Source: https://tendernation.io/tools/tender-deadline-calculator Free deadline calculator # Work out the minimum tender deadline Pick a procedure and publication date to get the legal minimum tendering period and key dates. Tender notice publishedPick a day Procedure What applies (section 54)Tenders cannot be submitted electronicallyNot all tender documents are provided at the same timeAs the tender notice or invitationA qualifying planned procurement notice was published40 days to 12 months before the tender noticeThe buyer has declared a state of urgencyIts own judgment that the usual minimum is impracticalContract award notice published (optional, for standstill)Pick a day Calculate ## Minimum time limits under the Procurement Act 2023 Section 54. Where more than one row applies, the shortest one is the legal minimum. Buyers can always allow longer, and must do so where the contract is complex. Minimum participation and tendering periods under section 54PeriodWhen it appliesMinimumParticipation period (competitive flexible)Light touch contractNo minimumParticipation period (competitive flexible)State of urgency makes 25 days impractical10 daysParticipation period (competitive flexible)Any other case25 daysTendering periodLight touch contractNo minimumTendering periodUtilities contract or non-central-government buyer, tenders only from pre-selected suppliers, period agreed with themNo minimumTendering periodUtilities contract or non-central-government buyer, tenders only from pre-selected suppliers10 daysTendering periodA qualifying planned procurement notice was published10 daysTendering periodState of urgency makes any other minimum impractical10 daysTendering periodAward by reference to membership of a dynamic market10 daysTendering periodElectronic tenders, all documents provided at the same time25 daysTendering periodElectronic tenders, documents not all provided at the same time30 daysTendering periodTenders not submitted electronically, all documents provided at the same time30 daysTendering periodTenders not submitted electronically, documents not all provided at the same time35 days ## How we count the days A tendering or participation period begins on the day after the buyer invites tenders or requests to participate, and ends on the deadline day (section 54(5)). So the earliest deadline is the publication date plus the minimum number of days. These are calendar days: weekends and bank holidays count, and we do not move a deadline that falls on one. Standstill is different. It is 8 working days beginning with the day the contract award notice is published (section 51), and a working day excludes weekends and bank holidays in any part of the UK (section 123). So we skip England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland bank holidays, from the gov.uk list for 2025 to 2027. For a competitive flexible procedure, the participation period runs from the tender notice. The tender stage that follows runs from the invitation to tender, so enter that date for the second stage. ## Sources Rules checked: 11 October 2026 - [Procurement Act 2023, section 54 (time limits)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/54) - [Procurement Act 2023, section 15 (planned procurement notices)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/15) - [Procurement Act 2023, section 51 (standstill)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/51) - [Procurement Act 2023, section 123 (meaning of working day)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/123) - [Guidance: time periods (gov.uk)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-procure-phase/time-periods-html) - [UK bank holidays (gov.uk)](https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays) This is guidance, not legal advice. It covers procurement under the Procurement Act 2023 in England and Northern Ireland and UK-wide reserved procurement. Contracts regulated by the Welsh Ministers, and procurement in Scotland, follow different rules. Check the buyer’s tender documents and the legislation before relying on a date or figure. ## Questions people ask What is the minimum time for a tender response under the Procurement Act?Section 54 sets the floor. For an open procedure where tenders are submitted electronically and all the tender documents are published with the tender notice, it is 25 days. It rises to 30 days if the documents are not all provided at the same time or tenders cannot be submitted electronically, and 35 days if both apply. The period starts the day after the notice is published, and weekends count. These are minimums: buyers must allow longer when the contract is complex. How does the standstill period work?After publishing a contract award notice, the buyer must wait 8 working days before signing the contract, counting the day the notice is published if it is a working day. Weekends and bank holidays in any part of the UK do not count. Unsuccessful bidders can use the time to challenge the decision. Light touch contracts, framework call-offs, dynamic market awards and some direct awards are exempt, though a buyer can choose a voluntary standstill of at least the same length. Can a buyer set a shorter tender deadline?Only where section 54 allows. The tendering period can drop to 10 days if the buyer considers a state of urgency makes the usual minimum impractical, if a qualifying planned procurement notice was published, for awards through a dynamic market, and, for utilities and authorities other than central government, when only pre-selected suppliers can tender. Light touch contracts have no minimum period. What does a planned procurement notice do to the deadline?If the buyer publishes a planned procurement notice at least 40 days and no more than 12 months before the tender notice, it counts as a qualifying planned procurement notice and the minimum tendering period can fall to 10 days. Watch for planned procurement notices: they are the early warning that a short deadline may follow. ## More free tools - [Free ### Procurement threshold checker Enter a contract value and buyer type to see which Procurement Act 2023 rules apply. Use the tool ](https://tendernation.io/tools/procurement-threshold-checker) - [Free ### Bid/no-bid scorecard Score a tender against twelve questions bid teams use to decide whether to go for it. Use the tool ](https://tendernation.io/tools/bid-no-bid-scorecard) - [Free ### Central Digital Platform checklist Everything a supplier must register on the Central Digital Platform before bidding, as a checklist you can tick off. Use the tool ](https://tendernation.io/tools/central-digital-platform-checklist) Now find the tenders to bid for TenderNation scores every UK public tender against what your business sells and alerts you the day a match is published. [All free tools](/tools)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required