[F1Article 153 U.K. Access to procurement documents and time limit to provide additional information (Article 111(1) of the Financial Regulation)
1. The contracting authority shall offer direct access free of charge by electronic means to the procurement documents from the date of publication of the contract notice or, for the procedures without contract notice or under Article 136, from the date of dispatch of the invitation to tender.
In justified cases, the contracting authority may transmit the procurement documents by other means it specifies if direct access by electronic means is not possible for technical reasons or if the procurement documents contain information of a confidential nature. In these cases, the third subparagraph of Article 152(1) shall apply except in urgent cases as provided for in Article 154(1).
The contracting authority may impose on economic operators requirements aimed at protecting the confidential nature of information contained in the procurement documents. It shall announce these requirements as well as how access to the procurement documents concerned can be obtained.
2. The contracting authority shall provide additional information linked to the procurement documents simultaneously and in writing to all interested economic operators as soon as possible.
The contracting authority shall not be bound to reply to requests for additional information made less than six working days before the deadline for receipt of tenders.
3. The contracting authority shall extend the time limit for receipt of tenders where:
(a) it did not provide additional information at the latest six days before the deadline for the receipt of tenders although the economic operator requested it in good time;
(b) it makes significant changes to the procurement documents.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2462 of 30 October 2015 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 on the rules of application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union.