Procurement procedures
Restricted procedure
Written by Justin Cesman, CEO of Skim. Last reviewed:
- Definition
- The restricted procedure is a two-stage UK procurement process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 in which suppliers first complete a selection questionnaire and the buyer shortlists at least five qualifying candidates, who alone are then invited to submit a full tender.
Key takeaways
- The restricted procedure runs in two stages: a selection questionnaire to pre-qualify suppliers, then a full tender from a shortlist of pre-qualified candidates only.
- Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the buyer must shortlist at least five suppliers to invite to tender, provided at least five meet the selection criteria.
- For procurements started on or after 24 February 2025, there is no longer a restricted procedure — the Procurement Act 2023 folds it into the single competitive flexible procedure.
- A buyer can still replicate a two-stage, shortlist-then-tender approach inside the competitive flexible procedure by setting conditions of participation.
- The selection questionnaire stage is a hard gate: a weak questionnaire ends the bid before the solution is ever read.
How it works
The restricted procedure splits the competition into two stages. In the first stage the buyer publishes a contract notice and invites suppliers to express interest. Each supplier completes a selection questionnaire (the standard SQ) demonstrating it meets minimum standards — financial standing, technical and professional capability, relevant experience, and insurance levels. No full tender is written at this point.
The buyer scores the questionnaires and shortlists the highest-ranking candidates. Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 the contracting authority must invite at least five suppliers to tender, provided at least five meet the selection criteria; in practice shortlists usually run to five to eight. Only those shortlisted receive an invitation to tender and proceed to the second stage, which works like a closed competition among pre-qualified bidders.
Because the field is filtered before any full bid is read, the restricted procedure suits complex or high-value contracts where evaluating dozens of full tenders would be impractical, and it has been common in defence and security work. The trade-off for bidders is sequencing: getting past the questionnaire is the first hurdle, and competition in the second stage is tighter but against a smaller, more qualified field.
For procurements started on or after 24 February 2025 the procedure no longer exists as a named route. The Procurement Act 2023 reduced the old multi-stage procedures to a single competitive flexible procedure, but a buyer can still design a two-stage, shortlist-then-tender process within it by limiting suppliers through conditions of participation — so the mechanics survive even though the label has gone.
Open vs restricted vs competitive flexible procedure
| Feature | Open procedure | Restricted procedure (PCR 2015) | Competitive flexible procedure (PA 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of stages | Single stage | Two stages — questionnaire then tender | Buyer-designed — one or more stages |
| Pre-qualification shortlist? | No — every compliant tender evaluated | Yes — at least five suppliers invited | Optional — buyer sets conditions of participation |
| Who writes a full tender | Any interested supplier | Shortlisted candidates only | Depends on the procedure the buyer designs |
| Legal basis | PCR 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 | PCR 2015 only (pre-24 Feb 2025) | Procurement Act 2023 (on or after 24 Feb 2025) |
| Best suited to | Straightforward, lower-value purchases | Complex or high-value contracts | Almost any requirement needing flexibility |
Under the Procurement Act 2023
Reviewed
Which rules apply depends on when the procurement started. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 govern restricted procedures begun before 24 February 2025, and the restricted procedure is a named route under that regime. The Procurement Act 2023, in force from 24 February 2025, repealed those regulations for new procurements and removed the restricted procedure as a distinct procedure: GOV.UK guidance states that there is no longer a restricted procedure, competitive procedure with negotiation or competitive dialogue, but confirms a buyer can adopt a similar approach within the new competitive flexible procedure — for example by running a two-stage process that limits the number of suppliers through conditions of participation. The open procedure survives broadly unchanged. Treat the restricted procedure as legacy terminology whose two-stage mechanics live on inside the competitive flexible procedure.
Sources: GOV.UK — Guidance: Competitive Tendering Procedures · Procurement Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk) · Public Contracts Regulations 2015, reg. 28 (repealed 24 Feb 2025)
Why it matters for bidders
The selection questionnaire stage is a gate, not a formality. If the questionnaire is not strong enough, the bid ends before the solution is ever read — and many SMEs lose here by treating pre-qualification as paperwork rather than a competition in its own right. The discipline is to read past the procedure label: whether an opportunity is badged restricted procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or a two-stage competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, the structure is the same, and the early gate is where most pursuits are won or lost. Published award notices show which suppliers clear these gates in your sectors and how often, so the bid-or-walk call rests on the buyer's actual behaviour rather than the brochure. That award-data discipline, drawn from teams who have won £3bn+ in UK and EU public contracts, is what stops SMEs spending senior time on a questionnaire they were never going to pass.
How Skim helps
Skim's Bid Analysis agent assesses two-stage opportunities and scores your fit against likely selection-questionnaire requirements before you invest in a response, so you only progress pursuits you can realistically clear. Its Buyer Intelligence agent profiles the buying organisation's history and shortlisting patterns from award data, helping you judge whether the second-stage field is one you can win.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the restricted procedure in public procurement?
- The restricted procedure is a two-stage UK procurement process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Suppliers first complete a selection questionnaire to be shortlisted, and only shortlisted candidates are invited to submit a full tender. It suits complex or high-value contracts where evaluating every full bid would be impractical.
- What is the difference between the open and restricted procedures?
- The open procedure is single-stage: any supplier can submit a full tender and all compliant tenders are evaluated. The restricted procedure is two-stage: suppliers first pass a selection questionnaire, and only a shortlist is invited to tender. Open means lower pursuit cost but more competition; restricted means a pre-qualification gate first.
- How many suppliers are shortlisted in the restricted procedure?
- Under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, a contracting authority must invite at least five suppliers to tender in the restricted procedure, provided at least five meet the selection criteria and minimum standards. In practice shortlists commonly run to five to eight candidates, ranked on their selection questionnaire scores.
- Does the restricted procedure still exist under the Procurement Act 2023?
- No. For procurements started on or after 24 February 2025, the Procurement Act 2023 removed the restricted procedure as a named route, folding it into a single competitive flexible procedure. A buyer can still run a two-stage, shortlist-then-tender process by setting conditions of participation, so the mechanics remain available.
- Why is the selection questionnaire stage so important?
- The selection questionnaire is a hard gate in the restricted procedure. Suppliers who do not score highly enough are never invited to tender, so a weak questionnaire ends the bid before the solution is read. Treating it as a competition in its own right, not paperwork, is what gets SMEs through to the tender stage.
Sources
Related terms
Open procedure
The open procedure is a single-stage public procurement route, defined in section 20 of the Procurement Act 2023, where any interested supplier may submit a full tender with no pre-qualification or shortlisting. The contracting authority then awards the contract on the basis of those tenders alone.
Selection questionnaire(SQ)
A selection questionnaire (SQ) is the standardised pre-qualification document under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 that assesses whether a supplier meets the minimum standards to be invited to tender, covering exclusion grounds, financial standing and technical capability. For procurements started on or after 24 February 2025 the SQ is replaced by the Procurement Specific Questionnaire.
Competitive dialogue
Competitive dialogue was a UK procurement procedure for complex contracts in which the buyer held structured, confidential discussions with shortlisted suppliers to develop a solution before inviting final tenders. Used when the technical specification could not be defined upfront, it has been absorbed into the competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023.