What is an assessment summary?
An assessment summary is the written explanation a contracting authority must give each supplier that submitted an assessed tender in a competitive award, setting out how that tender was assessed against the published award criteria and, for unsuccessful suppliers, how the winning tender was assessed. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it is provided before the contract award notice is published, so bidders have the information they need during the standstill period. Assessment summaries do not apply to call off contracts awarded under a framework, although an authority may choose to provide them.
Assessment summary, explained
An assessment summary tells a bidder how its tender actually scored. It sets out the assessment of that supplier's tender against each of the published award criteria, with the reasons behind it, so the supplier can see where it gained and lost marks. For a supplier that did not win, the summary also covers the assessment of the winning tender, so the bidder can understand the difference between its offer and the one that succeeded.
Timing is what gives it force. The authority provides assessment summaries before it publishes the contract award notice, and where a mandatory standstill applies it runs for at least eight working days before the contract can be entered into. A bidder therefore has the reasons in hand while the contract is still unsigned. Without that information the standstill would be an empty pause, because nobody could tell whether there was anything worth questioning. The pairing also explains the main carve out: assessment summaries and mandatory standstill both fall away for call off contracts awarded under a framework, and an authority that wants to give a disappointed bidder the same protection there has to offer both voluntarily.
The practical lesson for buyers is that assessment summaries are written long before they are sent. If evaluators record thin or inconsistent rationale during moderation, the summary will read as unexplained, and unexplained scores invite challenge. If scoring is evidenced against the published criteria as you go, the summary is largely a matter of assembling what you already have. Note that this is feedback on the assessment, not an invitation to reopen the competition.
Key things to know
Every assessed tender in the competition
On a competitive award, each supplier that submitted an assessed tender receives a summary, not just the losers or just the winner.
Explains the scores
It sets out the assessment against each published award criterion, with reasons.
Covers the winning tender
Unsuccessful bidders are told how the winning tender was assessed, so they can see the difference.
Comes before the award notice
Summaries are provided before the contract award notice is published.
Not for framework call offs
Assessment summaries and mandatory standstill do not apply to call off awards under a framework, although an authority may provide both voluntarily.
Only as good as your evaluation
Thin moderation records produce thin summaries, and unexplained scores attract challenge.
Explore: What is a standstill period?, What is a contract award notice?, What is the most advantageous tender?, Tender evaluation software.
How eSourcingData helps
eSourcingData builds the assessment summary out of the evaluation itself, so feedback is consistent with the scores you actually recorded.
Evidence as you score
Capture rationale against each criterion during evaluation and moderation, not weeks later.
Consistent summaries
Produce a comparable summary for every bidder from the same underlying record.
Sequenced correctly
Keep summaries, the contract award notice and the standstill clock in the right order.
Lower challenge risk
Clear, evidence-based feedback makes an award easier to defend if it is questioned.
FAQs
What is an assessment summary?
An assessment summary is the written explanation a contracting authority must give each supplier that submitted an assessed tender, setting out how that tender was assessed against the published award criteria and, for unsuccessful suppliers, how the winning tender was assessed. It is provided before the contract award notice is published under the Procurement Act 2023.
Who receives an assessment summary?
Every supplier whose tender was assessed, including the successful one. Unsuccessful bidders receive the assessment of their own tender together with the assessment of the winning tender, so they can see how the two compared against the published award criteria rather than simply being told they lost.
When is the assessment summary provided?
Before the contract award notice is published. That sequence matters, because the standstill period of at least eight working days runs before the contract can be entered into. Providing the summary first means bidders have the reasons in hand while the contract is still unsigned and a challenge is still practical.
What should an assessment summary contain?
The assessment of the supplier's tender against each published award criterion, with the reasons behind it, and for unsuccessful bidders the assessment of the winning tender. It should be specific enough that a bidder can understand where it lost marks and why the winning tender scored as it did.
Is an assessment summary the same as a debrief?
It is the formal version of what used to be handled through debrief letters. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it is a defined obligation with defined timing rather than a matter of practice, and it is tied to the standstill period. Buyers may still offer additional feedback, but the summary is the requirement.
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See how eSourcingData helps UK buyers produce assessment summaries straight from a scored evaluation. Book a demo or request a pilot.