Tender and award

A public buyer publishes an opportunity with its award criteria and weights; suppliers, or agents acting under a supplier's mandate, ask clarification questions that are answered for everyone and submit sealed bids; a panel scores each bid against the published criteria only, with a written reason for every score, and any agent help is recorded and never decides; the award decision is approved by a named person, every bidder receives its own assessment summary, the award notice is published on the Central Digital Platform, a standstill period runs, and a supplier can challenge, under the Procurement Act 2023, with the buyer answering in writing.