Contract Award Notice (CAN)

A Contract Award Notice is published by the contracting authority after a contract has been awarded, providing transparency about the outcome of a procurement process. In the EU, it must be published in TED within 30 days of contract award for above-threshold contracts. It records: the winning supplier's name and address, the final contract value, the number of tenders received, the procedure type, and whether any lots were awarded to different suppliers.

Contract Award Notices are a valuable intelligence source for vendors. By systematically monitoring awards in your sector, you can identify: which competitors are winning which contracts; how often direct awards or negotiated procedures are being used; typical winning prices and values in a category; and which contracting authorities are active buyers. This intelligence informs pipeline planning, partnership decisions, and pricing strategy.

For vendors who lose, the CAN reveals competitor identities and gives context for a debriefing request. For vendors who win, the CAN triggers the standstill period — the mandatory pause before the contract can be formally executed, during which unsuccessful bidders can challenge the decision.