Tender deadline
The tender deadline is the moment after which a bid for a public contract is refused. How buyers set it, the minimum periods, and how not to miss it.
Updated on September 5, 2026
The tender deadline, or closing date, is the day and time after which a public buyer will not accept any further bid for a tender exercise. A response that arrives late, even by a minute, is normally rejected without being read.
How it works
The deadline appears in the tender notice and in the instructions to tenderers. Above the threshold, the Procurement Act 2023 sets minimum tendering periods: 25 days from the day the tender notice is published where bids are submitted electronically and all documents are available at once, 30 days where they are not, and as little as 10 days where a qualifying planned procurement notice was published or the buyer faces a state of urgency (verified 2026-09-05). There is no minimum for light touch contracts. Ireland and Scotland apply the periods in their own regulations, and below the threshold the buyer sets a reasonable period itself, proportionate to the complexity of the work.
Because bids are uploaded to an e-tendering portal, it is the portal clock that counts: the whole submission must be uploaded before the closing time, not merely started. A pack of several hundred megabytes takes time.
A buyer can extend the deadline, for example after a significant corrigendum, a late answer to a clarification question or a portal outage. It must tell all bidders when it does.
What it means for a bidder
Missing the deadline is the most frustrating reason to lose, because it has nothing to do with the quality of your bid. A few precautions:
- Note the exact date and time, checking whether it is midday or 5 pm, and the time zone for Irish or cross-border notices.
- Find the clarification deadline, usually a week or more before the closing date.
- Upload the day before at the latest. Most portals let you replace a submitted bid until the deadline.
- Keep the timestamped receipt the portal issues.
- If a signature is required, test your e-signature several days in advance.
If something outside your control stops you from submitting, such as a proven portal outage, tell the buyer in writing immediately.
Example
Sarlanne Housing Association publishes an open procedure to replace boilers in 400 homes, estimated at £2,100,000 including VAT. The deadline is 14 October at 12:00. A heating contractor starts uploading at 11:40 with 300 MB of drawings; the upload finishes at 12:06. The bid is rejected as late, when submitting the previous day would have avoided it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the deadline extended?
You can ask in writing, with reasons. The buyer decides, though it will normally extend if it has issued substantial changes late in the process.
What if the portal is down on the day?
Take timestamped screenshots and contact both the portal helpdesk and the buyer at once. A confirmed outage usually justifies an extension.
Is the deadline the same for the selection stage and the bid?
In a single-stage open procedure, yes. In a multi-stage competitive flexible procedure there is a participation deadline first, then a tender deadline for those invited through.
Related terms
Scoutee can remind you of the closing date on the notices you follow.