27Excluding suppliers from a competitive flexible procedure
(1)Before permitting a supplier to participate in a competitive flexible procedure, a contracting authority must determine whether the supplier is—
(a)an excluded supplier, or
(b)an excludable supplier.
(2)The contracting authority must exclude an excluded supplier from participating in, or progressing as part of, the competitive flexible procedure.
(3)The contracting authority may exclude an excludable supplier from participating in, or progressing as part of, the competitive flexible procedure.
(4)Before excluding a supplier that is an excluded supplier or excludable supplier only by virtue of an associated person, a contracting authority must—
(a)notify the supplier of its intention, and
(b)provide the supplier with reasonable opportunity to replace the associated person.
(5)In this section, a reference to a supplier participating in a competitive flexible procedure is a reference to a supplier participating beyond the initial submission of tenders or requests to participate.