PART 2RULES IMPLEMENTING THE PUBLIC CONTRACTS DIRECTIVE

CHAPTER 2RULES ON PUBLIC CONTRACTS

SECTION 5Conduct of the Procedure

Prior information notices49

1

A contracting authority may make known its intentions of planned procurements through the publication of a prior information notice.

2

A prior information notice must contain the information set out in section I of Part B of Annex V to the Directive F1, but as if—

a

in paragraph 2, “the second and third sub-paragraph of Article 53(1)” were a reference to regulation 54(3) and (4) of these Regulations, and

b

in paragraph 9, “date of dispatch” were a reference to the date on which the notice is submitted to the UK e-notification service for the purposes of these Regulations.

3

A contracting authority wishing to publish a prior information notice must—

a

F2submit it for publication in accordance with regulation 52 (F3publication on the UK e-notification service); or

b

publish it on the contracting authority's buyer profile in accordance with regulation 53 (publication F4otherwise than on the UK e-notification service).

4

Where the prior information notice is published by the contracting authority on its buyer profile, the contracting authority must F5submit for publication, in accordance with regulation 52 (F6publication on the UK e-notification service), a notice of the publication on its buyer profile.

5

The notice of publication referred to in paragraph (4) must contain the information set out in Part A of Annex V to the Directive F7, but as if, in paragraph 6, “date of dispatch” were a reference to the date on which the notice is submitted to the UK e-notification service for the purposes of these Regulations.

6

Where a sub-central contracting authority uses a prior information notice as a call for competition pursuant to regulation 27(8) (choice of procedures), the notice must—

a

refer specifically to the works, supplies or services that will be the subject of the contract to be awarded;

b

indicate that the contract will be awarded by restricted procedure or competitive procedure with negotiation without further publication of a call for competition and invite interested economic operators to express their interest;

c

contain, in addition to the information F8required by paragraph (2), the information set out in section II of F9Part B of Annex V to the Directive, but as if paragraph 12 of that Part (financing by EU funds) were omitted; and

d

have been F10submitted for publication in accordance with regulation 52 (F11publication on the UK e-notification service) between 35 days and 12 months prior to the date on which an invitation is sent for the purposes of regulation 55(2) (invitations to candidates).

7

In addition to F12submitting a prior information notice used for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (6) for publication in accordance with regulation 52 (F13publication on the UK e-notification service), a contracting authority may publish such a notice on its buyer profile in accordance with regulation 53 (publication F14otherwise than on the UK e-notification service).

8

Subject to paragraph (9), the period covered by a prior information notice must be a maximum of 12 months from the date on which the notice is sent for publication.

9

In the case of a public contract for social and other specific services, a prior information notice referred to in regulation 75(1)(b) (publication of notices) may cover a period which is longer than 12 months.