct any mistakes, with some limitations.

Changes are made to notices from earlier legislation by publishing additional notices describing the changes.

Read further guidance on changes to notices.