Unofficial. Not affiliated with the UK government or Crown Commercial Service. Data from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Standstill Period Calculator: 8 Working Days Under the Procurement Act 2023
Under the Procurement Act 2023 the standstill period is eight working days, beginning with the day the contract award notice is published. Enter that date to see each working day and when the period ends. Bank holidays in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all skipped, as section 123 requires.
Working days until a tender deadline
Tenders closing in the next 10 working days
| Working day | Tenders closing |
|---|---|
| Mon | 111 |
| Tue | 47 |
| Wed | 61 |
| Thu | 52 |
| Fri | 113 |
| Mon | 111 |
| Tue | 70 |
| Wed | 54 |
| Thu | 38 |
| Fri | 86 |
From our Find a Tender and Contracts Finder data (). See them all on the closing soon list.
UK bank holidays the calculator skips
| Date | Bank holiday (region) |
|---|---|
| Mon | St Andrew’s Day (Scotland) |
| Fri | Christmas Day (England And Wales); Christmas Day (Scotland); Christmas Day (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Boxing Day (England And Wales); Boxing Day (Scotland); Boxing Day (Northern Ireland) |
| Fri | New Year’s Day (England And Wales); New Year’s Day (Scotland); New Year’s Day (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | 2nd January (Scotland) |
| Wed | St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland) |
| Fri | Good Friday (England And Wales); Good Friday (Scotland); Good Friday (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Easter Monday (England And Wales); Easter Monday (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Early May bank holiday (England And Wales); Early May bank holiday (Scotland); Early May bank holiday (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Spring bank holiday (England And Wales); Spring bank holiday (Scotland); Spring bank holiday (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (Northern Ireland) |
| Mon | Summer bank holiday (Scotland) |
| Mon | Summer bank holiday (England And Wales); Summer bank holiday (Northern Ireland) |
How the calculation works
Day one is the publication day if it is a working day; otherwise counting starts on the next working day. The eighth working day is the last day of the standstill. This is a planning aid, not legal advice: the award notice, the Act and the authority's own letter are final. Bidding for the first time? Read how to bid in 6 steps.
FAQ
How long is the standstill period under the Procurement Act 2023?
Eight working days, beginning with the day on which the contract award notice is published (section 51). The contracting authority must not enter into the contract before the period ends.
What counts as a working day?
Section 123 of the Act: any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a bank holiday in any part of the United Kingdom. So a Scottish or Northern Irish bank holiday also stops the count for a tender in England. The calculator uses the official GOV.UK list for all three regions.
Does every contract have a mandatory standstill?
No. Section 51(3) lists exceptions, including some urgent direct awards, frameworks, dynamic markets and light touch contracts. Authorities can apply a voluntary standstill of at least eight working days instead. Check the award notice.
Does this apply to procurements under the old rules?
No. Procurements started before continue under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which use different standstill rules. This calculator only covers the Procurement Act 2023.