Assessment Summary (UK)

Transparency after the event matters as much as transparency before it. Under the Procurement Act 2023, unsuccessful bidders in competitive procurements are entitled to a structured written explanation of why they did not win. The assessment summary formalises this entitlement, giving suppliers the information they need to improve future bids and, where appropriate, to assess whether a challenge is warranted.

What is an assessment summary?

An assessment summary is a document that a covered buyer must send to each unsuccessful bidder within the mandatory notification period following a competitive award. It sets out how the bidder's submission scored against each of the published award criteria, what score the winning bid achieved on each criterion, and brief reasons for the scores awarded.

The assessment summary goes further than the debrief letters that buyers sometimes provided voluntarily under the old regime. It is a mandatory entitlement, not a discretionary courtesy, and must be provided within the timeframes set by the Act. The assessment summary is also tied directly to the standstill period: the standstill period (the time between notifying the award decision and signing the contract) runs from the date the assessment summaries are sent, giving unsuccessful bidders the information they need to decide whether to challenge before the contract is signed.

The Act also requires the buyer to publish a summary of the assessment summary information as part of the contract details notice published after award, creating a public record of how the winning bid was evaluated.

Why it matters for bidders

The assessment summary is one of the most practically valuable features of the Procurement Act 2023 for suppliers who regularly compete for public contracts. It tells you, for each criterion, exactly how you scored and what the winner scored. This is the information you need to answer three critical questions: where did you lose points?, was the evaluation consistent with the stated criteria and weightings?, and was the outcome lawful?

If the summary reveals that the buyer scored bids inconsistently, applied criteria that were not published, or departed from the stated weightings, you have grounds to challenge the award during the standstill period. If the summary shows that your bid was simply outscored on quality, you have a clear picture of where to invest in the next bid.

Example

A construction company submits a bid for a school building contract valued at GBP 12 million and is notified that it was unsuccessful. The buyer sends an assessment summary showing that on technical quality (weighted 50%) the company scored 38/50 against the winner's 46/50, and on price (weighted 50%) it scored 43/50 against the winner's 41/50. The summary identifies that the company lost points on the methodology section (20 points available, scored 12 against the winner's 18) due to an insufficiently detailed programme. The company uses this feedback to strengthen its methodology for future bids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly must the assessment summary be provided?

The Procurement Act 2023 requires assessment summaries to be sent to unsuccessful bidders at the same time as the award decision notification, triggering the standstill period. The standstill period is typically 8 working days for electronic notifications. Buyers must not sign the contract until the standstill period has expired.

Does the assessment summary reveal commercially sensitive information about the winning bidder?

The assessment summary discloses the winning bidder's scores against each criterion but should not reveal confidential commercial or financial information, such as the winner's unit prices or detailed pricing methodology, unless the buyer has assessed that disclosure is appropriate.

What should I do if I receive an assessment summary that appears inconsistent?

Review the summary carefully against the published award criteria and their weightings. If the scores do not add up, if criteria were applied that were not published, or if the reasoning appears inconsistent, seek legal advice promptly. The standstill period is short, and the most effective remedy (preventing the contract from being signed) is only available while it is running.