Source: https://tendernation.io/tools/foi-request-template

Free FOI request builder

# Ask a buyer for the contract details

Pick what you want to know about a public contract and get a Freedom of Information request that is specific enough to be answered. It uses the same questions as TenderNation's FOI feature and tells you the date the reply is due.

## Who and what

Public bodyContract (optional)Current supplier (optional)Which lawFreedom of Information Act 2000 (UK, England, Wales, Northern Ireland)Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (Scottish public bodies)

## What to ask for

- Contract end date and extensionsWhen the contract ends, extension options and whether they will be used, and re-procurement plans.
- Incumbent supplier and contract valueWho holds the contract, what it is worth each year and in total, and what has been spent so far.
- Evaluation scores, including the winner'sEach bidder's quality and price scores, the winner's scores and the evaluation criteria and weightings.
- Rate cards and pricingThe winning supplier's day rates, unit prices or price schedule.
- Contract registerThe buyer's full contract register: supplier, value, start and end dates for each contract.
- Who bidHow many suppliers bid and who they were.

## Your details

A valid request needs your real name and an address for the reply. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.

Your full nameYour email

## Your request

Send it today and the reply is due by **12 Nov 2026**, 20 working days later.

Subject

Freedom of Information request: contract end date and extensions - \[public body\]

```
Dear Freedom of Information team, [public body]

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following recorded information.

1. The start date and current end date of the contract described above.
2. Any options to extend it, with the length of each option, and whether any have been used or are planned to be used.
3. Whether you intend to re-procure it, and if so the expected timetable and route to market (for example a framework or an open procedure).

Please send the information by email, in a reusable electronic format such as a spreadsheet where possible.

If any part of this request is unclear, or answering it would exceed the cost limit, please contact me under your duty to advise and assist (section 16) so I can narrow it. If you decide that some of the information is exempt, please release the rest and tell me which exemption you have applied.

Yours faithfully,
[your full name]
[your email address]
```

Copy requestCopy subject

Send it to the body's FOI or information governance address, usually listed on its website.

Let TenderNation send and track it

Professional drafts the request from a tender, sends it from your own email, counts down the deadline and reads the reply into facts you can use in your bid.

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## Questions people ask

Is a Freedom of Information request free?Yes. Asking costs nothing. A public body can refuse a request that would cost more than the appropriate limit to answer: £600 for central government and £450 for other public bodies under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and £600 under the Scottish Act. Narrow, specific questions about one contract rarely come close.

How long does a public body have to reply?20 working days from the day after it receives your request, under both the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Under the 2000 Act a body can take longer to weigh the public interest, but it should tell you within the 20 days and give an estimate.

Can I ask for a competitor's rates or evaluation scores?You can ask. Bodies often withhold prices and named scores as commercially sensitive (section 43 of the 2000 Act, section 33 of the Scottish Act), subject to a public interest test. Asking for scores with bidder names removed, and for the award criteria and weightings, usually gets more back.

Do I have to give my real name?Yes. A valid request needs your real name and an address for the reply, which can be an email address. Public bodies should treat requests as applicant blind: who you are and why you ask should not change what is released.

Which law applies, the 2000 Act or the Scottish Act?Scottish public authorities, such as Scottish councils, NHS boards and the Scottish Government, answer under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. UK government departments and public bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland answer under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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