Working on Wellbeing Ltd (trading as Optima Health) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Subject Matter

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT — Contract award procedure — Disqualification

[2024] EWHC 766 (TCC), KBD

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT — Contract award procedure — Disqualification — Contracting authority relying on allegedly mandatory exclusion provision in invitation to tender to reject claimant economic operator’s tender — Whether exclusion provision mandatory — Whether contracting authority obliged to seek clarification — Contracting authority’s rights and duties in connection with clarification or correction of errors in tender of economic operator — Practical guidance for contracting authorities and economic operators — Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102), regs 18, 56

[2025] EWCA Civ 127; [2025] PTSR 1641; [2025] WLR(D) 97, CA

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT — Contract award procedure — Disqualification — Tender of claimant economic operator containing three erroneous line items — Contracting authority rejecting claimant’s tender in purported reliance on mandatory exclusion provision in invitation to tender — Whether provision amounting to mandatory exclusion — Whether contracting authority obliged to seek clarification of claimant’s tender — Contracting authority’s rights and duties in connection with clarification or correction of errors in tender of economic operator — Practical guidance for contracting authorities and economic operators — Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102), regs 18, 56

[2025] EWCA Civ 127; [2025] PTSR 1641; [2025] WLR(D) 97, CA

Appellate History

Commentary

Local Government Lawyer
Seeking clarification of tenders Case comment