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What Is an Award Decision?
An award decision is the contracting authority's formal decision on which bid has won the procurement. Bidders are notified of the decision, which usually triggers a standstill period before the contract can be signed.
What must the award decision tell the losing bidders?
Who won and why, including how their own bid compared with the winner on the award criteria, so that they can judge whether to challenge it.
When does the standstill period start?
When the decision has been sent to all bidders, usually by electronic notification. The period is normally at least ten days.
Is the award decision the contract?
No. The contract is formed when it is signed after the standstill period. Until then, the decision can still be changed or withdrawn.
