What Is a Planning Notice or Early Engagement Notice?

4 min readBy Kim FraterPublished 2026-07-27

Written by Kim Frater

Former Public Sector Buyer • Founder of Bid Trawler • 40+ years’ public sector experience

“I believe public procurement shouldn’t be complicated. Every guide I write explains the process in plain English so you can bid with confidence.”

4 minute read

Updated July 2026

Hi, I'm Kim. If you're new to public procurement, don't worry, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know in plain English.

Have you ever spotted an opportunity on a procurement website, clicked on it with excitement and then realised you can't actually submit a bid?

Don't worry, you haven't missed the deadline.

Chances are you've found a Planning Notice, Early Engagement Notice or Prior Information Notice (PIN).

These notices often confuse businesses that are new to public procurement because they look very similar to live tenders.

The difference is simple.

A Planning Notice isn't an invitation to bid.

It's the buyer saying:

"We're planning to buy something in the future, but before we publish the tender, we'd like to hear from the market."

Understanding these notices can give your business a real advantage, especially if you're hoping to win public sector contracts.

Why do buyers publish Planning Notices?

Before spending public money, buyers want to make informed decisions.

They may know what problem they're trying to solve, but they don't always know the best way to solve it.

That's why they sometimes ask suppliers for feedback before writing the tender documents.

For example, they might want to understand:

what's available in the market
how much the project is likely to cost
whether the proposed timetable is realistic
whether they're asking for the right specification
whether there are new technologies or better ways of delivering the service

By speaking to suppliers early, buyers can design a procurement that's fair, realistic and more likely to attract strong competition.

Think of it as market research

Imagine you're planning to renovate your home.

Before asking builders to submit quotations, you might speak to a few companies to understand what's possible, how long the work could take and roughly what it might cost.

You're not choosing a builder yet.

You're simply gathering information so you can make better decisions.

That's exactly what a Planning Notice is doing.

The buyer hasn't started the competition.

They're collecting information first.

Can you win a contract from a Planning Notice?

No.

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.

A Planning Notice isn't a live procurement.

There are no bids to submit.

No winner is chosen.

Instead, buyers may ask suppliers to:

complete a questionnaire
attend a supplier engagement event
join an online webinar
take part in a market consultation
provide written feedback

Your role is to help the buyer understand the market, not to sell your company.

Why should suppliers pay attention?

This is where many businesses miss an opportunity.

Because there isn't a contract to bid for immediately, some suppliers simply ignore Planning Notices.

That can be a mistake.

Taking part gives you several advantages.

You'll hear about opportunities earlier

Instead of discovering the tender a few weeks before the deadline, you'll know months in advance that it's coming.

That gives you much more time to prepare.

You may influence the specification

Buyers often ask suppliers whether their proposed requirements are realistic.

If several suppliers highlight the same issue, the buyer may change the specification before the tender is published.

While you shouldn't expect the procurement to be designed around your business, your feedback can help shape a more practical competition.

You'll understand the buyer's priorities

Supplier engagement events often provide valuable insight into what the organisation is trying to achieve.

That knowledge can be extremely useful when you eventually write your bid.

You'll have more time to prepare

By the time the tender is published, you may already have:

gathered your documents
reviewed the likely requirements
planned your resources

Instead of rushing, you'll be ready.

What should you do if you find a Planning Notice?

If the opportunity looks relevant to your business, don't just close the page.

Take a few minutes to:

read the notice carefully
register your interest if requested
attend any supplier engagement events
respond to market questionnaires
make a note of the expected procurement timetable

Even if nothing happens for several months, you'll already be ahead of suppliers who only discover the opportunity when the tender is finally published.

Planning Notice or Tender – What's the difference?

A simple way to think about it is this.

A Planning Notice says:

"We're thinking about buying this. Tell us what you think."

A Tender Notice says:

"We've decided what we want. It's now time to submit your bid."

Understanding that difference can save a lot of confusion.

My Final Thoughts

Planning Notices don't award contracts.

They do something that's often just as valuable.

They give you time.

Time to understand the buyer.

Time to prepare.

Time to influence the procurement where appropriate.

Most importantly, they give you the opportunity to be ready before everyone else even knows the contract is coming.

If you're serious about winning more public sector work, don't ignore Planning Notices.

They could become one of the most valuable opportunities you never realised you had.

Thanks for reading.

I hope this guide has made public procurement a little easier to understand.

Kim Frater
Founder, Bid Trawler

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