The existing procurement rules do not allow a utility to do this unless there are absolutely exceptional circumstances. The British procurement regulations forbid technical specifications within a contract which “refer to goods of a specific make or source or to a particular process and which have the effect of favouring or eliminating particular suppliers or contractors”. The Regulations also state that references to “trademarks, patents, types, origin or means of production shall not be incorporated into the technical specifications”. However, reference can be made when their use in unavoidable or indispensable.