Definition
Standstill Period
A mandatory pause between award decision and contract signature.
The standstill period, sometimes called the Alcatel period, is the mandatory pause between a public buyer telling bidders the outcome of a tender and actually signing the contract. It gives unsuccessful bidders time to review the decision and challenge it if they believe the process was flawed, and is typically at least eight working days for above-threshold procurements.
What happens during standstill
At the start of standstill, the buyer issues award decision letters to all bidders, including the winner, setting out scores, the reasons for the decision and the standstill end date. Unsuccessful bidders can use this window to request a more detailed debrief and, if necessary, seek legal advice on whether to challenge.
The contract cannot be signed until the standstill period has ended, which protects bidders' ability to bring a challenge before it becomes irreversible.
What suppliers should do with a standstill letter
A standstill letter should be read carefully alongside your own submission and any scoring feedback given. If scores or feedback seem inconsistent with what was actually submitted, or with the criteria published in the ITT, it is reasonable to ask the buyer for clarification within the standstill window.
Genuine legal challenges are relatively rare and can be costly, but even a well-argued clarification request during standstill sometimes prompts a buyer to review a scoring error.
- Read the full award rationale and your own scores carefully
- Compare feedback against the evaluation criteria in the ITT
- Request a debrief meeting if the letter feedback is thin
- Take legal advice quickly if considering a formal challenge, since time limits are short
Standstill under the Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 retains a mandatory standstill period for regulated procurements, alongside more detailed transparency notices, so the underlying protection for bidders remains, even though some procedural details have changed compared with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is the standstill period in UK tenders?
- For above-threshold public contracts it is typically a minimum of eight working days, known informally as the Alcatel period, running from the date award letters are sent. Some buyers choose to extend it, but they cannot lawfully sign the contract before it ends.
- Can I challenge a tender result during standstill?
- Yes, standstill exists specifically to give bidders the opportunity to challenge a decision before the contract is signed. Challenges usually start with a clarification or debrief request, escalating to formal legal proceedings only if concerns are not resolved.
- What happens if a buyer signs a contract during standstill?
- Signing a contract within a mandatory standstill period is a serious procedural breach and can expose the buyer to legal challenge and potential ineffectiveness proceedings, so compliant buyers are very careful not to do this.
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