8 Common Causes of Public Procurement Delays and How to Prevent Them

Last Updated on May 11, 2026 by Jorge Lynch

The public procurement process is often delayed for different reasons. These delays may damage the procuring entity’s reputation, waste scarce public resources, delay contract awards, and result in poor delivery of public goods and services.

The following are eight common causes of delay in the public procurement process and what you can do to prevent or reduce them.

1. Delay in Preparing Technical Specifications, Scope of Work or Terms of Reference

Technical specifications, scopes of work, and terms of reference describe what is required. They should be clear enough to avoid confusion among suppliers, contractors, service providers, and members of the evaluation panel.

These documents are also needed to prepare solicitation documents, such as bidding or tender documents. If they are not completed on time, the procurement process may be delayed before it even begins.

Delays often occur because of a lack of expertise in preparing these documents or because the procuring entity underestimates the amount of information, research, and consultation needed to complete them.

In some cases, special technical expertise is required to prepare the technical specifications, scope of work, or terms of reference. If this need is not identified early, significant delays may result because of the time required to find or hire a qualified person or team.

To avoid this, do not overlook the need for technical expertise during procurement planning. If the expertise is not available internally, the procuring entity may need to hire an individual or team to assist. This hiring process should also be planned and scheduled so that the required documents are completed in time for the procurement process to begin as planned.

2. Failure to Start the Procurement Process on Time

This is a very common cause of delay. A procuring entity may have an approved procurement plan and a procurement schedule, but if the schedule is overlooked or not properly monitored, the procurement process may begin later than intended.

To avoid this, procurement staff should remain aware of key deadlines, especially the planned start date of each procurement activity. Electronic calendars, such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, can be used to set reminders for important dates in the procurement schedule.

3. Extension of Bid or Proposal Submission Date

The bid or proposal submission period may need to be extended, which can delay contract award. Common reasons include:

• mistakes in the solicitation documents;
• requests from prospective bidders for more time to prepare submissions;
• poor response to the invitation for bids or request for proposals;
• unforeseen events, such as natural disasters, emergencies, or civil unrest; and
• requests for clarification that result in amendments to the solicitation documents, requiring bidders to adjust their bids or proposals.

It is difficult to plan for every possible extension of the submission deadline. However, some extensions can be avoided or reduced by preparing clear, complete solicitation documents and allowing enough time for bidders to prepare responsive submissions.

4. Delay in Opening Bids or Proposals Received

Bids and proposals usually have a fixed deadline for submission. Late submissions should be rejected unless the procurement rules or solicitation documents provide otherwise.

The opening of bids or proposals is usually a public event and should take place immediately after the submission deadline. Bidders often submit their bids or proposals on the deadline date and wait to attend the opening.

Unless the delay is caused by a catastrophic event or another circumstance beyond the control of the procuring entity, delays in opening bids or proposals should be avoided. The integrity of the procurement process is important, and timely bid opening helps build trust among prospective bidders.

5. Delay in Starting or Completing the Evaluation Process

The procuring entity organizes the evaluation process, but bids and proposals are usually evaluated by an independent panel of three or more individuals. As a result, the duration of the evaluation process may not be fully within the procuring entity’s control.

Delays may occur when one or more evaluation panel members are unavailable to start the evaluation process. Even after the evaluation begins, panel members may be unavailable or inconsistent in their participation because of other work commitments.

One possible solution is to ensure that personnel assigned to evaluation panels are temporarily relieved of other duties so they can focus on the evaluation process. When selecting evaluation panel members, the procuring entity should also confirm their availability and commitment to the evaluation schedule.

Another option may be to hire independent evaluation panel members, where permitted, and require them to complete the evaluation within the agreed timeframe.

6. Delays during the Approval Process

Approvals are required at various stages of the procurement process. The level of approval usually depends on the monetary value and complexity of the procurement requirement, as set out in the applicable procurement rules.

The approving authority may be a tender board or another designated body. Depending on the procurement system, this may include central, ministerial, departmental, or other levels of approval.

This is a common source of delay because tender boards often meet only on specific dates. Procurement activities should therefore be scheduled with these meeting dates in mind.

If a tender board meeting is cancelled, or if the board does not have enough time to address all matters on its agenda, approvals may be delayed until the next meeting.

For donor-funded procurements, donor approval may also be required at different stages of the procurement process.

Delays caused by tender boards and donors may be difficult to control. For this reason, they should be anticipated and considered during procurement planning and scheduling.

7. Delay in Contract Negotiations

Not all contracts are negotiated. In general, goods and works contracts are often awarded without negotiations. Once bidders meet the administrative and technical requirements, the contract is usually awarded based on the lowest responsive evaluated price, depending on the applicable procurement rules.

For more complex goods and works requirements, negotiations may be necessary before contract award. This should be determined during procurement planning and clearly stated in the solicitation documents.

For consulting services, negotiations are usually held before contract award. These negotiations may cover issues such as methodology, personnel, work plan, and minor adjustments to the scope of work. Rates may be discussed if they are found to be unreasonable. However, where price is a factor in determining the successful firm, adjusting rates may be unfair to other bidders.

Delays occur when negotiations take longer than expected. Since the duration of negotiations may not be fully within the procuring entity’s control, sufficient time should be allowed for them during procurement planning and scheduling.

8. Challenges to the Procurement Process

Contractors, suppliers, and service providers may formally challenge the procurement process if they believe the procuring entity failed to comply with the procurement rules. They may also challenge the process if they believe they were unfairly treated or negatively affected by the manner in which the procurement was conducted.

This type of delay may be difficult to avoid completely. However, the risk can be reduced by preparing clear and comprehensive solicitation documents, following the applicable procurement rules, and applying the requirements of the solicitation documents consistently.

Above all, every effort should be made to build trust in the procuring entity, procurement officers, evaluation panel members, and all others directly or indirectly involved in the public procurement process.

Posted June 2015 – Updated May 2026