Schedule redaction is the removal of PII from a contract's schedules and annexes. Where the counterparty is a public authority, those schedules can be requested under FOIA 2000. s.40(2) exempts personal data and s.43(2) exempts information whose release would prejudice commercial interests. Deciding what to withhold is a redaction job, and anonym.plus does the personal-data half on your device.
When this applies
Schedules carry the detail: pricing tables, named key staff, contact lists. Under the Procurement Act 2023 regime, in force since 24 February 2025, contracting authorities publish higher-value public contracts, schedules included. Pricing may have to go out once the s.43(2) public-interest test is applied; the named staff are exempt under s.40(2).
How anonym.plus handles it
- Load the schedules into anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool scans pricing tables and personnel lists.
- Named staff and contacts get flagged.
- Confirm the flags and keep the figures.
- Swap or black out the IDs.
- Save the clean schedules on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The schedules (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, or mixed).
- A column map for known ID fields.
- An operator (Replace keeps tables readable).
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | key staff → [STAFF] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | contact list → [EMAIL] |
| Pay | MONEY | named rate → [RATE] |
| Company | ORGANIZATION | supplier → [SUPPLIER] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | phone list → [PHONE] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | schedule date → [DATE] |
Compliance achieved
- Clears the personal data FOIA 2000 s.40(2) exempts from disclosure.
- Leaves commercial figures in place for a separate FOIA 2000 s.43(2) prejudice and public-interest test.
- Handles the schedules published under the Procurement Act 2023 regime, in force since 24 February 2025.
- Keeps pricing tables and figures readable for review.
- Local-only work — nothing is uploaded.
Anonymise contract schedules offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Spreadsheet schedules mix tidy columns with free-text notes. Column rules handle the first well; notes need the same review as any clause. Test a sample before a full run on a large workbook.
Frequently asked questions
Which exemption covers a named member of staff?
FOIA 2000 s.40(2) exempts personal data where disclosure would breach the data protection principles. It is the exemption that normally removes names, direct lines, and personal email addresses from a published schedule. Commercial figures are handled separately, under s.43(2).
Do public contracts really get published in full?
Higher-value ones largely do. The Procurement Act 2023 regime has applied since 24 February 2025 and requires contracting authorities to publish contract information, with the underlying documents released subject to the usual exemptions. Redaction is how the personal and commercially sensitive parts are held back.
Can I clean a pricing spreadsheet?
Yes. A column map flags ID fields while the figures stay, and free-text cells get the same scan as any other text. The Replace operator swaps each ID in place, so rows and columns stay aligned.