Regulation 15 Abandonment of, or repetition of steps in, a procurement
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a relevant authority may—
abandon a procurement of relevant health care services under these Regulations and not award a contract, or not conclude a framework agreement, or
go back to an earlier step in the selection process and repeat that step and subsequent steps,
at any time before an award is made or a framework agreement concluded.
In a standstill period, a relevant authority may only make a decision to—
abandon a procurement, or
go back to an earlier step in a selection process and repeat that step and subsequent steps,
where that decision is in accordance with the procedure and requirements in regulation 12.
Where a relevant authority makes a decision referred to in paragraph (2), the relevant authority may only abandon the procurement or repeat those steps after the standstill period has ended.
Where, having started a process to procure relevant health care services under these Regulations, a relevant authority decides to abandon a procurement, the relevant authority must submit for publication on the UK e-notification service a notice of that decision.
The notice in paragraph (4) must be submitted for publication—
where the decision is made in a standstill period—
after the standstill period has ended, and
within 30 days of the end of that standstill period;
in any other case, within 30 days of the decision to abandon the procurement.
Where, having started a process to procure relevant health care services under these Regulations, a relevant authority decides to repeat a step or steps, the relevant authority must inform relevant providers of that decision in writing.
Paragraph (6) is satisfied where a decision to repeat a step or steps has been communicated to a provider in accordance with regulation 12(6) or (8).
In this regulation—
a reference to a step in the selection process is to a step referred to in regulation 9 (Direct Award Process C), 10 (the Most Suitable Provider Process) or 11 (the Competitive Process) as the case may be;
“relevant providers” in paragraph (6) means any provider who has been made aware in the selection process that they are being considered for the award of a contract or to be a party to a framework agreement.