Giving of reasons
Section 32 – Giving of reasons to unsuccessful participants
68.The section applies only to regulated procurements which are not also EU-regulated procurements. It imposes an obligation on contracting authorities to notify any supplier that submitted a pre-qualification questionnaire of the contracting authority’s decision at pre-qualification stage (section 32(2)). Section 32(4) imposes an obligation on contracting authorities to notify all unsuccessful tenderers of its contract award decision as soon as reasonably practicable after awarding the contract or the framework agreement.
69.An economic operator who was excluded from participating in the procurement before submitting a tender must be given a notice with the information set out in section 32(3). An economic operator who was an unsuccessful tenderer must be given a notice of the decision with the information set out in section 32(5).
Section 33 – Request for further information
70.Section 33 sets out that an economic operator who was excluded from participating in the procurement before submitting a tender, an unsuccessful tenderer and the successful tenderer can ask for further detail over and above any information that may already have been provided by the contracting authority under section 32. The request must be made in writing and no later than 30 days after receiving the notification. Section 33(4) details the relevant further information which must be provided by the contracting authority and to whom.
Section 34 – Withholding information
71.Section 34 provides the circumstances in which a contracting authority would be justified in withholding information about the contract award decision from those who would otherwise be entitled to receive it under sections 32 and 33.