Procurement glossary

522 definitions of the terms and acronyms that appear in UK tender documents.

In-depth explainers

114 of these terms have a full write-up: how they work in practice, what evaluators look for and the mistakes that cost suppliers marks.

Abnormally Low Tender Automatic Suspension Award Criteria Below-Threshold Contract Bid Library Bid Manager Bid Writer Bid/No-Bid Decision Call-Off Contract Capture Plan Carbon Reduction Plan Case Study Clarification Common Procurement Vocabulary Competitive Dialogue Competitive Flexible Procedure Compliance Matrix Conflict of Interest Consensus Scoring Consortium Contract Award Notice Contract Notice Contracting Authority Contracts Finder Cyber Essentials Debarment List Debrief Differentiator Direct Award Discretionary Exclusion Ground Dynamic Market Dynamic Purchasing System E-Tendering Economic Operator Equal Treatment Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Panel Evidence Exclusion Grounds Executive Summary Expression of Interest Find a Tender Service Form of Tender Framework Agreement Framework Lot Freedom of Information Further Competition Incumbent Innovation Partnership Instructions to Tenderers Invitation to Tender IR35 ISO 27001 ISO 9001 Joint Venture Judicial Review Key Performance Indicator Light Touch Regime Liquidated Damages Lot Lotting Strategy Mandatory Exclusion Ground Method Statement Mini-Competition Moderation Modern Slavery Act 2015 Most Economically Advantageous Tender Negotiated Procedure Net Zero Normalisation Open Procedure Page Limit Pass/Fail Criteria Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Presentation Stage Price Scoring Model Price-Quality Ratio Prime Contractor Procurement Act 2023 Procurement Challenge Procurement Threshold Public Contracts Regulations 2015 Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 Quality Threshold Red Review Request for Proposal Request for Quotation Restricted Procedure Scoring Descriptor Scoring Matrix Selection Questionnaire Self-Cleaning Service Credits Service Level Agreement Shortlist Social Value Standstill Period STAR Technique Storyboard Submission Deadline Teckal Exemption Tender Feedback Tender Return TOMs Framework Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)Transparency Transparency Notice UK GDPR Value for Money Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice Weighting Win Rate Win Theme Word Count Limit

Showing 522 definitions

Abnormally High Price: A tender priced well above the buyer's budget or market benchmark.
Abnormally Low TenderIn depth: A bid priced so low the buyer doubts it can be delivered.
Acceptance Criteria: The tests a deliverable must pass to be accepted.
Acceptance Testing: Buyer testing to confirm a deliverable meets requirements.
Accessibility Statement: A published statement of a digital service's accessibility status.
Account Manager: The commercial relationship owner for a client.
Achilles: A supplier qualification community used in utilities and rail.
Adjudication: A fast statutory dispute process in construction contracts.
Admitted Body Status(ABS): Permission to participate in a public sector pension scheme.
Advance Payment Bond: Security given in exchange for payment up front.
Affordability Cap: A hard price limit set out in the tender documents.
Aggregation: Adding up related requirements to test whether the threshold is met.
Agile Delivery: Iterative delivery in short cycles with continuous user feedback.
Alliance Contract: A contract binding multiple parties to shared outcomes and risk.
Annual Contract Value(ACV): The value of a contract in a single year.
Answer Plan: The structured outline of a single tender response.
Anti-Bribery Policy: The written policy preventing corrupt practice in your business.
Appendix: Supporting material submitted alongside an answer.
Apprenticeship Levy: A payroll levy funding apprenticeship training.
Approved Supplier List: A buyer-maintained list of suppliers eligible for certain work.
Arbitration: Private binding determination of a dispute by an arbitrator.
Arm's Length Body(ALB): A public organisation operating at a distance from a department.
Assignment: Transferring the benefit of a contract to another party.
Audit Rights: The buyer's right to inspect your records and premises.
Automatic SuspensionIn depth: The freeze on contract signature when a claim is issued in standstill.
Award CriteriaIn depth: The published factors used to decide who wins.
Award Decision: The buyer's formal choice of winning supplier.
Award Letter: The notification telling you whether you won or lost.
B Corp Certification: A certification of verified social and environmental performance.
Background IP: IP you owned before the contract started.
Baseline Personnel Security Standard(BPSS): The minimum pre-employment screening for government work.
Below-Threshold ContractIn depth: A contract worth less than the regulated threshold.
Benchmarking: Comparing contract prices or performance against the market.
Benefits Realisation: Tracking whether promised benefits actually materialise.
Best and Final Offer(BAFO): A final round asking shortlisted bidders for their best terms.
Bid: The everyday word for a tender submission.
Bid Costs: The internal and external cost of preparing a tender.
Bid LibraryIn depth: A curated store of reusable, approved content.
Bid ManagerIn depth: The person running the bid process end to end.
Bid Pipeline: The tracked list of opportunities you intend to pursue.
Bid Plan: The overall plan of tasks, owners and review gates for a bid.
Bid Rigging: Agreements between bidders on who wins or how to price.
Bid Validity Period: The time your offer must remain open for acceptance.
Bid WriterIn depth: The person turning technical input into scoring answers.
Bid/No-Bid DecisionIn depth: The formal decision on whether to pursue an opportunity.
Bidder: An organisation that submits a tender in response to an opportunity.
Bill of Quantities(BoQ): An itemised list of measured works for pricing.
Biodiversity Net Gain(BNG): A requirement to leave habitats measurably better than before.
Block Contract: A fixed payment for an agreed level of service capacity.
Blue Light Procurement: Buying by police, fire and ambulance services.
Boilerplate: Standard reusable text about your organisation.
Break Clause: A right to end the contract early at a defined point.
Bribery Act 2010: The UK anti-corruption law covering commercial bribery.
Budget Envelope: The maximum the buyer can spend on the contract.
Building Information Modelling(BIM): Digital modelling of built assets across their lifecycle.
Building Safety Act 2022: Legislation reforming safety duties for higher-risk buildings.
Business Continuity Plan(BCP): The plan for maintaining service through disruption.
Buyer Profile: A buyer's online space listing its notices and procurement policies.
Buying In: Deliberately underpricing to win, planning to recover through variations.
Call-Off ContractIn depth: The individual contract awarded under a framework agreement.
Call-Off Terms: The specific terms applied to an individual framework order.
Call-Off Value: The value of an individual order under a framework.
Canvassing: Lobbying buyer staff about a live procurement.
Capability Statement: A summary of what your organisation can deliver.
Capacity Statement: Evidence that you can absorb the contract alongside existing work.
Capture PlanIn depth: The pre-tender plan for positioning before documents are issued.
Carbon Reduction Plan(CRP)In depth: A published plan committing to net zero by 2050.
Care Inspectorate: The Scottish regulator of care services.
Care Quality Commission(CQC): The regulator of health and social care in England.
Case StudyIn depth: A worked example of comparable delivery used as evidence.
Cash Flow: The timing of money in and out of the business.
Catalogue: A published list of products and prices available to buyers.
Category Management: Organising procurement around related spend areas.
CDM Regulations 2015: The construction design and management health and safety rules.
Ceiling Value: The maximum permitted spend under an agreement.
Central Purchasing Body(CPB): An organisation that buys or runs frameworks on behalf of others.
Certificate of Insurance: Proof of the cover you hold.
Change Control: The formal process for varying a contract's scope or price.
CHAS: A health and safety pre-qualification accreditation scheme.
Circular Economy: Designing out waste by reusing and recycling materials.
ClarificationIn depth: A formal question to the buyer during the tender window.
Clarification Deadline: The cut-off for submitting tender questions.
Clarification Question: A question you submit to the buyer during the tender period.
Closed Framework: A framework fixed to its original suppliers for the whole term.
Collateral Warranty: A direct contractual link to a party outside the main contract.
Collusion: Coordinating bids with competitors to distort competition.
Combined Authority: A group of councils working together across a city region.
Commercial Confidentiality: Protection for genuinely sensitive commercial information.
Common Procurement Vocabulary(CPV)In depth: The classification code system used to categorise procurement notices.
Community Benefit Requirements: Contract requirements delivering wider local benefit.
Compensation Event: An NEC event entitling the contractor to time and cost.
Competitive DialogueIn depth: A procedure allowing structured discussion before final tenders.
Competitive Flexible ProcedureIn depth: The Procurement Act's design-your-own competitive process.
Competitive Procedure with Negotiation(CPN): A procedure allowing negotiation of initial tenders before award.
Competitor Analysis: Assessing who else is likely to bid and how they will position.
Compliance Check: A final pass confirming every requirement is met.
Compliance MatrixIn depth: A tracker mapping every ITT requirement to a response and an owner.
Compliant Bid: A submission that meets every stated requirement.
Concession Contract: A contract where the supplier's return comes from exploiting the service.
Concession Contracts Regulations 2016: Rules for contracts where the supplier takes operating risk.
Conditions of Contract: The legal terms that will govern delivery once you win.
Conditions of Tender: The contractual rules of the competition itself.
Conflict of InterestIn depth: A relationship that could bias a procurement decision.
Conflicts Assessment: The buyer's record of identified conflicts and mitigations.
Consensus ScoringIn depth: Agreeing a single score per question across the evaluation panel.
ConsortiumIn depth: A group of suppliers bidding together for a contract.
Consortium Agreement: The contract between consortium members governing the bid and delivery.
Construction Industry Scheme(CIS): HMRC rules on payments to construction subcontractors.
Constructionline: A UK supplier pre-qualification register for construction.
Contingency: Money or time set aside for identified uncertainty.
Continuous Improvement: A commitment to improve service and efficiency over time.
Contract Award NoticeIn depth: The published record of who won a contract and on what terms.
Contract Change Notice: The published notice of a qualifying contract modification.
Contract Details Notice: The Procurement Act notice confirming a contract has been entered into.
Contract Governance: The meeting structure and decision rights across a contract.
Contract Management: Managing performance, risk and relationship after award.
Contract Manager: The person accountable for delivery of a specific contract.
Contract Modification: A change to a live contract after award.
Contract NoticeIn depth: The formal advert opening a procurement to the market.
Contract Performance Notice: A published notice of poor performance or breach.
Contract Register: A public list of a buyer's live contracts and expiry dates.
Contract Term: The length of time the contract runs.
Contract Value: The estimated total the buyer expects to spend over the contract term.
Contracting AuthorityIn depth: The public body running the procurement and awarding the contract.
Contractor's Proposals: The contractor's design response to the employer's requirements.
Contracts FinderIn depth: The UK portal publishing lower-value central and local government contracts.
Contribution: Revenue less variable costs, before fixed overhead recovery.
Cost Model: The internal build-up behind your tendered price.
Cost of Sale: Total cost of winning work, spread across wins and losses.
Cost Plus: Payment of actual costs plus an agreed fee or margin.
Cover Pricing: Submitting a deliberately uncompetitive bid to appear interested.
Credit Rating: An assessment of your likelihood of financial failure.
Crown Commercial Service(CCS): The UK government's central buying organisation.
CSCS Card: Proof of construction site training and competence.
CV Requirements: Tender rules for submitting staff biographies.
Cyber EssentialsIn depth: A UK government-backed baseline cyber security certification.
Cyber Essentials Plus: The independently audited version of Cyber Essentials.
Cyber Insurance: Cover for losses from data breaches and cyber incidents.
Damages: Financial compensation for a breach of procurement rules.
Data Controller: The party deciding why and how personal data is processed.
Data Portability: The ability to extract your data in a usable format on exit.
Data Processing Agreement(DPA): The contract term set governing personal data processing.
Data Processor: The party processing personal data on the controller's instructions.
Data Protection Impact Assessment(DPIA): An assessment of privacy risk in high-risk processing.
Data Security and Protection Toolkit(DSPT): The NHS self-assessment for handling health and care data.
Day Rate: A charge for one person for one working day.
DBS Check: A criminal records check for roles involving vulnerable groups.
DCB0129: The clinical risk management standard for health IT manufacturers.
DCB0160: The clinical risk management standard for health organisations deploying IT.
Debarment: Formal exclusion from public contracts for a defined period.
Debarment ListIn depth: The central register of suppliers excluded from public contracts.
DebriefIn depth: A structured discussion of your bid's strengths and weaknesses.
Declaration of Ineffectiveness: A court order unwinding an unlawfully awarded contract.
Defects Liability Period: The window after completion for fixing defects.
Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011(DSPCR): The specialised regime for defence and security procurement.
Demand Management: Controlling what the organisation buys and how much.
Design Contest: A competition to select a design, usually with a prize or subsequent commission.
Developed Vetting(DV): The highest routine level of UK security clearance.
DifferentiatorIn depth: Something you offer that competitors realistically cannot match.
Digital Outcomes and Specialists(DOS): The government route for buying digital teams and specialists.
Digital Technology Assessment Criteria(DTAC): The NHS baseline assessment for digital health products.
Direct AwardIn depth: Awarding a contract without running a competition.
Direct Payment: Cash paid to an individual to arrange their own support.
Disaggregation: Splitting a requirement into smaller contracts.
Disaster Recovery(DR): Restoring systems and data after a major failure.
Discretionary Exclusion GroundIn depth: A ground the buyer may exclude you for.
Dispute Resolution: The contractual route for settling disagreements.
Down-Selection: Progressively reducing the bidder field between stages.
Due Diligence: Checks on the other party before committing.
Dun & Bradstreet Score(D&B): A commercial credit risk rating used in supplier checks.
Dynamic MarketIn depth: The Procurement Act's open supplier list replacing dynamic purchasing systems.
Dynamic Purchasing System(DPS)In depth: An open list of qualified suppliers that new entrants can join at any time.
Dynamic Scheduling: Software-driven allocation of field operatives to jobs.
E-Marketplace: An online purchasing platform for pre-agreed goods and services.
E-Procurement Portal: The software platform a buyer uses to run tenders.
E-TenderingIn depth: Running a procurement through an online portal rather than on paper.
Early Contractor Involvement(ECI): Bringing the contractor into design before the price is fixed.
Economic OperatorIn depth: The legal term for any supplier, contractor or service provider bidding for work.
Employee Liability Information(ELI): The staff data provided to bidders where TUPE applies.
Employer's Requirements: The buyer's technical brief on a design-and-build construction contract.
Employers' Liability Insurance(EL): Legally required cover for employee injury claims.
Entire Agreement Clause: A clause stating the written contract is the whole deal.
Equal TreatmentIn depth: The duty to treat all suppliers the same in comparable situations.
Equality Act 2010: The UK law prohibiting discrimination.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion(EDI): Policies and practice on fair treatment and representation.
Escalation Procedure: The agreed ladder for raising issues between the parties.
Estimated Value: The buyer's forecast of contract value used to test thresholds.
eTendersNI: The e-procurement portal used by Northern Ireland public bodies.
Ethical Procurement: Buying in a way that respects labour, human rights and the environment.
Evaluation CriteriaIn depth: The detailed questions and measures behind each award criterion.
Evaluation PanelIn depth: The group of buyer staff scoring tender responses.
EvidenceIn depth: Proof that a claim in your bid is true.
Exclusion GroundsIn depth: Reasons a supplier can be barred from a procurement.
Executive SummaryIn depth: A short opening statement of your value proposition.
Exit Management: The contractual regime governing handover on termination.
Exit Plan: How services transfer to a new provider at the end.
Expression of Interest(EOI)In depth: A formal signal that you want to take part in a procurement.
Extension Option: A contractual right to prolong the contract term.
Fair Work First: The Scottish policy setting employment standards for public contracts.
Fairtrade Certification: A standard certifying fair terms for producers.
Financial Assessment: The buyer's check on whether you can afford to deliver.
Financial Ratios: Metrics such as liquidity, gearing and profitability used in assessment.
Find a Tender Service(FTS)In depth: The UK service publishing higher-value public procurement notices.
Firm Price: A price fixed with no indexation for the whole term.
Fixed Price: A price that does not change for the agreed scope.
Flow-Down Terms: Head-contract obligations passed to subcontractors.
Force Majeure: Relief for events beyond a party's reasonable control.
Foreground IP: IP created during delivery of the contract.
Form of TenderIn depth: The signed declaration confirming your offer and its validity period.
Framework AgreementIn depth: A pre-competed arrangement setting terms for future call-off contracts.
Framework Expiry: The date a framework stops accepting new call-offs.
Framework Levy: A percentage fee paid to the framework operator on spend.
Framework LotIn depth: A sub-division of a framework by service, geography or value band.
Framework Schedule: A numbered annex setting out specific framework obligations.
Freedom of Information(FOI)In depth: The right to request recorded information from public bodies.
FSC Certification: Certification of responsibly sourced timber and paper.
Further CompetitionIn depth: The formal name for competing a call-off among framework suppliers.
G-Cloud: The government framework for buying cloud services.
Gainshare: Sharing savings generated during delivery with the buyer.
Gas Safe Register: The legal register for gas engineers in the UK.
Ghosting: Highlighting a competitor's weakness without naming them.
Gold Review: The final sign-off review before submission.
Golden Thread: A consistent argument running through every answer.
Governing Law: The legal system that applies to the contract.
Grant Funding: Money awarded for a purpose rather than in exchange for services.
Group Company Support: Relying on a parent or sister company's resources.
Guaranteed Minimum: A committed minimum value or volume in a contract.
Hard FM: Building fabric and engineering maintenance services.
Higher Education Consortium: Regional purchasing groups for universities.
Housing Association: A registered provider of social housing.
IASME Governance: A UK information assurance standard aimed at smaller organisations.
Implementation Plan: The plan for deploying a solution or system.
IncumbentIn depth: The supplier currently delivering the contract being retendered.
Indemnity: A promise to cover another party's specified losses.
Indexation: Adjusting prices in line with a published index.
Innovation PartnershipIn depth: A procedure combining research, development and purchase of a new solution.
Input Specification: A specification prescribing exactly what resources and methods to use.
Instructions to Tenderers(ITT Instructions)In depth: The rules governing how to prepare and submit your bid.
Integrated Care Board(ICB): The NHS body commissioning services for a local population.
Intellectual Property(IP): Rights in created works, designs, software and know-how.
Interoperability: The ability of systems to exchange and use information.
Invitation to Tender(ITT)In depth: The formal document inviting suppliers to submit a priced, compliant bid.
Invoice: The request for payment for delivered goods or services.
IR35In depth: Off-payroll working rules for contractors supplied through intermediaries.
ISO 14001: The international standard for environmental management systems.
ISO 19650: The international standard for information management using BIM.
ISO 22301: The standard for business continuity management systems.
ISO 27001In depth: The international standard for information security management.
ISO 44001: The standard for collaborative business relationship management.
ISO 45001: The international standard for occupational health and safety management.
ISO 50001: The standard for energy management systems.
ISO 9001In depth: The international standard for quality management systems.
ISO/IEC 20000: The standard for IT service management.
ITIL: A framework of IT service management practices.
JCT Contract: A widely used family of UK construction contracts.
Joint Venture(JV)In depth: A separate legal entity created by two or more organisations to deliver work.
JOSCAR: The joint supply chain accreditation register for defence and aerospace.
Judicial ReviewIn depth: A challenge to the lawfulness of a public body's decision.
Jurisdiction: The courts with authority to hear disputes under the contract.
Key Performance Indicator(KPI)In depth: A measurable target used to manage contract performance.
Key Personnel: Named individuals whose involvement is contractually protected.
Kick-Off Meeting: The meeting launching a bid after the decision to pursue.
KPI Publication: The duty to publish performance against contract KPIs.
Legal Entity: The specific registered organisation submitting the bid.
Lessons Learned: A structured review of what worked and what did not after a bid.
Levelling Up Funding: UK programmes funding local regeneration and infrastructure.
Light Touch RegimeIn depth: A relaxed set of rules for certain social, health and education services.
Limitation of Liability: The contractual cap on what you can be made to pay.
Liquidated Damages(LDs)In depth: Pre-agreed sums payable for defined delays or failures.
Local Authority: A council responsible for local public services.
Local Supply Chain Commitment: A commitment to spend within the contract's local area.
Loss Leader: Pricing below cost to win entry to a client or market.
LotIn depth: A divided portion of a contract that can be bid for separately.
Lotting StrategyIn depth: How a buyer splits a requirement into lots by geography, service or value.
Lowest Price: An award approach where the cheapest compliant bid wins.
Management Information(MI): The data you must report to the buyer during delivery.
Managing Successful Programmes(MSP): A framework for managing programmes of related projects.
Mandatory Exclusion GroundIn depth: A ground the buyer must exclude you for.
Margin: The profit remaining after all costs of delivery.
Market Engagement: Buyer-led activity to understand supplier capability before tendering.
Market Testing: Re-competing part of a contract to test current market rates.
Match Funding: A contribution required alongside grant or programme funding.
Maverick Spend: Purchasing outside agreed contracts and processes.
Mediation: A facilitated negotiation to settle a dispute.
Method StatementIn depth: A written explanation of how you will deliver the requirement.
Micro-Business: An organisation with fewer than 10 employees.
Milestone Payment: Payment triggered by completing a defined deliverable.
Mini-CompetitionIn depth: A further competition between framework suppliers for a specific call-off.
Minimum Standard: The lowest acceptable level for a selection or award requirement.
Minimum Turnover Requirement: A minimum annual revenue level to qualify.
Mobilisation: The period between contract award and service commencement.
Mobilisation Plan: The detailed schedule for going live.
MOD Procurement: Defence buying through Defence Equipment and Support and related bodies.
Model Services Contract(MSC): The Cabinet Office standard contract for complex outsourced services.
ModerationIn depth: The meeting where evaluators agree consensus scores.
Modern Slavery Act 2015In depth: The law requiring transparency on forced labour risks.
Modern Slavery Statement: An annual published statement on slavery in your supply chain.
Most Economically Advantageous Tender(MEAT)In depth: The combined quality and price assessment used to select a winner.
Motor Fleet Insurance: Cover for vehicles used in contract delivery.
National Security Unit for Procurement: The body assessing national security risks from suppliers.
NEC Contract: A family of collaborative construction and services contracts.
Negotiated ProcedureIn depth: A legacy procedure permitting negotiation with selected suppliers.
Net ZeroIn depth: Balancing emissions produced with emissions removed.
NHS Supply Chain: The national procurement organisation for NHS goods and services.
NICEIC: A certification body for electrical contractors.
No-Bid Letter: A short note telling the buyer you will not tender this time.
Non-Compliant Bid: A submission that breaches the stated tender rules.
Non-Disclosure Agreement(NDA): An agreement protecting confidential information.
Non-Discrimination: Not favouring suppliers on grounds of location or nationality.
NormalisationIn depth: Adjusting scores or prices so bids are compared on the same basis.
Novation: Transferring a contract to a new party with consent of all parties.
Official Journal of the European Union(OJEU): The pre-Brexit publication route for high-value EU procurement notices.
Ofsted: The regulator for education and children's services in England.
OHSAS 18001: The withdrawn predecessor to ISO 45001 for health and safety management.
Onboarding: The buyer's process for setting you up as a live supplier.
Open Book Accounting: Sharing actual costs and margin with the buyer.
Open Framework: A framework that reopens for new entrants during its life.
Open ProcedureIn depth: A single-stage tender where anyone may submit a full bid.
Open Standards: Publicly available technical standards buyers require.
Opportunity: A published requirement a supplier can compete for.
Or Equivalent: Wording allowing alternatives to a named product or standard.
Order Form: The document formally creating a call-off contract.
Order of Precedence: The ranking of contract documents where they conflict.
Output Specification: A specification defining required results rather than prescribed methods.
Overhead and Profit(OH&P): The uplift covering indirect costs and margin.
Page LimitIn depth: A cap on the number of pages per response.
Pain/Gain Share: The formula sharing savings and overspend against target cost.
Parent Company Guarantee(PCG): A parent's promise to perform if the subsidiary fails.
Pass/Fail CriteriaIn depth: Requirements that must be met to stay in the competition.
Payment Practices Reporting: Twice-yearly reporting of payment performance by larger companies.
Payment Schedule: The agreed timetable of payments across a contract.
Payment Terms: How long the buyer has to pay a valid invoice.
Penetration Test: An authorised simulated attack on systems.
Pension Protection: Obligations to maintain broadly comparable pensions on transfer.
Performance Bond: A financial instrument paying the buyer if you default.
Performance Review Meeting: The regular meeting assessing delivery against KPIs.
Personal Budget: Funding allocated to an individual to purchase their own care.
Pink Review: An early review of draft answers and structure.
Pipeline Notice: A published forecast of contracts a large buyer expects to procure.
Planned Preventative Maintenance(PPM): Scheduled maintenance to prevent failure.
Planned Procurement Notice: The Procurement Act notice giving advance warning of a future tender.
Portal Upload: The technical act of loading documents into an e-tendering system.
Post-Tender Clarification: Buyer questions about your bid after submission.
Post-Tender Negotiation(PTN): Negotiation with bidders after tenders are received.
PPC2000: A multi-party partnering construction contract.
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire(PQQ)In depth: The legacy term for the supplier selection stage.
Preliminary Market Consultation: Formal pre-procurement engagement permitted under procurement rules.
Presentation StageIn depth: A scored meeting where you present your bid to the panel.
Price Review: A contractual point where rates can be revisited.
Price Scoring ModelIn depth: The formula converting tendered prices into marks.
Price-Quality RatioIn depth: The balance between cost and quality in the award decision.
Pricing Schedule: The template you complete with rates and totals.
Pricing Strategy: The deliberate approach to how you price a specific bid.
Prime ContractorIn depth: The supplier holding the contract and managing the supply chain.
PRINCE2: A structured project management method used across UK government.
Principal Contractor: The CDM dutyholder managing construction phase safety.
Principal Designer: The CDM dutyholder managing pre-construction safety in design.
Prior Information Notice(PIN): An early notice signalling a procurement the buyer intends to run.
Procurement: The end-to-end process of buying goods, services or works.
Procurement Act 2023In depth: The law governing most UK public procurement from February 2025.
Procurement ChallengeIn depth: A legal claim that a procurement breached the rules.
Procurement Policy Note(PPN): Government guidance instructing buyers on procurement practice.
Procurement Review Unit(PRU): The Cabinet Office team investigating supplier and buyer compliance.
Procurement Strategy: The buyer's plan for how a requirement will be bought.
Procurement ThresholdIn depth: The value at which the full procurement rules apply.
Product Liability Insurance: Cover for harm caused by goods you supply.
Professional Indemnity Insurance(PI): Cover for losses caused by professional advice or design.
Prompt Payment: Paying suppliers within agreed, short terms.
Prompt Payment Code(PPC): A voluntary code committing signatories to fast payment.
Proportionality: Requirements must be appropriate to the size and risk of the contract.
Provider Framework: An approved list of care or health providers with agreed rates.
Provider Selection Regime(PSR): The NHS-specific rules for selecting healthcare providers.
Public Contracts Regulations 2015(PCR 2015)In depth: The previous rulebook for UK public procurement.
Public Contracts Scotland(PCS): The national advertising portal for Scottish public sector contracts.
Public Liability Insurance(PL): Cover for injury or damage caused to third parties.
Public Procurement: Buying carried out by public bodies using public money.
Public Sector Equality Duty(PSED): The duty on public bodies to advance equality in their functions.
Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012In depth: The law requiring buyers to consider social value in service contracts.
Public-Public Cooperation: Allows cooperation between public bodies outside procurement rules.
PunchOut Catalogue: A supplier catalogue accessed from within the buyer's system.
Purchase Order(PO): The buyer's instruction to supply, referencing agreed terms.
Pursuit: The overall campaign to win a specific opportunity.
Qualification Criteria: Your internal tests for whether a bid is worth pursuing.
Qualification System: A utilities mechanism for pre-approving suppliers over several years.
Quality ThresholdIn depth: A minimum quality score you must reach before price is opened.
Quick Quote: A short, low-value competitive quotation exercise on a public portal.
Rate Card: A published table of charges by role and seniority.
Reactive Maintenance: Repairs carried out in response to faults.
Real Living Wage: A voluntary wage rate based on living costs.
Rebate: A payment back to the buyer based on volume or spend.
Record Keeping Obligations: Contractual duties to retain documents and data.
Recovery Point Objective(RPO): How much data loss is acceptable after an incident.
Recovery Time Objective(RTO): How quickly a service must be restored after failure.
Red ReviewIn depth: A scored review of near-final answers by people outside the bid team.
Reference Check: Contacting your named clients to verify performance claims.
Regret Letter: The notification that your bid was unsuccessful.
Reliance on Third Parties: Using another organisation's capacity to meet selection criteria.
Relief Event: A defined event giving extra time but not extra money.
Request for Information(RFI): A non-binding request to gather supplier and market information.
Request for Proposal(RFP)In depth: A request asking suppliers to propose a solution as well as a price.
Request for Quotation(RFQ)In depth: A price-led request against a clearly specified requirement.
Reserved Contract: A contract limited to specific supplier types, such as supported businesses.
Resource Plan: Who you will deploy, when, and at what level.
Restricted ProcedureIn depth: A two-stage tender with selection first and tendering second.
Retender: Running a fresh competition for a contract that already exists.
Retention: A percentage of payment held back until completion.
Retention Bond: A bond replacing cash retention.
Risk Allocation: Which party carries each risk under the contract.
Risk Assessment: Identifying and evaluating what could go wrong.
Risk Register: A live log of risks, owners, scores and mitigations.
Risk Transfer: Moving risk to another party through contract or insurance.
RISQS: The rail industry supplier qualification scheme.
Route to Market: The mechanism used to award a contract.
SafeContractor: A health and safety accreditation widely used in facilities management.
Safeguarding: Protecting children and vulnerable adults from harm.
Safety Schemes in Procurement(SSIP): The mutual recognition body for health and safety accreditations.
Schedule of Rates: A price list of unit rates applied to variable volumes.
Schedule of Rates Code: A coded task with an agreed price in maintenance contracts.
School Buying: Procurement by schools, trusts and academies.
Scope 3 Emissions: Indirect emissions across your value chain.
Scope Creep: Gradual expansion of work without contract change.
Scope of Works: The construction equivalent of a specification, defining what is to be built.
Score Improvement Plan: A plan to raise weak answer areas across future bids.
Scoring DescriptorIn depth: The written definition of a specific mark, such as 'good' or 'excellent'.
Scoring MatrixIn depth: The table defining what each score means for each question.
Scottish Procurement Rules: The distinct legal framework applying to Scottish public buyers.
Security Check Clearance(SC): A UK national security vetting level for staff.
Selection Questionnaire(SQ)In depth: The pre-qualification stage assessing supplier suitability before tendering.
Self-Billing: An arrangement where the buyer raises the invoice on your behalf.
Self-CleaningIn depth: Evidence that you have fixed the issue behind an exclusion ground.
Sell2Wales: The national procurement portal for Welsh public sector opportunities.
Service CreditsIn depth: Automatic price reductions when service levels are missed.
Service Definition: The published description of a service on a catalogue framework.
Service Level Agreement(SLA)In depth: The agreed performance standards attached to a service contract.
Service Standard: The government criteria for building good public digital services.
SFG20: The industry standard for building maintenance specification.
Short Form Contract: A simplified government contract for lower-value services.
ShortlistIn depth: The set of suppliers invited to the next stage.
Single-Stage Tender: A competition where selection and award are assessed in one submission.
Site Visit: A buyer-organised visit to the location of the work.
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise(SME): A business under 250 staff with limited turnover or balance sheet.
Social Enterprise: A business trading for a social or environmental purpose.
Social ValueIn depth: The wider economic, social and environmental benefit delivered alongside a contract.
Social Value Model: The government framework of social value themes, outcomes and measures.
Soft FM: People-based facilities services such as cleaning and catering.
Soft Market Testing: Informal exploration of whether the market can meet a need.
Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV): A company set up solely to hold and deliver one contract.
Specification: The document describing what the buyer needs delivered.
Spend Analysis: Reviewing a buyer's published spend to find future opportunities.
Spend Under Management: The proportion of spend controlled by the procurement function.
Spot Purchase: Buying individual placements or units as needed.
Standstill PeriodIn depth: A mandatory pause between award decision and contract signature.
STAR TechniqueIn depth: Situation, Task, Action, Result structure for evidence answers.
State Aid: The former EU framework restricting public support to businesses.
Statement of Requirements(SOR): A concise description of the need used in call-offs and simpler buys.
Step-In Rights: The buyer's right to take over delivery in a crisis.
StoryboardIn depth: A one-page plan of an answer before it is written.
Strategic Supplier: A supplier with significant spend or criticality to a buyer.
Subcontractor: A supplier delivering part of a contract under the prime.
Submission Checklist: The list of every document and field required at upload.
Submission DeadlineIn depth: The exact date and time by which the tender must be uploaded.
Subsidy Control: The UK regime replacing EU state aid rules.
Supplier: The organisation providing goods, services or works under a contract.
Supplier Code of Conduct: The behavioural standards a buyer requires of suppliers.
Supplier Day: A pre-tender event where the buyer explains an upcoming requirement.
Supplier Diversity: Broadening the range of businesses in a supply chain.
Supplier Relationship Management(SRM): Structured management of strategic supplier relationships.
Supply Chain: The network of suppliers behind delivery of a contract.
Supported Business: An organisation mainly employing disabled or disadvantaged people.
Sustainable Procurement Duty: A Scottish duty to consider economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
Target Cost: An agreed cost with gains and overruns shared between the parties.
Technical Response: The quality section of a tender submission.
Teckal ExemptionIn depth: Allows a buyer to contract with its own controlled entity without competition.
Tender: Both the formal offer you submit and the process of inviting offers.
Tender Addendum: A formal change to the tender documents issued mid-process.
Tender Bond: Security ensuring a bidder honours its offer.
Tender FeedbackIn depth: The buyer's explanation of how your bid scored.
Tender Notice: The Procurement Act term for the notice that starts a competitive procedure.
Tender Qualification: A caveat you attach to your offer.
Tender ReturnIn depth: The act of submitting your completed bid by the deadline.
Tender Schedule: The internal timetable working back from the deadline.
Tenderer: The formal name for a supplier submitting a tender.
Tenders Electronic Daily(TED): The online version of the EU's procurement journal.
Termination for Cause: Ending a contract because of a breach or default.
Termination for Convenience: The buyer's right to end the contract without fault.
Terms and Conditions: The standard clauses attached to a contract or purchase order.
Third Party Rights: Rights granted to non-parties under a contract.
TOMs Framework(TOMs)In depth: The National Themes, Outcomes and Measures framework for social value.
Total Contract Value(TCV): Value across the full term including extensions.
Total Cost of Ownership(TCO): Every cost the buyer incurs from acquisition to retirement.
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)(TUPE)In depth: Rules protecting staff when a service transfers between providers.
Transition Plan: The plan for taking a service over from another provider.
TransparencyIn depth: The duty to run procurements openly and publish key decisions.
Transparency NoticeIn depth: A notice explaining a buyer's intention to award directly without competition.
Two-Stage Tender: A process splitting qualification from the priced bid.
UK GDPRIn depth: The UK's data protection regime.
UK Shared Prosperity Fund(UKSPF): The domestic replacement for EU structural funds.
Uptime Commitment: The guaranteed availability of a service.
Utilities: Buyers in water, energy, transport and postal sectors under a separate regime.
Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016: The rules covering water, energy, transport and postal buyers.
Value for Money(VFM)In depth: The optimum combination of cost and quality over the contract life.
Variant Bid: An alternative offer alongside a compliant one.
Variation: An authorised change to the contracted work.
VAT Treatment: Whether and how VAT applies to a contract.
Vendor Assurance: Ongoing buyer checks on supplier risk and compliance.
Vendor Lock-In: Dependence on one supplier that makes switching costly.
Vendor Neutral: Not favouring any particular product or supplier.
Void Works: Repairs to empty properties before reletting.
Volume Commitment: A contractual guarantee of minimum purchase volume.
Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice(VEAT)In depth: A notice published before a direct award to signal intent.
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template(VPAT): A document reporting a product's accessibility conformance.
Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise(VCSE): Charities, social enterprises and community organisations bidding for contracts.
Warranty: A contractual promise about quality or a state of affairs.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG): The accessibility standard for digital content.
WeightingIn depth: The percentage importance given to each criterion.
Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015: Welsh legislation requiring long-term thinking in public decisions.
Whole Life Carbon: Emissions across an asset's full lifecycle.
Whole Life Cost: Total cost of ownership across the asset or service life.
Win RateIn depth: The proportion of submitted bids you convert.
Win ThemeIn depth: A repeated message linking a client need to your differentiated strength.
Word Count LimitIn depth: The maximum length permitted for an answer.
Working Capital: Short-term assets less short-term liabilities.