Before the Contract Starts

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This guidance covers the period after preferred bidder identification / intention to award, up to Go-Live / Day 1 of service delivery.

It ensures the contract is set up for successful performance, compliance, and risk management from the start.

Purpose of Pre-Contract Contract and Supplier Management

For medium and high-risk contracts, the preparation before the contract begins is critical. The work will already have been started when the commodity strategy and tender documents were prepared and this phase will build upon that.

The objectives are to:

Ensure a smooth and controlled mobilisation
Confirm the supplier fully understands the specification, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and obligations
Establish governance, communication channels, and performance expectations
Finalise risk controls, data requirements, and compliance arrangements
Ensure the contract manager has everything needed to manage performance from Day 1
Document evidence for audit and procurement governance

Early clarity reduces operational risk, improves supplier performance, and creates the foundations for a strong commercial relationship.

Key Principles

Proportionate to risk – higher-risk contracts require more robust planning and documentation.
Collaboration – early engagement with the supplier sets the tone for partnership working.
Transparency and documentation – all agreements should be minuted and filed.
Service continuity – the mobilisation plan must minimise disruption to service users.
Governance first – roles, responsibilities, and decision pathways must be agreed before work starts.

Checklist

Core Pre-Contract Activities

For medium–high risk contracts, the following 10 activities are essential:

Contract Handover from Procurement to Contract Manager (if applicable)
Internal mobilisation planning
Supplier mobilisation meeting
Confirmation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), reporting and data requirements
Risk assessment and creation of the contract risk register
Governance structure setup
Agreeing change control, escalation and communication routes
Finalising implementation / mobilisation plans
Readiness checks and acceptance testing (where relevant)
Go-Live approval and sign-off

Each activity is described in detail below:

Contract Handover from Procurement

A structured handover ensures that the contract manager has the necessary information.

Procurement should provide the contract manager with:

Signed contract / Terms and Conditions (T&Cs)
Specification and schedules
Tender responses (technical and commercial)
Pricing schedules
Scored evaluation sheets
KPI and service level requirements
Risk and issues identified during procurement
Award letters and standstill documentation
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) information (if applicable)
Data protection agreements
On-boarding requirements

Handover Meeting Should Cover:

Context and purpose of the contract
Key risks highlighted during evaluation
Supplier strengths and potential areas requiring attention
Contract management expectations
Mobilisation timeline and Go-Live target date

All documents should be stored in the contract/relevant file.

Internal Mobilisation Planning

Before meeting the supplier, the public body must align internally. Key actions should include:

Establishing the contract management team, including:

Contract Manager
Technical leads
Finance
IT/Data protection
Human Resources (HR)/TUPE leads
Legal (if required)
Reviewing resourcing needs
Mapping internal dependencies
Agreeing internal governance (who approves what, and when)
Checking budget availability and coding
Identifying training needs (e.g., system access, technical knowledge)

Supplier Mobilisation Kick-Off Meeting

A formal kick-off meeting is essential in medium–high risk contracts.

Agenda should typically include:

Introductions and governance structure
Review of the contract objectives and outcomes
Mobilisation plan and timelines
Supplier resource allocation
KPI dashboard and reporting templates
Data and system access requirements
Business continuity expectations
Health & Safety, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), security or regulatory requirements
Risk review and new risks identified
Communication and escalation routes

The meeting should end with:

A joint action plan
Named points of contact
Mobilisation timeline
Agreement on next steps

Minutes should be recorded and shared.

Confirming KPIs, SLAs & Reporting

Medium–high risk contracts require clear and tested performance measures from the start.

Actions:

Walk through each KPI and Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the supplier
Ensure definitions and measurement methods are clear
Test reporting templates before Go-Live
Agree frequency of monitoring (monthly/quarterly)
Confirm data sources (supplier-provided vs internal systems)
Agree tolerances and thresholds (green/amber/red)
Identify KPIs that require base-lining during mobilisation
Establish how under-performance will be addressed

The supplier must sign off on the agreed KPIs.

Contract Risk Register (Pre-Go-Live)

A dedicated contract risk register should be created before the contract starts.

Minimum required risk categories include:

Service continuity
Supply chain risks
Financial stability
Cybersecurity and data protection
Health & Safety
Workforce (including TUPE)
Business continuity
Dependency on subcontractors
Political or reputational risks

Each risk should have:

Likelihood and impact scores
Owner (public body or supplier)
Mitigation actions
Early warning triggers

Risk registers should be reviewed at least weekly during mobilisation.

Establishing Governance

Medium–high risk contracts require documented, structured governance.

Governance should define:

Roles and responsibilities
Delegated authority levels
Meeting structures:
- Weekly or biweekly mobilisation meetings
- Monthly contract review meetings (from Go-Live)
- Quarterly strategic review meetings
Reporting expectations
Decision-making routes
Dispute escalation procedures
Audit and record-keeping requirements

This structure must be formally agreed with the supplier.

Agreeing Communication and Escalation Routes

Early clarity prevents future misunderstandings.

Agreements should include:

Operational contacts (day-to-day)
Commercial contacts
Senior escalation paths
Emergency contacts
Response times for routine and urgent communications
How issues, risks and incidents will be reported
Shared document locations (if applicable)

A communication plan/matrix should be issued to both sides.

Mobilisation and Implementation Planning

A mobilisation plan is mandatory for medium–high risk contracts.

The plan should outline:

Activities
Owners
Timescales
Dependencies
Risks
Milestones
Gate reviews (“ready for service” checkpoints)

Examples of mobilisation tasks:

Staff on-boarding / TUPE transfers
System access setup
Site surveys
Equipment installation
Process mapping
Business continuity rehearsals
Trial runs / test scenarios
Training delivery
Data migration (if relevant)

The plan should be reviewed weekly.

Readiness Checks and Acceptance

Before Go-Live, a Readiness Assessment must be completed.

This should confirm:

All staff are trained and cleared
Systems and data access work
KPIs and reporting are tested
Business continuity plans are implemented
Health and Safety and compliance checks passed
Risks are within acceptable tolerance
Stakeholders are informed
Supplier has demonstrated ability to meet service levels

If concerns remain, Go-Live should be delayed or a controlled soft-launch used.

Go-Live Approval and Contract Commencement

The formal Go-Live requires:

Sign-off from:

Contract Manager
Procurement Lead
Senior Responsible Officer (SRO)
Legal (if required)

A Go-Live communication sent to:

Supplier
Internal stakeholders
Service users (if relevant)

A contract management pack should be finalised containing:

Signed contract
Mobilisation records
KPI dashboards
Risk register
Communications and escalation map
Meeting calendar
Contact lists
Reporting templates