What Is a Standstill Period in Tendering? Your Rights Explained (2026)
A standstill period is a mandatory pause in the procurement process. It sits between the award decision and the formal signing of the contract. During this period, the contract cannot be signed.
The standstill period exists to protect unsuccessful suppliers. It gives them time to review the decision, request feedback, and — if they believe the process was flawed — take action before the contract is legally binding. For the complete overview of the tendering process, see our guide to tendering for contracts.
Why Is the Standstill Period Important?
Without the standstill period, a buyer could sign a contract immediately after notifying suppliers of the outcome. Unsuccessful suppliers would have no practical opportunity to challenge the decision before the contract was in place.
Once a contract is signed, challenging the award decision becomes significantly harder. The available remedies are more limited. Courts are reluctant to set aside contracts already in performance — particularly for public services. The standstill period is therefore your most valuable window for exercising your rights as an unsuccessful bidder.
This is also sometimes called the Alcatel period — named after the European Court of Justice case that established the principle. In UK procurement it is now governed by the Procurement Act 2023.
How Long Is the Standstill Period?
Under the Procurement Act 2023, the standard standstill period is eight working days. This runs from the date the award decision notice is sent to all suppliers who submitted a tender.
The period begins when the notice is sent — not when you read it. This is important. If you receive an award decision notice, act immediately. Do not wait until you have had time to consider it at length. Eight working days passes quickly.
Some procurements use a ten calendar day standstill period instead. Check the specific procurement documents for the period that applies to your submission. The notice itself should state when the standstill period ends.
What Happens During the Standstill Period?
During the standstill period, the buyer cannot sign the contract with the winning supplier. This automatic pause gives unsuccessful suppliers three options.
Request a debrief. You have the right to request feedback on your submission. The buyer must provide your scores, the winning supplier’s scores where available, and the reasons for the decision. Request this immediately. You may need the information to assess whether a challenge is warranted. Our guide to understanding tender feedback covers how to use this process effectively.
Assess the decision. Review the award notice carefully. Compare your scores against the evaluation criteria. Look for any inconsistencies — components of questions not scored, criteria applied differently across suppliers, or procedural irregularities. Our guide to how to appeal a bid decision covers what constitutes valid grounds for a challenge.
Take legal action if warranted. If you have evidence of a genuine breach of procurement law, you can commence legal proceedings during the standstill period. Doing so triggers an automatic suspension — preventing the buyer from signing the contract until the challenge is resolved. This suspension is one of the most powerful tools available to an unsuccessful supplier.
What the Award Decision Notice Must Include
Under the Procurement Act 2023, the award decision notice sent to all suppliers during the standstill period must include specific information. Buyers must provide the name of the winning supplier. They must state the score awarded to the winning submission. They must give the score awarded to each unsuccessful supplier’s submission. And they must provide the reasons for the decision.
This transparency requirement is significantly stronger than the previous regime. It means you can assess your relative performance more accurately than before. You can see specifically where you lost marks — and whether the evaluation appears to have been conducted correctly.
If the notice does not contain this information, raise it with the buyer immediately. They are legally required to provide it.
What Happens When the Standstill Period Ends?
If no legal challenge is commenced during this period, the buyer can proceed to sign the contract with the winning supplier. The procurement is then formally concluded.
If a legal challenge is commenced, the automatic suspension prevents contract signing until the challenge is resolved. The buyer can apply to the court to lift the suspension. The court will assess whether the balance of convenience favours proceeding with the contract or maintaining the suspension.
Even if no challenge is pursued, the period is never wasted. Use the debrief information to conduct systematic win loss analysis. Identify specifically what cost you marks. Apply that learning to your next submission.
Does the Standstill Period Apply to All Contracts?
No. It applies to above-threshold public sector contracts under the Procurement Act 2023. It does not apply to all below-threshold contracts — though buyers may choose to apply a voluntary standstill period for transparency.
It also does not apply to call-off contracts from framework agreements in most circumstances — unless the framework rules specifically require a standstill period for further competitions. Check the framework documentation to understand what applies in each case. Our guide to framework agreements covers call-off procedures in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Standstill Period
Can I still challenge a procurement decision after the standstill period ends?
Yes — but your options are significantly more limited. Post-award challenges are unlikely to result in the contract being set aside. The most likely remedy is financial damages rather than the contract itself. Courts are reluctant to disrupt public services contracts already in performance. Acting during the standstill period preserves your strongest remedies. Our guide to appealing a bid decision covers the full picture of post-award challenges.
What is the automatic suspension and how does it work?
When you commence legal proceedings during the standstill period, an automatic suspension takes effect immediately. The buyer cannot sign the contract until the suspension is lifted. The suspension is lifted either when the challenge is resolved or when the court orders it to be lifted. Courts will lift the suspension if the buyer can show that the balance of convenience — typically the public interest in the contract proceeding — outweighs the claimant’s interest in maintaining it.
Do I need a lawyer to act during the standstill period?
For requesting a debrief — no. You can do this directly and should do so immediately. For assessing whether a legal challenge is warranted — yes. Procurement law is a specialist field. Take legal advice promptly if you believe the process was conducted incorrectly. The standstill period is short. You do not have time to delay seeking advice.
What if the buyer does not send an award decision notice?
Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers are legally required to send award decision notices to all suppliers who submitted a tender. If you submitted a bid and did not receive a notice, contact the buyer’s procurement team immediately. The standstill period cannot begin — and the contract cannot be signed — until the required notices have been sent.
Is the standstill period the same as the debrief period?
No — but they overlap. The debrief is your right to receive feedback on your submission. You can request it at any time — before, during, or after the standstill period. However, requesting a debrief during the standstill period gives you the information you need to assess whether a challenge is warranted while you still have the option to act. Always request your debrief immediately on receiving the award decision notice.
Can a buyer shorten the standstill period?
In limited circumstances, yes. The Procurement Act 2023 permits a shortened standstill period in specific situations — for example, where the contract is urgently needed for reasons of public safety or emergency. These circumstances are narrow and must be justified. A buyer cannot shorten the standstill period simply because it is inconvenient or because they want to proceed quickly.
Need Support After an Unsuccessful Bid?
If you have received an award decision notice and want help understanding your scores, assessing the decision, or improving your next submission — our tender writing consultants are ready to help.
We do not provide legal advice on procurement challenges. For that, you need specialist procurement law solicitors. However, we do help organisations extract maximum learning from every debrief and build stronger submissions for subsequent opportunities.
Our team holds an 87% win rate across all sectors. We work with 3,500+ organisations across 52 countries.
About the author: Written by Joshua Smith, a seasoned bid-writing expert with experience across the UK, Middle East and US, helping organisations secure the contracts they deserve through high-quality, competitive tender responses.