What is a prior information notice?

Imagine you know about a future government contract several months before its official release. You have time to prepare, find partners, understand the contracting authority's requirements, and even influence the terms of the future competition. This is precisely the role of a Prior Information Notice (PIN).

What is a Prior Information Notice? 

A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was an official notification from a government buyer (contracting authority). It told the market announce their intention to procure in the future. It is not a tender or an invitation to tender. It is preliminary information.

A PIN served the same purpose of a movie trailer. It is a preview of what's coming with the movie set to be released later.

The contracting authority published a PIN to inform the market: "We will be procuring this in a few months. Get ready."

PINs were established as a part of the Public Contracts Regulations Act of 2015. Following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, PINs have been reclassified as new types of notices. Now, contracting authorities use Preliminary Market Engagement Notices and Planned Procurement Notices.

You can learn more about these changes in our article on how new notices are changing the way tenders are conducted.

Where was a Prior Information Notice published? 

In the UK, PINS were published on procurement  portals.

For example:

• Find a Tender Service (FTS): the leading platform for large public procurements
• Public Contracts Scotland (PCS): for tenders in Scotland
• Contracts Finder: for smaller contracts

The PIN appeared at the earliest stage of the procurement process. An example procurement process with associated tender documents might have looked like this:

• Prior Information Notice: the contracting authority announces a future procurement
• Preliminary market engagement: optional
• Tender Notice: official tender
• Contract award

A PIN gave you a head start of several months before the official tender starts, giving suppliers time to prepare a strategy, find partners, and build relationships with the contracting authority.

Why Buyers Published PINs

Advance notice was beneficial even to the contracting authorities themselves. There are several key reasons for this:

• Market testing. The contracting authority wants to understand whether there are suppliers on the market with the necessary capabilities. A PIN helps to gauge interest and get feedback even before the buyer develops a specification.
• Improve the quality of the tender. When the contracting authority publishes the PIN and receives comments from suppliers, they can adjust the requirements to make them more realistic or, conversely, more ambitious.
• Regulatory requirements. Under the PCR 2015 (Public Contracts Regulations), the publication of a PIN gave contracting authorities the right to shorten the bid submission deadline for an official tender. Instead of the usual 30-35 days, it was possible to set 15-20 days if the PIN was published by the buyer in advance.

Transparency. A PIN makes the procurement process more transparent. All market participants can see what a buyer planned and could prepare on equal terms. As a fundamental principle, because the government is funded by tax payers, the government has an obligation to responsibly spend public funds.

Why PINs Mattered for Suppliers

What does the supplier get from a PIN? If you are a supplier, a PIN was your golden opportunity. Here's why:

• Early information = competitive advantage. As we know, competitors never sleep. What if they are waiting for the official tender announcement. You have time to study the requirements, train your team, find partners, and even start a dialogue with the contracting authority.
• Opportunity to influence the terms. A PIN was not a strict set of rules, but rather an invitation to engage in dialogue. At at an early stage, suppliers could express opinions, share expertise, and help shape requirements in a way that benefits both parties.
• Building a sales pipeline. A PIN helped fill the early stage of your pipeline. Instead of just responding to already announced tenders, you could create a long-term pipeline of opportunities, making sales more predictable.

Stotles data shows that after the Procurement Act 2023, the volume of early signals about future procurements has increased significantly. Stotles data shows that companies that engage with contracting authorities before the tender is published increase their conversion rate from 4% to 46%. 

What to Look For in a PIN

Not all PINs were equally helpful. And what you spend a lot of time on may turn out to be irrelevant to you. First, it was essential to determine whether a particular notice was worth your attention. 

• Expected contract scope and deliverables. A PIN typically included a description of the contracting authority's intended procurement, such as goods, services, or works. However, you were looking for information about the project's scale, expected deliverables, and key requirements. This information helped you understand how well the opportunity matched your capabilities.
• Approximate budget and timescales. PINs did not always specify the exact contract value or timescales. But there was often a range. The estimated tender launch date and contract duration were also important. If the budget was too small or the timescales are unrealistic, it was worth skipping an opportunity.
• Engagement stages and deadlines. The PIN may have contained an invitation to participate in a consultation. During these events, suppliers could influence the terms of the future tender.
• CPV codes. These are classification codes that describe the type of procurement. They help you filter notifications and find the ones that match your profile. You can learn more about how CPV codes work in our guide to codes.

The main rule was to analyse these details quickly. The sooner you qualify an opportunity, the more time you will have to prepare or find another PIN that is a better fit.

Prior Information Notice in the UK

In the UK, the PIN system operated under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015). Under these rules, contracting authorities could publish a PIN covering procurement plans for up to 12 months. The PIN gave contracting authorities an important advantage: if the notice was published 35-52 days before the tender, the minimum response deadlines could be reduced. This sped up the procurement process.

However, as of February 2025, the Procurement Act 2023 came into full force and replaced the classic PINs. This does not mean that they no longer exist; they now work differently. Specifically, new types of notices have been introduced:

• Preliminary Market Engagement Notice. This is a notice of preliminary engagement with the market. It is published when the contracting authority plans to consult with suppliers before launching an official tender. This makes the process more transparent: all market participants can see who has already engaged with the contracting authority.
• Planned Procurement Notice (Pipeline Notice). This is a notice of planned procurements. Contracting authorities with an annual procurement budget of more than £100 million are required to publish plans for the next 18 months. Stotles' data shows that in May 2025, nearly 4,000 such notices were published, representing £80 billion in confirmed future procurements.
• Planning Notice. This is a more detailed notice of a specific future procurement. It is published earlier than the tender notice, giving suppliers time to prepare.

For suppliers, this means one thing: a more transparent and accessible public procurement market. Early notices are now more detailed, mandatory, and accessible.

Additional, Procurement Act changes include the introduction of dynamic purchasing systems and the competitive flexible procedure, as well as the retiring of the VEAT notice.

Prior Information Notice Template

PINs usually followed a standard structure. Understanding this structure will help you extract the information you need more efficiently. A typical PIN format includes:

• Title and notice reference. A short name for the procurement and a unique identifier for tracking.
• Procurement description. A detailed explanation of what the contracting authority plans to procure: scope, specifications, and expected deliverables.
• Estimated value. The range or exact amount of the contract (if known).
• CPV codes. Classification codes describe the type of goods or services.
• Location. Where the contract will be performed or where the contracting authority is located.
• Estimated timeline. When the tender is planned to be launched, and the contract is awarded.
• Instructions for responding. How and where to send questions or feedback.
• Contact information. Name, email, and phone number of the responsible person.

Use this template as a checklist when analysing actual PINs. If any information is missing, contact the contracting authority for clarification.

Common Mistakes Suppliers Make with PINs

Even knowing about the existence of PINs, many suppliers make mistakes that cost them opportunities:

• Mistake 1: Ignoring PINs or responding too late. Many suppliers focus only on announced tenders, missing PIN, leading  to missing the opportunity to influence the terms and conditions.
• Mistake 2: Missing windows for early engagement. A PIN often includes an invitation to consult with specific deadlines. If you miss these dates, you will lose the opportunity to engage in dialogue with the contracting authority.
• Mistake 3: Treating a PIN as a tender. A PIN is not an official tender. It is an informational signal. Treat it as market intelligence.
• Mistake 4: Failure to qualify opportunities early on. Not every PIN is worth your attention. If you spend time on every notification, you are spreading your resources too thin.

Quick checklist for working with PINs:

• Set up automatic notifications for new PINs
• Check platforms weekly
• Qualify each PIN within 48 hours
• Enter relevant PINs into CRM
• Assign people responsible for engagement
• Track updates until the tender is published

How to Use PINs to Strengthen Your Pipeline

PINs were not just information. They were a tool for building a healthy sales pipeline in the public sector. Under the Procurement Act, PINs offer historical lessons for how a sales team can make use of them to win more government business.

• Fill the early stage of the funnel. Many suppliers focus on the later stages, submitting bids for tenders that have already been announced by the buyer. But by that point, you were already late. PINs, pipeline notices, and planned procurement notices help fill the top of the funnel with opportunities that will arise in 6-18 months.
• Forecast demand. When you track PINs in your area, you begin to see patterns: which contracting authorities are planning procurements, in what volumes, and in what periods. Early notification allows you to forecast future revenue and plan resources.
• Improvie your bidding strategy. Early knowledge of an opportunity gives you time to improve your bid management process. You can study the contracting authority's past contracts, understand their priorities, and find suitable partners.

Conclusion

What conclusion can we draw from all of this? A Prior Information Notice is not just a formality; it is your real advantage if you know how to use it correctly. The public procurement market is constantly changing. So don't wait — start now. If you wait for the official tender to appear, you will lose, because suppliers are already building relationships with contracting authorities months before the official announcement.

Start today. Set up notifications, study the upcoming PINs in your area, and select 2-3 opportunities for active engagement.

Want to start early engagement for your next government contract? 

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Prior Information Notices (PINs)

What is a Prior Information Notice (PIN)?

A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was an official, preliminary notification published by a government buyer, known as a Contracting Authority. Its purpose was to publicly announce the authority's intention to procure specific goods, services, or works sometime in the future. It functioned essentially as an early signal or a "trailer" for an upcoming contract competition, giving the market time to prepare.

When did the PIN system officially end in the UK?

The traditional Prior Information Notice system, operating under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), officially ended on February 24, 2025. This date marks the full implementation of the Procurement Act 2023, which replaced the former regulations and introduced new types of early market engagement notices.

What is the main difference between a PIN and an Invitation to Tender (ITT)?

This is a critical distinction.

• A PIN is an information signal: It is preliminary intelligence and does not constitute a formal call for bids. The contracting authority is not committed to proceeding with the procurement when they issue a PIN.
• An ITT is the formal call for bids (a Tender Notice): It officially starts the competitive process and requires suppliers to submit a formal, detailed proposal (a bid) to win the contract. A PIN is a precursor, or early warning, to the ITT.

What are the new notices that have replaced the PIN under the Procurement Act 2023?

The Procurement Act 2023 introduced more defined and structured notices for early engagement:

1. Preliminary Market Engagement Notice: Used when the authority plans to consult with suppliers before launching a tender to shape the requirements.
2. Planned Procurement Notice (Pipeline Notice): Mandated for large authorities (over £100 million annual spend) to publish their procurement plans for the next 18 months, offering extensive foresight.
3. Planning Notice: A more detailed notice about a specific future procurement, published earlier than the official tender.

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