Procurement terms, defined.
Plain-English definitions of the regulations, frameworks and standards behind UK public sector bidding.
Term index
Award criteria
The published, weighted factors, such as price, quality and social value, that a buyer scores each tender against to decide the winner. Weightings are set out in the tender documents before bids are submitted.
Bid/no-bid
The qualifying decision on whether to pursue a tender, weighing fit, likely competitiveness, resource cost and strategic value before committing to write a bid. A disciplined bid/no-bid gate protects a team's time and focus.
Clarification questions
Questions bidders raise during the tender period to resolve ambiguities in the documents. Buyers normally publish the answers to every bidder, so all suppliers compete on the same information.
Contract notice
A formal published notice that advertises a procurement opportunity and invites suppliers to express interest or bid. Higher-value notices appear on Find a Tender, lower-value ones on Contracts Finder.
Contracts Finder
The UK government service that publishes lower-value public sector contract opportunities and awarded contracts in England, generally from £12,000 for central government and £30,000 for the wider public sector. CrowMark tracks it daily.
CPV code
Common Procurement Vocabulary code, a standard numeric classification that identifies the subject of a contract. Buyers tag notices with CPV codes, so suppliers can filter opportunities to their trade.
Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)
An electronic list of qualified suppliers that stays open for new entrants to join at any time, unlike a closed framework. The Procurement Act 2023 replaces the DPS with dynamic markets for new procurements.
E-sourcing
Running tenders through online portals such as In-tend, Jaggaer, Atamis or Proactis, where buyers issue documents and suppliers submit clarifications and bids. Most UK public tenders are now run this way.
Evaluation matrix
The scoring grid that maps each award criterion to its weighting and score. Buyers use it to assess tenders consistently, and bidders use it to focus effort on the highest-scoring sections.
Find a Tender Service (FTS)
The UK e-notification service that publishes higher-value public contract notices above the legal thresholds. It replaced the EU's OJEU and TED for UK procurements from 1 January 2021.
Framework agreement
An agreement with one or more suppliers that fixes the terms, such as price and quality, under which specific call-off contracts can be awarded over a set period, usually up to four years. Buyers award work without running a full tender each time.
ITT (invitation to tender)
The formal document that invites suppliers to submit a priced, detailed bid against the specification and award criteria. It follows the selection stage in a two-stage procurement.
KPIs
Key Performance Indicators, the measurable targets written into a contract. Under the Procurement Act 2023, contracts above £5m must have at least three published KPIs, with performance assessed and published.
Lot
A division of a larger contract into smaller packages, by geography, discipline or value, that suppliers can bid for separately. Lotting widens access for smaller and specialist suppliers.
Most Advantageous Tender (MAT)
The award standard under the Procurement Act 2023 that replaces the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). It signals that buyers can weight wider value, not only lowest price, when scoring bids.
PPN 002
Procurement Policy Note 002, published February 2025 and mandatory from 1 October 2025, sets a minimum 10% social value weighting on in-scope central government tenders.
Read full definitionPPN 017
Procurement Policy Note 017, guidance on the transparent and responsible use of artificial intelligence in commercial activity and bidding, including disclosing AI use to the buyer. It underpins the AI-use disclosure CrowMark attaches to every AI-assisted draft.
PQQ
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, the earlier supplier-suitability stage that shortlists bidders on financial standing and experience before the invitation to tender. Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 it was largely renamed the Selection Questionnaire.
Procurement Act 2023
The UK Act that reformed public procurement and went live on 24 February 2025, replacing the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It introduced the Most Advantageous Tender, dynamic markets, a central digital platform and new transparency duties.
Selection Questionnaire (SQ)
The standard set of questions that assesses a supplier's suitability, covering financial standing, capability and grounds for exclusion, to shortlist bidders before the tender stage. It replaced the PQQ in most UK procurements.
Social value model
The UK government framework, introduced under PPN 06/20 and carried into PPN 002, that defines how social value is scored in central government procurement through themes, policy outcomes and model award criteria. It is commonly measured using the TOMs framework.
Standstill period
A mandatory pause between telling bidders the award decision and signing the contract, giving unsuccessful bidders time to challenge. The Procurement Act 2023 sets a minimum standstill of 8 working days.
Tender readiness
Having the documents, accreditations and evidence, such as accounts, insurances, policies, accreditations and case studies, prepared in advance so a bid can be produced quickly and in full. Ready suppliers respond to more opportunities and miss fewer deadlines.
TUPE
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, which protect employees' terms when a business or service contract transfers to a new provider. It is central to facilities management and outsourced service re-tenders.
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