"Invitation to Tender" — or ITT — is one of the most common terms in procurement, and one of the most misunderstood since the rules changed. This guide explains what it means, and how it maps onto the language of the Procurement Act 2023.
At a glance
- An Invitation to Tender (ITT) is the buyer's formal request for suppliers to submit a priced, detailed bid.
- It's a long-standing practitioner term; under the Procurement Act 2023 the precise terms are the tender notice and associated tender documents.
- The ITT/tender documents contain the specification, award criteria, conditions of participation, contract terms and pricing schedules.
- How you receive it depends on the procedure — sometimes the tender notice itself is the invitation; sometimes you're invited after a shortlisting stage.
What an ITT is
An Invitation to Tender is the point where a buyer asks suppliers to put in a full, formal bid: a detailed response to the requirement plus a price. It's the stage where the real work happens — you respond to the specification, answer the award criteria, and submit your pricing.
"ITT" is a legacy and practitioner term. It's still widely used in conversation, but under the Procurement Act 2023 the formal vocabulary is slightly different, which is worth understanding so you're not thrown when the official documents don't say "ITT."
How it works under the Procurement Act 2023
The Act provides for two competitive tendering procedures, and both begin with a tender notice published on the central platform:
- Open procedure — the tender notice itself acts as the invitation to tender. Any interested supplier can respond directly, with no separate shortlisting stage.
- Competitive flexible procedure — a more flexible, potentially multi-stage route. The buyer may first invite suppliers to submit a request to participate, shortlist them, and then issue an invitation to submit tenders to those who get through.
So the modern equivalent of "receiving the ITT" is either reading the tender notice (open procedure) or being invited to submit tenders after a participation stage (competitive flexible procedure).
The five old multi-stage procedures (restricted, competitive procedure with negotiation, competitive dialogue, innovation partnerships and design contests) have been consolidated into the single competitive flexible procedure.
What's inside the tender documents
Whatever it's called, the package you respond to — the associated tender documents — typically includes:
- the specification (what's needed)
- the award criteria and assessment methodology (how you'll be scored)
- the conditions of participation (the legal, financial and technical requirements to be eligible — these do the job the old PQQ/selection questionnaire used to do; see PQQ and the Standard Selection Questionnaire)
- the contract terms
- the response and pricing schedules
How to respond well
- Read everything first, and list every question and requirement.
- Answer the award criteria precisely — you're scored on them (see how bids are scored).
- Complete the pricing schedule exactly as required.
- Submit before the deadline, through the specified portal.
Our full guide to writing a winning tender response goes deeper on the craft. The thing to plan for is time: an ITT window is typically three to four weeks, and the response is usually several thousand words. Deciding to bid in week three almost never produces a winning submission.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Invitation to Tender?
The buyer's formal request for suppliers to submit a detailed, priced bid against a specification and award criteria. Under the Procurement Act 2023 this is framed via the tender notice and associated tender documents.
Is "ITT" still the correct term?
It's a widely used practitioner term, but the Act's formal vocabulary is "tender notice," "associated tender documents," and (in multi-stage procedures) "invitation to submit tenders."
How do I receive an ITT?
In the open procedure, the tender notice itself is the invitation. In the competitive flexible procedure, you may be invited to submit tenders after a request-to-participate (shortlisting) stage.
What's in an ITT?
The specification, award criteria and assessment methodology, conditions of participation, contract terms, and response and pricing schedules.