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UK supplier guide

Invitation to tender (ITT):
meaning, contents and how to respond

An invitation to tender (ITT) is the buyer’s formal request for bids: the specification, the rules and the criteria you will be scored against. Under the Procurement Act it is the tender notice and tender documents.

Find a live ITT →

Checked against primary sources3 sources linked below

  1. Confirm the stage

    This guide’s primary sources

  2. Find the gates

    This guide’s primary sources

  3. Map the scoring

    This guide’s primary sources

  4. Read the contract

    This guide’s primary sources

  1. ITT = tender notice + documents

    The Act’s terms for the same pack.

    This guide’s primary sources

  2. Gates before writing

    Clear pass/fail conditions before investing in answers.

    This guide’s primary sources

  3. Score-led answers

    Write to the criteria and weightings.

    This guide’s primary sources

What does ITT mean?

Invitation to tender: the document pack in which a buyer invites suppliers to submit priced bids against a fixed requirement.

TermWhat the buyer is asking for
ITT · invitation to tenderFull priced bids against a specification and published award criteria
RFP · request for proposalProposals for how to meet a need; common in the private sector and overseas
RFQ · request for quotationPrices for a clearly defined, often lower-value, purchase
RFI · request for informationMarket information before the requirement is fixed
PQQ · pre-qualification questionnaireSupplier suitability before the tender stage; now the PSQ
RFP Quest editorial summary, 18 October 2026. UK law uses “tender notice” and “tender documents”, not these labels. RFP vs tender →

What does an ITT contain?

Instructions, specification, award criteria and weightings, pricing schedule, contract terms and the response forms.

The ITT pack

  1. Instructions

    Deadlines, portal, clarification route and format rules.

    Act · tender notices

  2. Specification

    What the buyer needs delivered, by lot.

    Act · tender documents

  1. Deadlines, portal, clarification route and format rules.

    Act · tender notices

  2. What the buyer needs delivered, by lot.

    Act · tender documents

  3. What is assessed, the weightings and the scoring method.

    Act · award criteria

  4. Terms you are bidding against and the price schedule.

    Example: G-Cloud 15 pack

How do you turn an ITT into a response plan?

Clear the gates, map the scoring, then assign each question an owner.

  1. Start with the source01

    Confirm the stage

    Check that it is a tender notice, not a planned or engagement notice.
  2. Define the scope02

    Find the gates

    Conditions of participation, certificates, insurance and finances.
  3. Read the evidence03

    Map the scoring

    Every question, its weighting and its word or page limit.
  4. Make the decision04

    Read the contract

    Terms, KPIs and liabilities you will be bound by.
  5. Name the next action05

    Assign and write

    An owner per question, written to the criteria with evidence.

A supplier’s review sequence, based on the primary sources below. It is not a measured outcome or a prescribed buyer timetable.

How should you read an ITT before deciding to bid?

Pass/fail conditions first, then criteria and weightings, then the contract terms.

  1. Before you start01

    Check the notice and stage

    Confirm it is a tender, not a planned or engagement notice (notice types).
  2. Check 202

    Find the pass/fail gates

    Conditions of participation, certifications, insurance and financial standing.
  3. Check 303

    Map the scoring

    List every scored question with its weighting and word or page limit.
  4. Check 404

    Read the contract

    Liability, payment, KPIs and termination: things you cannot change after award.
  5. Follow through05

    Decide and assign

    Bid or no-bid with an owner per question. Keep it on the record →

An editorial order of work, not a buyer's fixed timetable. The current notice and documents determine participation and submission.

How do you write a strong ITT response?

Answer the question asked, against the criteria, with evidence the evaluator can check.

A scored ITT question

  • What scores

    Direct answers in the buyer’s structure, specific evidence, named people and measurable commitments.

  • What loses marks

    Generic copy, unsupported claims, missed sub-questions and breached word limits. What bid writing involves →

The ITT tells you how you will be scored. Write to that.

  1. ITT = tender notice + documents

    The Act’s terms for the same pack.

  2. Gates before writing

    Clear pass/fail conditions before investing in answers.

  3. Score-led answers

    Write to the criteria and weightings.
Find a live ITT →

Search free, then open the original notice to download the tender documents.

What else should you know about Invitation to tender?

Check these points before committing your team’s time.

What does ITT stand for?
Invitation to tender. It is the buyer's formal invitation for suppliers to submit bids, with the specification, instructions, award criteria and contract terms.
What is the difference between an ITT and an RFP?
An ITT asks for bids against a fixed requirement and published criteria; an RFP asks for proposals on how to meet a need. In UK public procurement both are tenders under the Procurement Act. See RFP vs tender.
What is an ITT in procurement under the Procurement Act?
The Act calls it a tender notice and associated tender documents (section 21). The notice is published on Find a Tender; the documents usually sit on the buyer's e-sourcing portal.
What comes before an ITT?
Often a planned procurement or market engagement notice, and for competitive flexible procedures a participation stage with a procurement specific questionnaire.
How long do I have to respond to an ITT?
At least 25 days for most electronic tenders with all documents provided, under section 54, but read the deadline in the notice.

Where can you check the evidence?

Read the primary publication and the buyer’s current documents before acting.

SourceWhat it supports
Procurement Act 2023 ↗Sections 21, 23 and 54, read 18 October 2026.
Find a Tender · notice types ↗UK4 tender notice.
G-Cloud 15 tender documents · GCA ↗A real ITT pack for reference.
Follow the current primary publication for its scope and any later changes. Calculators use your inputs, not measured savings.

Follow the part of the bid you need to work on next.

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