Full definition
Evidence-first procurement is defined as: Evidence-first procurement is the approach of collecting and reviewing the actual supplier documents before advancing a commercial conversation, rather than requesting them after selection.
The traditional flow is to select a supplier on price and capability and then chase evidence in the last week before contract. That is where deals slip, insurance turns out to be inadequate and security reviews fail.
Evidence-first flips the order: minimum viable evidence is requested at RFP or first-meeting stage, so unsuitable suppliers self-select out and the shortlist is genuinely comparable.