Above-threshold procurement
Above the thresholds, a UK public contract must follow the full Procurement Act regime: notices on Find a Tender, standstill, assessment summaries. Rules and SME advice.
Updated on September 5, 2026
An above-threshold procurement, which the Procurement Act 2023 calls a covered procurement, is a competition whose estimated value reaches the statutory thresholds and which must therefore follow the full regime: mandatory notices, defined procedures, published criteria, a standstill period and detailed feedback. Below those figures the buyer has far more freedom, as described in below-threshold procurement.
How it works
From 1 January 2026 the thresholds, inclusive of VAT, are £135,018 for goods and services bought by a central government authority, £207,720 for a sub-central authority such as a council, an NHS trust or a university, £415,440 for a utilities contract, £663,540 for a light touch contract and £5,193,000 for works and for concessions (verified 2026-09-05). At or above those figures, the buyer must use one of the two competitive routes in section 20 of the Act.
The open procedure is the simple route: one tender notice, one round of tenders, no negotiation. The competitive flexible procedure lets the buyer design a multi-stage process with shortlisting, negotiation or dialogue. Direct award without competition is possible only in the narrow cases the Act lists, and then a transparency notice must be published first.
Every covered procurement means a tender notice on Find a Tender, proportionate time limits, published award criteria and weightings, a contract award notice with an individual assessment summary for each bidder, an eight working day standstill period before signature and a contract details notice afterwards. Scotland runs its own equivalent regime on Public Contracts Scotland; Ireland applies the EU thresholds and publishes on eTenders and in the EU Official Journal.
What it means for a bidder
Above-threshold contracts are larger and attract well-organised competitors. In exchange they are the most visible and the most reviewable part of the market: notices in one place, real time to respond, criteria published in advance, and an assessment summary that tells you your scores and those of the winner. An unsuccessful bidder that spots a breach can bring a challenge during the standstill period, which suspends signature automatically.
For an SME, access often comes through lotting, which the Act requires buyers to consider, or through consortium bidding or sub-contracting to a prime. The formality is unforgiving: a missing document or a late submission is enough to lose a good tender.
Example
A fictional English county council re-tenders cleaning for its secondary schools, estimated at £4,800,000 over four years. The £207,720 threshold is far exceeded, so it runs an open procedure, publishes on Find a Tender and divides the requirement into twelve geographical lots. A forty-person cleaning contractor wins two lots in its own area.
Frequently asked questions
Can a buyer use the full regime below threshold?
Yes. It may choose to run a regulated-style competition for a smaller contract, but it must then follow the rules it has set for itself.
How do I know a contract is above threshold?
The notice type tells you. A tender notice published on Find a Tender means the full regime applies; below-threshold work appears as a below-threshold tender notice, usually on Contracts Finder.
How long does one take?
Usually several months from notice to contract signature, given the time limits for tendering, evaluation and the standstill period.