ABSTRACT
UK procurement is an outlier among EU Member States 1 ; the UK is the only Member State in which the open procedure is not the most frequently used. Instead, the UK often uses the restricted procedure, a practice which is in decline in other Member States. The reasons for use of the restricted procedure include the perception that it reduces the cost of evaluating bids, as the number of applicants who proceed to the tender stage are fewer. There is also a view that as there are fewer tenderers competing at tender stage in the restricted procedure, this is more attractive to tenderers, as it increases the probability of contract award. The counter-arguments are that restricted procurement procedures are lengthier than open procedures and that tender stage questions are often more complex and require additional resource from both tenderers and contracting authorities to complete and evaluate.
