UK Procurement Glossary
Invitation to Tender (ITT)
The formal document a UK public sector buyer issues inviting suppliers to submit a tender response, containing the spec, evaluation criteria and submission rules.
Definition
The Invitation to Tender (ITT) is the core document of a UK public sector procurement. It typically contains: the contract specification, the evaluation criteria with weightings, the response template (questions or sections suppliers must complete), commercial terms, key dates, and the rules for submission. ITTs vary in size from short briefings (under 50 pages) to substantial documents (200+ pages) for major procurements.
Reading the ITT thoroughly before any drafting is the single most important step in winning a bid. Missed mandatory requirements, misunderstood weightings or breached submission rules can disqualify an otherwise strong response.
How this affects your bid
Map every line of the ITT to your response. Buyers score against exactly what the ITT asks for; generic answers consistently underperform specific, structured responses that mirror the ITT's own language.
Common questions about invitation to tender (itt)
What's the difference between an ITT and an RFP?
In UK public sector usage they are largely synonymous. ITT is the more formal procurement term; RFP is the term more common in commercial sales and US/global contexts.
Are ITTs always public?
For above-threshold contracts, yes — the ITT (or the route to access it) is published on Find a Tender Service. For below-threshold or framework call-offs, access may be restricted to qualified suppliers only.
Related terms
Selection Questionnaire (SQ)
A standardised UK public sector questionnaire used to assess supplier eligibility, fina…
Award Criteria
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Request for Proposal (RFP)
A formal document inviting suppliers to propose a solution to a defined business need —…
Open Procedure
A single-stage UK public sector procurement procedure where any interested supplier can…
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