Periodic Indicative Notice (Utilities Sector)

The Periodic Indicative Notice (PIN) is a procurement notice available to contracting entities under Directive 2014/25/EU that serves two distinct purposes depending on how it is used. It is an important tool for suppliers tracking utilities markets: a PIN can be either an early warning of forthcoming procurement activity or the formal launch of a restricted competition, depending on the contracting entity's intent. Understanding which function a particular PIN is serving is essential for suppliers deciding whether and how to respond.

What is a Periodic Indicative Notice (Utilities Sector)?

Articles 67 and 68 of Directive 2014/25/EU address the PIN in the utilities context.

Used as advance information, a PIN announces a contracting entity's planned procurement activity for the coming period (typically 12 months). It gives suppliers early visibility of upcoming contracts without constituting a formal call for competition. Suppliers cannot respond directly to such a PIN to express interest in a specific contract; they must wait for a separate contract notice or invitation.

Used as a call for competition, a PIN replaces the conventional contract notice as the formal start of a procurement procedure. When a PIN is used this way, it must contain specific information equivalent to a contract notice: a description of the requirement, the estimated value, the intended procedure, and how suppliers can express interest. Contracting entities that use a PIN as a call for competition can then reduce the minimum time limit for suppliers to respond to invitations to tender (ITTs), because the PIN itself has given suppliers an extended period of advance notice. The standard minimum response time for a restricted procedure under 2014/25/EU is 30 days; where a PIN call for competition was published at least 35 days before the contract notice, this can be reduced.

The PIN as call for competition is particularly useful in utilities markets where the contracting entity runs a qualification system. A PIN can advertise the operation of the qualification system and serve simultaneously as the standing call for competition for contracts that will be awarded to qualified suppliers during the system's lifetime, without a separate contract notice for each individual contract.

PINs must be published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) in EU member states. In the UK, after Brexit, the equivalent notice is published on Find a Tender. The notice form for a utilities PIN differs from the Classic Directive PIN form; buyers and suppliers should check the correct form requirements for each national context.

Why it matters for bidders

A PIN used as advance information tells you that a procurement is coming and gives you time to prepare: to gather evidence for a qualification application, to arrange teaming or subcontracting, or to begin developing a technical proposal. A PIN used as a call for competition is the formal start of a procedure, and missing the response window for expressions of interest can exclude you entirely. Monitoring TED for PINs in your target sectors is therefore as important as monitoring contract notices.

Example

A Danish transmission system operator publishes a PIN on TED in January, covering its planned procurement of grid infrastructure maintenance services over the next 18 months, with an estimated total value of EUR 80 million. It states that the PIN also serves as a call for competition and invites suppliers to express interest by 15 February. It will then select suppliers from among those expressing interest and from its qualification system, and issue invitations to tender in April with a shortened 20-day response period. Suppliers who miss the expression-of-interest deadline cannot participate in the subsequent procedure, even if they are already on the qualification system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every PIN require a supplier to respond?

Only if the PIN is used as a call for competition that invites expressions of interest. A PIN used purely as advance information (prior information only) does not require a response and does not start any time limits. Suppliers should read each PIN carefully to determine which function it is serving. TED notice forms indicate whether the PIN is a call for competition.

How far in advance must a PIN be published to allow reduced time limits?

Under 2014/25/EU, a PIN used as a call for competition must be published at least 35 days before the contract notice (or the invitation to tender) for the reduced time limit to apply. If published less than 35 days before, the standard time limits apply.

Is the utilities sector PIN different from the PIN in the Classic Directive?

Yes. The Classic Directive (2014/24/EU) also has a PIN mechanism, but the utilities sector version allows more flexible use, including as the only call for competition across a rolling set of contracts over an extended period, particularly when combined with a qualification system. The notice forms, time limits, and procedural rules differ between the two directives.