What is a Planned Procurement Notice Under the Procurement Act?
A Planned Procurement Notice (PPN) is an optional early signal from a UK public sector buyer that they intend to procure goods, services, or works. Published before the formal tender, it gives suppliers advance warning and time to prepare.
PPNs were introduced under the Procurement Act 2023, replacing the old Prior Information Notices. This guide covers what PPNs contain, when they're published, how qualifying notices affect tender timelines, and how to track them effectively.
What is a Planned Procurement Notice
A Planned Procurement Notice (PPN) is an early public signal from a contracting authority that they intend to buy something. It appears before the formal tender notice, giving suppliers advance warning about an upcoming opportunity. Under the Procurement Act 2023, publishing a PPN is optional, so not every procurement will have one.
The notice typically includes basic details: what the buyer wants, roughly how much they expect to spend, and when the tender will likely appear. Publishing a PPN doesn't lock the buyer into anything. They can still change direction or cancel the procurement altogether.
For you as a supplier, a PPN is essentially a heads-up. You get time to decide if the opportunity fits your business, research the buyer, and start preparing before the formal competition opens.
Planned Procurement Notices under the Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 introduced PPNs as part of a complete overhaul of UK public procurement rules. This legislation replaced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which had governed public sector buying for nearly a decade.
One of the biggest changes is where notices get published. Under the new Act, all procurement notices, including PPNs, appear on a single central digital platform. Before this, you had to check multiple portals depending on the buyer and contract type.
The Act also created something called a "qualifying" planned procurement notice. When a PPN meets certain criteria, it can shorten the time you have to respond to the subsequent tender. More on that shortly.
How Planned Procurement Notices differ from Prior Information Notices
Prior Information Notices under Public Contracts Regulations 2015
If you've been selling to the public sector for a while, you'll remember Prior Information Notices, or PINs. These served a similar purpose under the old rules: alerting the market to upcoming procurements and enabling early supplier engagement.
PINs were published through the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) or the Find a Tender service. They operated under different rules and had their own quirks.
Key changes in the Procurement Act 2023
The shift from PINs to PPNs brought several practical differences:
The move to a single central platform is the change you'll notice most. Instead of hopping between portals, you can find all UK public sector procurement notices in one place.
What information is included in a Planned Procurement Notice
Estimated value and contract details
A PPN outlines what the buyer wants to procure and gives an estimated value range. You'll see information about the nature of the goods, services, or works, along with the general scope of the contract.
This helps you make a quick qualification decision. If the contract value sits outside your typical range, or the scope doesn't match what you offer, you can move on without wasting time.
Procurement timeline and key dates
The notice usually indicates when the buyer expects to publish the formal tender and when the contract will likely start. Some notices also mention the anticipated contract duration.
With this timeline, you can plan your resources. If you know a relevant tender is coming in three months, you can start gathering compliance documents, identifying team members for the bid, and researching the buyer's priorities.
Contracting authority and contact information
Every PPN identifies the contracting authority, which is the public sector organisation running the procurement. Many notices also include contact details for a named individual.
This contact information exists for a reason. Buyers often welcome early engagement from potential suppliers, though all communication follows procurement rules and stays transparent to maintain fair competition.
When contracting authorities publish Planned Procurement Notices
Pre-procurement stage publication
Contracting authorities typically publish PPNs during their planning and market research phase. This happens well before the formal tender goes live. There's no mandatory timing requirement, so some buyers publish months in advance while others give just a few weeks' notice.
The timing often depends on how complex the procurement is. Large, complex contracts tend to have longer lead times, which gives you more opportunity to prepare.
Dynamic market considerations
PPNs can also appear before a contracting authority awards a contract under a dynamic market arrangement. Dynamic markets are flexible purchasing systems where new suppliers can join at any time. PPNs help signal upcoming call-offs within these arrangements, so suppliers on the dynamic market know what's coming.
What is a qualifying Planned Procurement Notice
Requirements for a qualifying notice
A PPN becomes "qualifying" when it meets specific criteria set out in the Procurement Act 2023. Not every PPN qualifies, and the distinction matters for your bidding timeline.
The key requirements include:
- Timing: Published between 40 days and 12 months before the tender notice
- Content: Contains minimum required information about the procurement
- Format: Meets publication requirements on the central platform
Buyers who want the benefits of reduced tender periods take care to meet these requirements when publishing their PPNs.
Impact on tender response periods
Here's where qualifying notices directly affect you. When a contracting authority publishes a qualifying PPN, they can legally reduce the minimum submission period for the subsequent tender. In some cases, this can drop to as few as 10 days.
That's a significant difference. If you've been tracking the PPN and preparing in advance, you're well-positioned to respond quickly. If you only discover the opportunity when the tender drops, you're already behind.
Tip: When you spot a PPN for a relevant opportunity, start your preparation immediately. Research the buyer, gather your compliance documents, and identify your bid team early. Don't wait for the formal tender.
Benefits of Planned Procurement Notices for suppliers
Early visibility into upcoming opportunities
The most obvious benefit is advance warning. You learn about potential contracts before they become live tenders, often before many of your competitors know the opportunity exists.
This early visibility is particularly valuable for smaller suppliers. Without dedicated bid teams monitoring every portal, it's easy to miss opportunities. PPNs give you a chance to compete on a more level playing field.
Time to prepare and position
With advance notice, you can thoroughly research the buyer's procurement history and current priorities. You have time to check your certifications are current, gather compliance documents, and identify any gaps you can address before the tender launches.
You can also start building relationships with key decision-makers within the contracting authority. Early, appropriate engagement often makes the difference between winning and losing.
Competitive advantage through early engagement
Suppliers who engage with contracting authorities early, prompted by a PPN, can gain a real edge. This engagement allows you to:
- Understand the buyer's priorities and pain points
- Demonstrate your capability and relevant experience
- Position your solution before the formal competition begins
- Ask questions that help you prepare a stronger bid
The suppliers who win consistently in the public sector rarely just react to tenders. They engage early and build relationships before procurement begins.
How to find and track Planned Procurement Notices
The central digital platform
The Procurement Act 2023 mandates that all procurement notices appear on a single central government digital platform. This is a significant improvement over the previous system, where notices were scattered across different portals.
You can access this platform directly to search for PPNs relevant to your business. The platform allows filtering by category, location, and other criteria.
Aggregating notices across multiple portals
While the central platform is the official source, manually checking it daily is time-consuming. Procurement intelligence tools can aggregate notices and deliver alerts for relevant opportunities directly to your inbox.
Stotles pulls data from over 1,000 sources, including the central digital platform, so you can catch PPNs as soon as they're published. You can set up tailored alerts based on your target sectors, buyer types, and keywords, which means you see only the opportunities that matter to your business.
Turn Planned Procurement Notices into qualified pipeline
Spotting a PPN is just the first step. The real value comes from turning that early signal into a qualified opportunity in your pipeline.
Here's how that workflow typically looks:
- Track: Set up alerts to catch relevant PPNs as soon as they're published
- Qualify: Assess fit based on the buyer's history, your capabilities, and the competitive landscape
- Research: Dig into the contracting authority's procurement patterns, existing suppliers, and strategic priorities
- Engage: Reach out to named contacts and build relationships before the tender drops
- Prepare: Gather compliance documents and brief your bid team early
Stotles helps you move through this entire workflow in one platform. You can track PPNs alongside expiring contracts and other early buying signals, then qualify opportunities using AI-powered insights into buyer history and competitor activity.
FAQs about Planned Procurement Notices
What should suppliers do when they see a planned procurement notice?
Review the notice to assess fit with your capabilities, then research the contracting authority's procurement history. Consider reaching out to the named contact to express interest and gather more information about the upcoming opportunity.
Can suppliers contact the contracting authority after a planned procurement notice is published?
Yes, PPNs often include contact details specifically to encourage pre-market engagement. All communication follows procurement rules and remains transparent, but appropriate early engagement is welcomed by most buyers.
What is the difference between a planned procurement notice and a preliminary market engagement notice?
A PPN signals intent to procure, while a preliminary market engagement notice invites suppliers to participate in market research activities like consultations or supplier days before requirements are finalised.
Are planned procurement notices mandatory for contracting authorities?
No, PPNs are optional under the Procurement Act 2023. Contracting authorities choose whether to publish one based on their procurement strategy and the complexity of the contract.
How far in advance are planned procurement notices typically published?
There's no fixed timeframe. Some notices appear months before the formal tender, while others provide just a few weeks' notice. Complex, high-value contracts tend to have longer lead times.
Want a custom report?