Market Accord practical resource
Buyer Market Engagement Design Checklist
A pre-engagement control list for purpose, fairness, evidence and next steps.
Use note: adapt this document to the organisation, sector, legal duties and delivery risk. Completion is not certification, buyer approval or proof that a control operates.
Decision and status
| Control question | Response / evidence | Owner |
|---|
| What decision must the engagement improve? |
| |
| Is a public procurement planned or reasonably foreseeable? |
| |
| What is fixed, open or legally constrained? |
| |
| Who owns the final decision? |
| |
Participation
| Control question | Response / evidence | Owner |
|---|
| Which market segments, SMEs, new entrants, incumbents, users and delivery partners need representation? |
| |
| How will invitations or publication avoid unnecessary exclusion? |
| |
| What time, format and accessibility burden is imposed? |
| |
| What conflicts or connected interests must be recorded? |
| |
Question design
| Control question | Response / evidence | Owner |
|---|
| Are questions neutral and comparable? |
| |
| Do they ask about cost, capacity, mobilisation, risk, evidence and adoption? |
| |
| Can a supplier answer without disclosing disproportionate intellectual property? |
| |
| What information will the buyer provide in return? |
| |
Fairness and records
| Control question | Response / evidence | Owner |
|---|
| What information is confidential and what may need wider publication? |
| |
| How will answers, meetings and decisions be recorded? |
| |
| How will participant advantage be identified and mitigated? |
| |
| What would require the engagement or procurement route to stop or change? |
| |
Decision and publication
| Control question | Response / evidence | Owner |
|---|
| What themes emerged and where did the market disagree? |
| |
| What requirement changed, stayed or was rejected—and why? |
| |
| What common information will be shared with the wider market? |
| |
| What follow-up, pilot or market-development action is owned and dated? |
| |
Version 1.0 · Published 20 August 2026 · Market Accord, an initiative operated by Bid Champions Ltd · marketaccord.co.uk
