This section applies in relation to any contracting authority that considers that, in the coming financial year, it will pay more than £100 million under relevant contracts.

A contracting authority must publish a pipeline notice before the end of the period of 56 days beginning with the first day of the financial year referred to in subsection (1).

A “pipeline notice” means a notice setting out specified information about any public contract with an estimated value of more than £2 million in respect of which the contracting authority intends to publish a tender notice or transparency notice during the reporting period.

In this section—

• “financial year” means—

  1. a

     the period of twelve months beginning with the 1 April following the day on which this section comes into force, and

  2. b

     each successive period of 12 months;

• “relevant contracts” means any contracts for the supply of goods, services or works to the contracting authority other than exempted contracts;

• “reporting period” means the period of 18 months beginning with the first day of the financial year referred to in subsection (1);

• “specified information” means information specified in regulations under section 95.

A Minister of the Crown or the Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend this section for the purpose of changing the financial thresholds.