Transparency Notice

A Transparency Notice is a public announcement published on Find a Tender Service when a contracting authority awards a contract without a competitive process, fulfilling the standstill and publication requirements under the Procurement Act 2023.

What It Is

A Transparency Notice is a statutory publication required under the Procurement Act 2023 (which came into force 24 February 2025) when a contracting authority intends to award a contract directly — that is, without running a competitive tender procedure. It replaces the older Voluntary ex ante Transparency (VEAT) notice used under the previous EU-derived regime.

The notice must be published on the Find a Tender Service (FTS) and sets out the contracting authority's intention to award, identifying the proposed supplier and the grounds on which competition has been dispensed with.

When It Is Required

A Transparency Notice is needed in specific circumstances, including:

• Direct award under a statutory justification (e.g. genuine emergency, single-supplier market, or a permitted exemption under Schedule 5 of the Act)
• Award without prior market engagement where no competitive process preceded the award
• Certain awards under frameworks or dynamic markets where the call-off itself is not competed

Publishing the notice triggers an eight-working-day standstill period during which an excluded or unsuccessful supplier may seek a Procurement Review Unit (PRU) investigation or apply to the courts for an interim remedy before the contract is signed.

What It Must Contain

The notice must include:

• The identity of the contracting authority
• A description of the goods, services or works
• The name of the proposed supplier
• The estimated contract value and duration
• The legal justification for the direct award
• The intended date of contract signature

Why It Matters

The Transparency Notice is central to the Procurement Act 2023's overarching transparency objective. By making direct awards visible on a public register before the contract is signed, it gives the market and oversight bodies a meaningful opportunity to challenge potentially unlawful or unjustified awards.

Failing to publish where required — or signing the contract before the standstill period expires — exposes the authority to automatic suspension, court-ordered contract set-aside, or findings by the PRU. Authorities should treat the notice not as a bureaucratic formality but as a genuine accountability mechanism with legal consequences for non-compliance.