Source: https://tendernation.io/glossary/tender-notice Glossary # Tender notice The formal notice a buyer publishes to start a competitive procurement, inviting suppliers to tender or to ask to take part. Updated 14 Oct 2026 A tender notice is the formal advert a buyer publishes to start a competitive procurement under the Procurement Act 2023. It tells the market what is being bought and invites suppliers either to submit a tender or to ask to take part. ## What it means [Section 21 of the Procurement Act 2023](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/21) requires a buyer to publish a tender notice to invite tenders in an [open procedure](/glossary/open-procedure), or, in a [competitive flexible procedure](/glossary/competitive-flexible-procedure), to invite requests to participate or first tenders. The notice is published on the Central Digital Platform, and the buyer must also provide the associated tender documents. The details are set by regulations. [Regulation 18 of the Procurement Regulations 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/692/regulation/18/made) covers open procedure notices and regulation 19 covers competitive flexible procedure notices, with further regulations for frameworks and dynamic markets. A notice typically includes the buyer, a description of the contract and its CPV codes, estimated value, any lots, conditions of participation, award criteria and deadlines. The tender notice replaced the "contract notice" used under the old rules. The minimum time between the notice and the deadline is set by [section 54](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/54). ## Why it matters for SMEs The tender notice is where your bid/no-bid decision starts. It usually contains enough to rule an opportunity in or out in ten minutes, before you spend hours on the full documents. It also tells you whether the buyer did any early engagement. If you are only seeing an opportunity at tender notice stage, competitors who took part in [preliminary market engagement](/glossary/preliminary-market-engagement) may be better prepared. ## Practical tip Make a quick checklist for every notice: estimated value, contract length, location, lots, conditions of participation, award criteria weightings and deadlines (including the clarification deadline). If it fails on any must-have, move on. If it passes, put the deadlines in your calendar straight away using the [tender deadline calculator](/tools/tender-deadline-calculator) to check the timetable is lawful. 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)374 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)134 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)54 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)177 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)300 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)80 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## Nearby terms [Reserved contracts (PPN 005)Competitions a buyer limits to certain kinds of supplier, such as local SMEs and VCSEs below threshold, or supported employment providers.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/reserved-contracts)[Selection questionnaire (SQ)A standard set of questions buyers use to check a supplier's eligibility, finances and capability before assessing its tender.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/selection-questionnaire)[SME and VCSESMEs are small and medium-sized enterprises; VCSEs are voluntary, community and social enterprises. Both get specific attention in UK procurement policy.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/sme-vcse)[Social value (PPN 002)The wider economic, social and environmental benefits a supplier commits to deliver through a contract, scored as part of the tender.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/social-value)[Standstill periodA pause of at least eight working days after a contract award notice, during which the buyer cannot sign the contract and bidders can challenge.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/standstill-period)[Unique identifier and share codeThe unique identifier is your organisation's code on the Central Digital Platform; a share code lets a buyer see your registered supplier information.](https://tendernation.io/glossary/unique-identifier-share-code) [Read our procurement guides ](/guides)