Letter of award
A letter of award, also known as an award letter, is sent by a client/employer as written confirmation that a tenderer has been successful and will be awarded a contract.
The letter forms part of the contract award, which is the process of formally notifying a tenderer that they have been selected as the supplier for a particular contract. It will usually be sent out together with letters to unsuccessful tenderers.
The letter will typically contain details of the amount of the award, the date of the award, and when the contract will be signed. A notice to proceed may also be included detailing the date on which a contractor may begin work.
On public projects, the despatch of a letter of award signifies the start of the Alcatel (standstill) period in the procurement process. This allows unsuccessful tenderers the chance to obtain more information on the award of the contract so they can take appropriate action if they believe they have been unfairly treated.
As such it may be necessary for a letter of award to avoid committing to accepting the tender, since this can be taken to be binding. Rather, the aim of the letter is to give the successful bidder reassurance, and to allow them to begin preparations, whilst refraining from any commitment to legally binding obligations.
As a result, a letter of award may be referred as a 'letter of intent to award' or it may include caveats.
NB A letter of intent is a document expressing an intention to enter into a contract at a future date but creating no contractual relationship until that future contract has been entered into. This may be necessary when suppliers are incurring costs and overheads and can be used as an interim arrangement prior to a formal contract being executed. For more information see: Letter of intent.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.
Women's Contributions to the Built Environment.
Calls for the delayed Circular Economy Strategy
Over 50 leading businesses, trade associations and professional bodies, including CIAT, and UKGBC sign open letter.
The future workforce: culture change and skill
Under the spotlight at UK Construction Week London.
A landmark moment for postmodern heritage.
A safe energy transition – ECA launches a new Charter
Practical policy actions to speed up low carbon adoption while maintaining installation safety and competency.
Frank Duffy: Researcher and Practitioner
Reflections on achievements and relevance to the wider research and practice communities.
The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Fire doors
Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability.
Cutting construction carbon footprint by caring for soil
Is construction neglecting one of the planet’s most powerful carbon stores and one of our greatest natural climate allies.
ARCHITECTURE: How's it progressing?
Archiblogger posing questions of a historical and contextual nature.
The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Residents, architects and roofers need to understand detailing.
Homes, landlords. tenants and the new housing standards
What will it all mean?
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch-up on the latest episodes.
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.