England and Wales · Public law
What period and facts govern procurement voluntary standstill in England and Wales?
The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
- Period
- The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls
- Trigger
- Publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill
- Rule
- Procurement Act 2023 section 51
The procurement voluntary standstill guide uses complete official response bodies retained with acquisition identities. Current legislative XML may contain temporal, territorial and transitional alternatives. The actual provision and case history require verification; this guide qualifies no new numeric model. The current revoked PCR XML is preserved separately from the February 23, 2025 edition. Current SI 2024/716 regulation 5 supplies the actual saving conditions; the Procurement Act began its main regime on February 24, 2025.
Source guide · No automated date
Check the applicable procedure
Procurement Act 2023 section 51. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract. The procurement voluntary standstill source guide provides no computed date or paid calculation.
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What period and facts govern procurement voluntary standstill in England and Wales?
The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
Responsible actor. A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill.
Publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill
Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51How does this provision count time?
- The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls
- Do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends.
- Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Preserve the Act’s beginning-with wording. Its working-day definition excludes weekends and a bank holiday in any part of the United Kingdom; ordinary calendar-day and month periods remain distinct.
For procurement voluntary standstill, an unavailable office does not by itself establish an extension of a statutory contract-entry restriction, publication duty or limitation. Establish actual procurement applicability and any expressly authorized court order.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Which facts prevent one automatic date?
Procurement Act 2023 section 51. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract. The procurement voluntary standstill source guide provides no computed date or paid calculation.
A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill has records of publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract. Establish the complete procurement voluntary standstill procedure before choosing an endpoint.
The proposed procurement voluntary standstill step encounters a closed recipient, disputed delivery or an uncertain event. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Preserve the Act’s beginning-with wording. Its working-day definition excludes weekends and a bank holiday in any part of the United Kingdom; ordinary calendar-day and month periods remain distinct. For procurement voluntary standstill, an unavailable office does not by itself establish an extension of a statutory contract-entry restriction, publication duty or limitation. Establish actual procurement applicability and any expressly authorized court order. Establish effective procurement voluntary standstill completion and source applicability. No assumed closure extension or substitute date is computed.
Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract. Publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends. Preserve this procurement voluntary standstill qualification rather than converting incomplete facts into a final date.
Which conditions and exceptions apply?
- Actor and completed procurement voluntary standstill step
- A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill. Do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends.
- Operative procurement voluntary standstill event and branch
- Publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
- Counting and completion of procurement voluntary standstill
- The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Preserve the Act’s beginning-with wording. Its working-day definition excludes weekends and a bank holiday in any part of the United Kingdom; ordinary calendar-day and month periods remain distinct. For procurement voluntary standstill, an unavailable office does not by itself establish an extension of a statutory contract-entry restriction, publication duty or limitation. Establish actual procurement applicability and any expressly authorized court order.
- A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill. The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
- Procurement voluntary standstill concerns do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends. The publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill establishes this procedure’s source event. A different remedy, notice recipient or statutory regime requires its own period and completed-act analysis.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period and facts govern procurement voluntary standstill in England and Wales?
What period governs procurement voluntary standstill?
The voluntary period must be at least eight working days beginning with publication; the actual stated longer period controls. Section 51(3) identifies exempt categories. A voluntary standstill must be stated in the contract award notice and is not a universal duty to wait on every exempt contract.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Which event controls procurement voluntary standstill?
Publication of the contract award notice containing the voluntary standstill. Preserve the actual event and its source evidence.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51What completes procurement voluntary standstill?
Do not enter into the contract before the actual voluntary standstill ends. A contracting authority using a voluntary standstill for a contract exempt from mandatory standstill must establish that particular completed step.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Is the publication day included in voluntary standstill?
Section 51(5) says eight working days beginning with publication. Preserve the statutory working-day definition and actual publication event.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Can an authority specify more than eight working days?
Yes. The minimum does not replace a longer period provided for in the notice. Entry is prohibited before the actual period ends.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Which contracts can use this voluntary branch?
Section 51(3) identifies urgency, protected-life, private-utility direct awards, frameworks, dynamic markets and light-touch contracts. Confirm the actual category.
Procurement Act 2023 section 51Official sources and review
Provisions used (3)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Procurement Act 2023 section 51 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Procurement Act 2023 section 123 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Procurement Act 2023 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024 regulation 5 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |