Documents and notices
Pipeline notice
Written by Justin Cesman, CEO of Skim. Last reviewed:
- Definition
- A pipeline notice is a notice in which a higher-spending contracting authority sets out the contracts it expects to bring to market over the coming 18 months, above a value threshold. Introduced by the Procurement Act 2023, it is the most direct published signal of what a large buyer intends to procure.
Key takeaways
- A pipeline notice lists the contracts a large contracting authority expects to bring to market in the next 18 months.
- It is a Procurement Act 2023 transparency requirement that applies only to authorities above a spending threshold.
- It is forward-looking and periodic, unlike a planned procurement notice, which concerns one specific upcoming procurement.
- Coverage is uneven: smaller authorities publish nothing forward-looking, so contract expiry data remains essential.
- A pipeline notice signals intent, not commitment — timings and values move, and some listed procurements never happen.
The Procurement Act 2023 added several forward-looking notices to the UK transparency regime. The pipeline notice is the broadest: rather than announcing one procurement, it publishes a large authority's expected forward programme so suppliers can plan against it.
The obligation is targeted at authorities with substantial annual spend, and covers contracts above a value threshold. That focuses the requirement on the buyers whose programmes matter most to the market, but it also means most authorities are not captured.
Detail varies considerably between authorities. Some publish granular requirements with indicative dates and values; others publish little more than a category and a year. Treat a pipeline notice as a strong signal rather than a complete map.
Why it matters for bidders
A pipeline notice is the buyer telling you what is coming, in their own words, before any tender exists. For suppliers targeting large authorities it is the earliest reliable point at which to start positioning, and it removes much of the guesswork from account planning.
How Skim helps
Skim monitors pipeline and planned procurement notices alongside every other notice type, and sets them against forecasts built from each authority's award history — so you can see which parts of the forward picture are the buyer's stated intent and which are inferred.
Frequently asked questions
- Which authorities have to publish a pipeline notice?
- The requirement applies to contracting authorities above an annual spending threshold, for contracts above a value threshold, looking 18 months ahead. Smaller authorities are not captured, which is why expiry data on existing contracts remains an essential complementary signal.
- What is the difference between a pipeline notice and a planned procurement notice?
- A pipeline notice is a periodic forward look at everything a large authority expects to procure over the coming 18 months. A planned procurement notice concerns one specific upcoming procurement, is optional, and can allow the authority to shorten later tendering periods.
- Can I bid from a pipeline notice?
- No. A pipeline notice is a planning signal, not a call for competition. There is no specification, no evaluation criteria and no deadline to respond to. Its value is the lead time it gives you before the tender notice appears.
Sources
Related terms
Prior information notice(PIN)
A prior information notice (PIN) is an advance notice published by a public sector buyer signalling an intention to procure goods, works, or services in the coming months. A PIN is not an invitation to tender; it alerts the market early and, if compliant, can shorten the later tender timescale.
Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 is the law governing most UK public procurement, in force since 24 February 2025. It replaces the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and three other regimes with one set of rules, introducing the competitive flexible procedure, a central digital platform, and a published debarment list.
Contract notice
A contract notice is the formal advertisement a public sector buyer publishes to start a competitive procurement and invite tenders or requests to participate. It names the requirement, the procedure, the response deadline, and where to access the tender documents. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it is renamed the tender notice.