Panel

A panel is a standing offer arrangement with more than one supplier on it. Agencies buy by approaching some or all panellists rather than by going to open tender. Some panels are whole of government and usable by many agencies, such as the Management Advisory Services Panel, the People Panel and the Digital Transformation Agency's arrangements. Panels refresh periodically, and a refresh is often the only chance to join for years, which makes watching for refresh notices worthwhile even when you have no immediate work in mind.