powered by
powered by
Under the Procurement Act 2023, UK public sector buyers with significant annual procurement spend are now legally required to publish forward-looking Pipeline Notices. These notices—referred to as UK1 Pipeline Notices—are central to increasing transparency and supplier readiness. In this guide, we break down the compliance requirements, forecast structure, supplier implications, and how to capitalise on the new rules.
A UK1 Pipeline Notice is a statutory publication mandated by Section 93 of the Procurement Act 2023. Any contracting authority expecting to spend over £100 million on public contracts in a financial year must publish a forecast of all planned procurements over £2 million.
These notices must:
The UK1 is not optional. It replaces the old pre-market Prior Information Notices (PINs) for larger buyers and creates a standardised window for supplier engagement and early-stage planning.
The UK1 requirement applies to contracting authorities that:
This includes government departments, large NHS trusts, major councils, centralised buying organisations, and regulated utilities.
Key criteria:
Authorities below the £100m threshold may still publish voluntarily to enhance supplier access, especially in regions with SME engagement targets.
Each financial year starts on 1 April. Contracting authorities must publish their UK1 Pipeline Notice within 56 calendar days, meaning:
If they exceed thresholds mid-year or later confirm eligible procurements, they can update or supplement the pipeline.
The Pipeline Notice must be published via the central digital platform (currently Find a Tender) and visible to the public. Each individual procurement listed must have its own entry.
Authorities begin by assessing whether their total procurement spend for the upcoming financial year will exceed £100 million. This includes:
Only if this threshold is crossed does the UK1 requirement apply.
Buyers must then list all individual contracts expected to exceed £2 million in value (VAT-inclusive) over the next 18 months. The £2m value should include:
Procurements under £2m may be listed optionally but are not mandated.
Each opportunity should contain:
This allows suppliers to triage their pipeline and plan engagement.
The pipeline must go live within 56 days of 1 April. This ensures a harmonised national window of visibility. It also means suppliers will increasingly time their framework onboarding, JV formation, and early engagement during April-May.
Delays beyond this window could be seen as a breach of statutory transparency duties unless a justifiable exemption applies.
UK1 is not a one-time publication. Buyers are expected to revise or supplement their notice when:
SMEs and suppliers should monitor dashboards weekly and sign up for pipeline alert services to stay on top of updates.
The UK1 Pipeline creates unprecedented visibility into upcoming public sector tenders. For suppliers, this means:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal Reference | Procurement Act 2023, Section 93 |
| Trigger Thresholds | > £100m total spend + individual contracts > £2m |
| Publication Deadline | 56 days from FY start (26 May 2025) |
| Forecast Period | Forward-looking 18 months |
| Update Requirements | Minimum annually; interim updates encouraged |
| SME Actions | Join UK1 alerts, track updates, prepare early engagement |
Join the Construction-Tenders UK1 Alert Service to receive:
Use our UK1 Buyer Check Template if a pipeline appears missing or outdated. For in-depth help aligning your bid strategy with pipeline notices, contact our advisory team via chat or email.
Next up: We’ll explore how UK1 data connects with PPN 06/20, Social Value weightings, and annual procurement reporting under the new Act.