Published 26 May 2026 by eSourcingData
The standstill period is the pause between deciding who has won and signing the contract, giving unsuccessful suppliers a window to raise concerns before it is too late to fix them. Under the Procurement Act it is a minimum of eight working days. This guide covers how to trigger it, time it correctly, and handle what happens during the window.
Standstill exists so that suppliers who did not win can understand why and, if they believe the process was flawed, challenge the decision while a remedy is still practical. Once the contract is signed, the options for putting things right shrink dramatically, which is exactly what the pause is designed to prevent.
It is a protective mechanism, not an obstacle. A well run standstill filters out weak complaints, resolves genuine issues early, and lets you sign with confidence that the award is sound. Skipping or fumbling it is a false economy that trades a short delay for serious risk.
Under the Procurement Act, the standstill runs for a minimum of eight working days, and you must not enter into the contract during that period.
The standstill begins when you provide the required information to suppliers, in the form of assessment summaries. Each supplier should receive a summary explaining how their bid was assessed and why the winning bid was chosen, so send these accurately and to everyone at the same time.
Make the summaries genuinely informative. A summary that explains the scoring against each criterion and the reasons behind it gives an unsuccessful supplier the understanding they need, and clear feedback resolves far more concerns than terse, uninformative notices ever will.
Getting the summaries right is what protects the whole timeline. If a summary is inadequate or wrong, the standstill can be undermined, so treat their accuracy as a priority, not an administrative formality.
Calculate the standstill as a minimum of eight working days, and be careful about how you count the start and end. Excluding weekends and bank holidays correctly matters, because signing a day early because of a miscount can invalidate the standstill and expose the award to challenge.
Tell suppliers clearly when the standstill starts and when it ends, so there is no ambiguity about the window in which they can raise concerns. Transparency about the timeline is part of running the period fairly.
If in doubt, allow a margin rather than signing at the earliest possible moment. A slightly longer standstill costs little, whereas an accidentally short one can cost the whole award.
If a supplier raises a concern or requests further information during standstill, respond promptly and take it seriously. A quick, substantive response can resolve a misunderstanding before it becomes a formal challenge, which is in everyone's interest.
Where a supplier begins legal proceedings during the standstill period, this can suspend your ability to enter into the contract until the matter is resolved. Understand the effect of proceedings on your timeline so you do not sign when you are prevented from doing so.
Keep a record of every concern raised, your response and the outcome. This record shows you engaged properly during the standstill and supports the decision if the challenge proceeds.
If the standstill passes without a challenge that prevents you proceeding, you can enter into the contract. Only sign once the full period has elapsed and any live concerns are resolved, since signing prematurely is one of the clearest procedural errors there is.
After signing, publish a contract award notice within the required timescale so the award is transparent to the wider market. Publication closes the loop that began with your tender notice.
File the assessment summaries, the standstill timeline, any concerns raised and the award notice together. A complete record of the standstill is a core part of your defence if the award is ever questioned.
Trigger and track standstill without slips
eSourcingData generates assessment summaries from your moderated scores and records the standstill timeline, so the eight working days are triggered cleanly and fully documented.
See eSourcingDataHow long is the standstill period?
Under the Procurement Act the standstill is a minimum of eight working days. You must not enter into the contract during that period.
What starts the standstill period?
It begins when you provide the required information to suppliers in the form of assessment summaries explaining how each bid was assessed and why the winning bid was chosen.
What is an assessment summary?
It is the feedback each supplier receives explaining how their bid scored against the criteria and the reasons the winning bid was preferred. Accurate summaries are what make the standstill valid.
Can I sign the contract during standstill?
No. You must wait until the full period has elapsed. If a supplier starts proceedings during standstill, that can suspend your ability to enter into the contract until the matter is resolved.
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