Section 53 Contract details notices and publication of contractsI1 I2

United Kingdom

(1)

A contracting authority that enters into a public contract must publish a contract details notice—

(a)

if the contract is a light touch contract, before the end of the period of 120 days beginning with the day on which the contract is entered into;

(b)

otherwise, before the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the contract is entered into.

(2)

A “contract details notice” means a notice setting out—

(a)

that the contracting authority has entered into a contract, and

(b)

any other information specified in regulations under section 95.

(3)

A contracting authority that enters into a public contract with an estimated value of more than £5 million must publish a copy of the contract—

(a)

if the contract is a light touch contract, before the end of the period of 180 days beginning with the day on which the contract is entered into;

(b)

otherwise, before the end of the period of 90 days beginning with the day on which the contract is entered into.

(4)

Subsection (3) does not apply in relation to a contract—

(a)

awarded by a devolved Welsh authority or a transferred Northern Ireland authority, unless it is awarded under a reserved procurement arrangement, or

(b)

awarded under a devolved Welsh procurement arrangement or a transferred Northern Ireland procurement arrangement.

(5)

A Minister of the Crown may by regulations amend this section for the purpose of changing the financial threshold.

(6)

This section does not apply—

(a)

to private utilities, or

(b)

in relation to a contract awarded under section 41 by reference to paragraph 15 of Schedule 5 (direct award: user choice contracts).

Annotations

I1: S. 53 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 127(2)
I2: S. 53 in force at 24.2.2025 by S.I. 2024/716, Sch. (as amended by S.I. 2024/959, regs. 1(2), 2(7)(a))