Contract Details Notice

Transparency does not end when a contract is signed. One of the core principles of the Procurement Act 2023 is that the full lifecycle of a public contract should be visible to the market, from the early signal of a pipeline notice through to the reporting of contract performance. The contract details notice is the post-award publication that records the outcome of a procurement: who won, at what price, and on what terms.

What is a contract details notice?

A contract details notice is a notice that a covered buyer must publish on Find a Tender after awarding a contract through either a competitive award or a direct award. It replaces the "contract award notice" that was used under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (and which implemented the equivalent EU obligation under Directive 2014/24/EU).

The contract details notice must include: the identity of the contracting authority; the identity of the winning supplier; the estimated total value of the contract; the contract duration; a description of the goods, services, or works; the procedure used; the number of tenders received (for competitive awards); and a summary of the evaluation outcome. For competitive awards, it must also include a summary of the assessment summary information, creating a public record of how bids were scored.

For above-threshold contracts, the notice must be published within a specified period after the contract is signed. The Act sets mandatory timeframes that are shorter than those that applied under the old regulations, reflecting the emphasis on prompt transparency.

Why it matters for bidders

Contract details notices are a rich source of market intelligence. By monitoring these notices in your target sectors, you can: identify which suppliers are winning contracts with your target buyers; understand what prices are being achieved for similar contracts; track the contract durations and renewal timescales so you can prepare for future competitions; and identify direct award patterns that may represent opportunities for competition in future.

For unsuccessful bidders in a completed competition, the contract details notice confirms who won and the contract value, complementing the assessment summary you receive directly from the buyer.

Example

A local authority completes a competitive tender for a five-year waste management contract valued at GBP 15 million and awards it to a regional waste management company. Within the required notice period, it publishes a contract details notice on Find a Tender identifying the winner, the total contract value, the duration, the number of bids received (seven), the number of compliant bids evaluated (five), and a summary of the final scores showing the winning bid's overall score and the range of scores received. Competitor suppliers use this notice to benchmark their pricing and understand the quality differential between their bid and the winner's.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly must a contract details notice be published?

The Act sets specific timeframes for publication after the contract is signed. Buyers must publish promptly, and the timeframes are shorter than those under the old 2015 Regulations. Precise timescales depend on the contract type and value; the Cabinet Office publishes guidance on the applicable deadlines.

Does a contract details notice confirm the actual contract price or an estimate?

The notice typically records the estimated total contract value as agreed at award. Where the final value is uncertain (for example, in volume-based or time-and-materials contracts), an estimated maximum or range is used. Buyers are also required to publish contract change notices if the value changes materially during the contract period.

Are contract details notices published for direct awards?

Yes. A contract details notice is required for both competitively awarded and directly awarded contracts. For direct awards, the notice works alongside the transparency notice and direct award justification to create a complete record of the non-competitive award.