Firstly, test whether this is really right and how you know. If you are only aware of a single supplier but there is no reason why another supplier would not exist, then you should follow the usual contract award procedure. You may receive a bid from a supplier, perhaps overseas, of which you were unaware. If the supply of the product or service is limited as a result of intellectual property rights (e.g., a patented drug; a copyright journal) then you should again test whether there are alternative suppliers – are there multiple resellers for example? Do you need that particular drug or copyright work to meet your output based requirement? Secondly, test your requirement. For example, if you are looking to procure an extension of software support, it may be more appropriate to procure the supply of the whole system over the relevant term. There may be a supplier out there that can deliver a new and compatible solution for less than the proposed price for the support.
If, after considering the above, you are satisfied that only one supplier exists, consider why there is only one supplier. If it is for technical reasons (which should be construed narrowly as indicated above), artistic reasons (e.g., a named artist is being commissioned for a sculpture), or reasons connected with the protection of exclusive rights (e.g., the required product is the subject of patent protection), then you should take advice on whether the negotiated procedure without notice is appropriate, and document the basis on which this procedure is thought to be appropriate. If there is only one supplier for any other reason, you will still need to follow a standard selection process under the Regulations.