2.18 The Trust held informal meetings with key PFI bidders prior to the strategic outline case (SOC) to sound out interest from the market. After a bidding process (Figure 5), three bidders were given a final invitation to negotiate (FITN). Taylor Woodrow who had been selected as preferred bidder on the previous attempt at procurement had been shortlisted but were not selected as one of the final bidders. Interim submissions were required from the three final bidders and KPMG consider that these were competitive.