Part of Buyers guide

Running a direct award

This section outlines the process for running a direct award.

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Running a direct award

This section outlines the process for running a direct award. It explains what you need to consider and provide for each stage of the process.

check for any new solutions or alternative suppliers as there might be some that better meet your needs
make sure you factor in social value requirements, these still apply
involve your finance and procurement teams early to avoid delays

Who is involved

The teams or organisations who might be involved in this include:

integrated care boards (ICBs)
GP practices
procurement lead and finance approver
supplier

check your governance requirements
confirm the supplier is on the relevant contracting vehicle
check contract terms and value limits
document your decision
award the contact

Steps for running a direct award

The following steps outline the process for running direct award. Depending on what decisions you make, you may not have to complete all the steps.

Check your governance requirements

Before raising an order ensure you have gone through the necessary approval routes. They may vary between organisations. The route may include a pre-procurement scoping paper for:

your board or;
procurement lead

The paper explains to them:

why you are choosing the direct award route
the expected benefits
the risks
the funding source
any local approval thresholds within your organisation

Note

Please confirm with your ICBs or procurement manager if you need to provide a scoping paper. This requirement may vary between organisations.

Confirm the supplier is on the relevant contracting vehicle

On the Buying Catalogue, filter by contracting vehicle to check the supplier is there. After filtering, check they appear under the right contracting vehicle. If they're not listed, you cannot award directly through this route.

Check contract terms and value limits

Some contract vehicles set maximum contract values or term lengths for direct awards. You must stay within these limits or run a competitive process instead.

Document your decision

Keep a record of:

why you chose this supplier
what alternatives you considered
how the decision meets procurement regulations

This record protects you if your decision is challenged later.

Award the contract

Once you've got internal approval, you can use the Buying Catalogue to create and send the order. Make sure you agree any variations in writing and store them in your procurement file.

Next steps

Once you've completed all the steps above, you will need to:

browse the Buying Catalogue
- use the capability filters to find solutions that meet your needs
confirm the solution's affordability
- check both the list price and the total contract value, rather than the annual cost
place your order via the Buying Catalogue (follow placing your order)
- you will need to use your organisation account
once your order is placed, you will need to contact the NHS finance team to complete the call off order form
- you should send this to the supplier for completion and signature, ahead of completing your ICB counter signature

Last edited: 8 May 2026 4:53 pm

Running a direct award

Running a direct award

Who is involved

Steps for running a direct award

Next steps

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