An assessment summary is the feedback a public sector buyer must give you after evaluating your tender under the Procurement Act 2023. It explains how your bid scored against each award criterion and, if you lost, how the winning bid scored too. It replaced the old standstill letters, and for suppliers it is one of the most valuable documents in the whole process — both for improving future bids and for deciding whether to challenge a decision. This guide explains what an assessment summary is and how to use it.
Assessment summaries flow from the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025.
What is an assessment summary?
An assessment summary is a private document that a contracting authority must provide to every supplier who submitted an assessed tender following a competitive tendering procedure. Under Section 50 of the Act, it sets out information to help you understand why your tender was successful or unsuccessful. It is sent to you directly — it is not published on the Central Digital Platform.
Assessment summaries broadly do the same job as the “standstill letters” used under the old rules. However, there is an important change. Under the Act, it is the contract award notice, not the assessment summary, that starts the standstill period. The buyer must give you your assessment summary before it publishes that notice.
What information does an assessment summary contain?
The content is designed to be genuinely useful. For each award criterion, an assessment summary should include:
- The criterion and its weighting. The title of each award criterion and its relative importance.
- How it was assessed. The scoring approach and the scores available for each criterion.
- Your score and the reasons. The score you were given, with reference to the relevant information in your tender.
- The winning bid’s scores. If you were unsuccessful, information on how the most advantageous tender scored against the criteria.
Crucially, the buyer does not have to spell out a direct comparison between your bid and the winner’s. But because you receive both sets of scores, you can read them side by side and work out where you fell short. That makes the assessment summary a powerful learning tool.
Assessment summaries and the standstill period
Timing is everything here. First, the buyer provides assessment summaries to all suppliers who submitted an assessed tender. Then it publishes the contract award notice, which triggers a standstill period of at least eight working days. The buyer cannot sign the contract during that window.
This gives you a short, defined period to act. If your assessment summary reveals a scoring error or an unfair process, the standstill period is your opportunity to raise it — or to challenge formally. Be aware that to keep the automatic suspension of the contract in play, a legal challenge generally needs to be issued during the standstill period. In other words, you must move quickly.
How to use your assessment summary to win more
Most suppliers underuse this document. Treat it as a free coaching session on your bid. To get the most from it:
- Compare scores. Read your scores against the winner’s to see exactly where you lost points.
- Find the patterns. Look for recurring weaknesses across criteria, such as thin evidence or vague delivery detail.
- Feed it forward. Build the lessons into a bid library so your next response starts stronger.
- Ask for more. If the summary is unclear, you can request further clarification from the buyer.
- Act fast if needed. If you spot a genuine error, take advice within the standstill period.
A professional bid writer can interpret an assessment summary objectively and turn its lessons into a higher-scoring bid next time. For the wider picture, see our guide on how to win a tender.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an assessment summary and a standstill letter?
An assessment summary is the Procurement Act 2023 replacement for the old standstill letter. The key difference is timing: under the Act, the standstill period is triggered by the contract award notice, not by the assessment summary, which must be provided beforehand.
Who receives an assessment summary?
Every supplier that submitted an assessed tender following a competitive tendering procedure receives one. For a competitive flexible procedure with multiple stages, this means the suppliers whose tenders reached the final assessment stage.
Is an assessment summary published publicly?
No. Assessment summaries are provided privately to each supplier, typically by email or through the buyer’s e-sourcing portal. They are not published on the Central Digital Platform.
Can I challenge a decision using my assessment summary?
Yes. If your assessment summary reveals a scoring error or procedural unfairness, you can raise it or challenge formally. To preserve the automatic suspension, a legal challenge generally needs to be issued during the standstill period.
Turn feedback into your next win
An assessment summary is a roadmap to a better bid. If you would like expert help interpreting yours and improving your win rate, our team can support you. Get in touch with Together: The Hudson Collective to start winning more, faster.
Source: GOV.UK — Assessment Summaries guidance. This article is for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice.