In public procurement, timing is everything. The earlier you understand buyer intent, the better you can position your business to win. But too many suppliers only start engaging when a contract notice goes live — and by then, it’s often too late.
Preliminary notices act as an advance notice to suppliers, providing early public information about upcoming procurements and giving suppliers valuable time to prepare and plan their bids.
That’s why preliminary notices are one of the best-kept secrets in UK procurement. These early-stage signals — particularly Planned Procurement Notices (PPNs) and Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) notices — give suppliers a vital head start. Used correctly, they can transform how you engage, prepare, and compete.
In this article, we’ll unpack what preliminary notices are, where they fit in the procurement process, and how you can use them to gain a competitive edge.
Get ahead of the competition — use Tracker to monitor early procurement signals.
What Are Preliminary Notices in Public Procurement?
Under the Procurement Act 2023, preliminary notices have taken on new strategic importance. Two types matter most:
1.2 Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Notices: Formally known as ‘preliminary market engagement notices’ under the Procurement Act 2023, these are early-stage notices published by contracting authorities to invite suppliers to participate in market discussions. They help explore procurement requirements, increase transparency, and ensure competition before any formal tender notice is published.
At the end of the section, it is important to note that the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 set out the requirements for both planned procurement notices and preliminary market engagement notices.
Planned Procurement Notices (PPNs)
These replace the old Prior Information Notices (PINs). A PPN signals that a contracting authority intends to publish a tender in the future. Published on the central platform (Find a Tender), a PPN is not a call for competition — but if it meets certain criteria, it can legally allow the authority to reduce the tendering time later. However, even when reducing timeframes, authorities must ensure adequate time limits are set for suppliers to prepare and submit tenders, maintaining fair competition and compliance.
Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Notices
These invite suppliers to participate in early-stage consultation — through questionnaires, market days, webinars or written responses. The goal? To help the buyer design a procurement that reflects what the market can actually deliver. Preliminary market engagement also helps buyers identify likely contractual terms and conditions that may be included in the future tender.
Both types of notices occur before the official tender stage, offering suppliers two powerful advantages: early visibility and a chance to influence the scope.
Set up Tracker alerts for preliminary notices.
The Public Procurement Process: Where Preliminary Notices Fit In
To understand the power of PPNs and PME notices, you need to see where they sit in the procurement timeline.
Here’s how the typical journey looks on Find a Tender:
- UK1 Pipeline Notice – Early pipeline signal of future procurement
- Planned Procurement Notice (PPN) – Formal intent to tender
- UK2 Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) – Invitation to pre-market consultation
- Tender or Transparency Notice – This is a type of tender notice that officially starts the competition
After the award decision, a standstill period is typically observed, allowing unsuccessful bidders to review the outcome and potentially challenge it before the contract is finalised.
Buyers can issue PPNs and PME notices in any order. Together, they represent the crucial window before a procurement becomes locked in.
This is the time to engage. Suppliers who wait for the tender notice are reacting. Suppliers who monitor preliminary notices are shaping.
Understand buyer intent early — explore Tracker’s market intelligence tools.
The Legal and Strategic Role of Preliminary Notices
The Procurement Act 2023 gives contracting authorities more flexibility — but also places greater emphasis on transparency and early engagement, within the legal framework established by the public contracts regulations.
Here’s what that means:
- PPNs: Can be used to reduce tender timeframes (if qualifying) but must be published in advance and can’t serve as a call for competition.
- PMEs: Formally invite suppliers to inform the design of a procurement. Authorities are encouraged to use PME to test feasibility, set outcomes, understand supplier capacity, and help define relevant requirements and award criteria for the procurement.
In both cases, preliminary notices are more than process formalities. They’re tools to promote better planning, fairer procurement, and more successful outcomes — for both buyers and suppliers. Preliminary notices also help ensure compliance with all relevant requirements under procurement law.
The Advantages of Preliminary Notices in Public Procurement
So what does this mean in practice for suppliers? Preliminary notices provide suppliers with relevant information needed to prepare competitive bids and engage effectively. Used smartly, preliminary notices offer three major benefits:
1. Earlier Visibility = Better Readiness
PPNs give you advance warning — often weeks or months before the competition begins. That means more time to:
- Build your team
- Identify partners
- Shape internal buy-in
- Develop your value proposition
- Align your bid planning with the relevant financial year and upcoming procurement cycles
2. Potentially Shorter Tender Windows
If a PPN is issued and qualifies under the Act, the subsequent tender process can be shorter. Suppliers who miss the PPN may be blindsided by tighter deadlines. Those who track early notices are ready. Suppliers who monitor preliminary notices are better positioned to prepare and submit high-quality tenders within shorter timeframes.
3. A Voice in the Process
PME lets you offer input on scope, phasing, KPIs, delivery models, participation or award criteria, and more. While buyers must treat all suppliers fairly, informed, well-framed input can shape real outcomes.
Don’t wait for the tender — use preliminary notices to shape opportunities.
Preliminary Market Engagement: Why Early Visibility Matters
PME notices aren’t just informational — they’re invitations.
Buyers use PMEs to: – Validate their assumptions – Explore innovation pathways – Understand delivery risks – Test the feasibility of procurement routes
Suppliers who participate: – Build relationships with procurement leads – Demonstrate credibility – Influence evaluation thinking – Gain insight into buyer needs
Buyers must also ensure that no supplier gains an unfair advantage during preliminary market engagement, maintaining transparency and a level playing field for all participants.
The result? A stronger position when the tender finally arrives.
Build relationships early with Tracker’s early engagement tools.
How to Track Preliminary Notices Using Tracker
With thousands of notices published annually, manually monitoring Find a Tender isn’t scalable. Contracts Finder is another essential portal for tracking public procurement notices in England, alongside Find a Tender. Tracker simplifies this by:
Sending real-time alerts for PPNs, PMEs, and pipeline signals
Letting you filter by region, sector, and service line
Enabling you to log engagement notes from PME events
Aligning alerts to your pursuit strategies
Make Preliminary Notices a Core Part of Your Procurement Strategy
In a market where win rates matter more than ever, preliminary notices offer a real, often overlooked, competitive edge.
They let you see around corners. Shape outcomes. Build trust. Prepare in advance. And ultimately, win more work.
So don’t wait for the tender to drop. Get in early. Stay informed. Put preliminary notices at the heart of your public sector strategy. Early engagement with preliminary notices significantly increases your chances of winning a public contract.
Want to unlock the hidden advantage in procurement? Book a free Tracker demo today.
