An invitation to tender (ITT) is a buyer’s request for suppliers to submit a tender, with the documents that say what to bid for and how. “ITT” is not a term in the Procurement Act 2023. The Act speaks of a tender notice and associated tender documents (section 21).
What the Procurement Act calls an invitation to tender
The buyer publishes a tender notice. In an open procedure it invites tenders. In a competitive flexible procedure it invites requests to participate or, where there is no request stage, first tenders (s.21(1)). The buyer must provide any associated tender documents in accordance with the notice (s.21(3)).
In an open procedure, gov.uk’s guidance says “the tender notice is the ‘invitation to tender’” (paragraph 34). In a staged competitive flexible procedure the invitation can come later. In the guidance’s simple two-stage example (paragraph 65), the buyer shortlists using conditions of participation (s.20(4)–(5)), then issues an “invitation to tender” to the shortlist.
What comes with the invitation
Associated tender documents add detail, such as the specification and award criteria. The guidance says they must generally be provided free of charge and electronically, and a buyer need not issue them if the notice contains everything (paragraph 19, which points to section 96). The buyer must explain how tenders will be assessed and, if there is more than one criterion, their relative importance (s.23(3)). Our first tender checklist shows how to work through the tender documents.
Where you’ll still see “ITT”
Older procurements. PPN 019 says no new procurements will be conducted under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 after 24 February 2025, but those already started continue. Formerly, regulation 54 was headed “Invitations to candidates”.
Scotland. Devolved Scottish authorities are excluded from the Act (s.2(5)(a)), except for procurement within s.115A. They use the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, which still have “Invitations to candidates” (regulation 55) and a restricted procedure (regulation 29). So PCR-era wording is current in tenders in Scotland.
Buyers’ own wording. A buyer may still label its documents “ITT”. Treat that as the tender documents.
What it means for a small supplier
Read the notice first, then the documents, before you decide on bid or no bid. In a staged procedure the invitation to tender comes only if you pass the first stage, so your first-stage answers matter.
Don’t pay to see an invitation: gov.uk’s factsheet says you should not pay to view opportunities in the public sector.
Next: how to read a tender notice.
Questions
What does ITT stand for?
Invitation to tender. It isn't a term in the Procurement Act 2023, which uses the tender notice and associated tender documents (section 21).
Is the tender notice the invitation to tender?
In an open procedure, yes: gov.uk's competitive tendering guidance says so (paragraph 34). In a staged competitive flexible procedure, the invitation to tender can come after shortlisting (paragraph 65).
Do I have to pay for tender documents?
They must generally be provided free of charge and electronically (guidance paragraph 19). gov.uk's central digital platform factsheet says you should not pay to view opportunities.
Why do Scottish tenders still say ITT?
Devolved Scottish authorities are excluded from the Procurement Act 2023 (section 2(5)(a)), except for procurement within section 115A, and use the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 instead.