Prior Information Notice Definition

As defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, a Prior Information Notice (PIN) is a notice published by a contracting authority, or any entity acting on behalf of a contracting authority, seeking to procure goods, services or works and inviting expressions of interest.

The purpose of a PIN is to allow potential contractors sufficient time to prepare an offer for the proposed contract. By publishing a PIN, the contracting authority also satisfies the requirements of the EU Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement and the UK’s implementing regulations.

A PIN must contain:

-a description of the nature and purpose of the intended contract;

-an indication of the type of procedure that will be used to award the contract;

-the estimated value of the contract;

-the anticipated date for publication of the Contract Notice; and

-any other information that may be useful to potential contractors in preparing their offers.