Abstract: An auction method is operable in a first computing device that is arranged to communicate with a plurality of second computing devices across a network, each of the second computing devices being controlled by a respective party. The auction method comprises, at the first computing device, generating a request for an offer comprising at least one negotiable parameter, the request being sent to a plurality of parties participating in the auction. The first computing device is responsive to a respective offer being received from a plurality of the parties, each offer comprising a value for each of one or more parameters including the at least one negotiable parameter, to identify a current best offer by combining the parameter values to provide a ranking value for each offer. Responsive to the current best offer failing to be identified as a successful offer, a request for a better offer is sent to at least some of the parties.