Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/clarification-questions Glossary # Clarification questions Questions a bidder sends the buyer during a tender to resolve ambiguity, with answers usually shared with every bidder. Updated 14 Oct 2026 Clarification questions are questions a bidder sends to the buyer while a tender is open, to resolve something unclear in the documents. The buyer usually publishes the question and its answer, without naming who asked, to every bidder. ## What it means The Procurement Act 2023 does not have a section called "clarification questions". The process is set by each buyer's tender documents, usually with a deadline a few days before tenders are due. Two parts of the Act shape how buyers handle them: - [Section 12(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/12) requires buyers to treat suppliers the same unless a difference between them justifies different treatment. That is why answers are normally shared with all bidders rather than just the supplier who asked. - [Section 31](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/31) lets a buyer modify the terms of a procurement before the tender deadline. If a clarification reveals a real problem, the buyer can correct the documents, and may need to extend the deadline. Clarifications can also run the other way. After tenders arrive, a buyer may ask a bidder to clarify part of its response, but it cannot let a bidder rewrite its bid. ## Why it matters for SMEs A good clarification question can save you days of work, for example by confirming that a requirement you cannot meet is optional, or that a word limit excludes appendices. It can also expose a specification that unfairly favours the [incumbent](/glossary/incumbent-supplier), giving the buyer a chance to fix it. ## Practical tip Read the whole pack in the first two days and send all your questions together, well before the clarification deadline. Phrase each one neutrally and do not give away your solution, because every competitor will read it. Then check the clarification log every day until the deadline, since answers to other bidders' questions can change what you need to submit. The [tender deadline calculator](/tools/tender-deadline-calculator) helps you plan the timeline. Find tenders that fit your business Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)327 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)118 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)48 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)161 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)256 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)73 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms [Call-off contractA contract awarded to a supplier under an existing framework, either directly or after a further competition between framework suppliers.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/call-off-contract)[Carbon Reduction Plan (PPN 006)A published plan confirming a supplier's commitment to net zero by 2050 and reporting its emissions, required for major central government contracts.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/carbon-reduction-plan)[Central Digital PlatformThe government's online system, run through Find a Tender, where buyers publish Procurement Act notices and suppliers register their details once.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/central-digital-platform)[Competitive flexible procedureA tendering procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 that the buyer designs itself, which can include shortlisting, negotiation and several rounds.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/competitive-flexible-procedure)[Conflicts of interestA situation where someone involved in a procurement has an interest that could, or could appear to, affect a fair decision.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/conflicts-of-interest)[Contract award noticeA public notice that a buyer intends to enter into a contract with a named supplier, published before the contract is signed.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/contract-award-notice) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)