How to find and win council and public-sector contracts in the UK

Councils, NHS bodies, schools, housing associations and government departments buy from small businesses every week. Most of it is advertised for free. What’s hard is knowing where to look, which notices are worth your time, and the routes in that aren’t open tenders. This guide covers all three.

Step 1: know where notices are published

Find a Tender. From 24 February 2025, new UK procurements are published here, above and below threshold, except below-threshold notices in Scotland (Find a Tender). Notices must appear here before anywhere else (GOV.UK).
Contracts Finder. This still carries lower-value opportunities from procurements that started before 24 February 2025 (Find a Tender). You can search it without an account, and a free account adds email alerts and saved searches (GOV.UK).
Regional portals. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own procurement websites (GOV.UK): Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI. Scottish councils mainly follow Scottish rules (GOV.UK).
Buyers’ own portals. Many buyers run tenders through their own e-tendering system. The notice is published centrally first and may then be repeated locally (GOV.UK), so the central notice usually tells you where to get the documents.

Step 2: search smart

Find a Tender is free to search and lets you set up alerts (GOV.UK). Start narrow: a few keywords for what you actually sell, the regions you can serve, and open opportunities only. Save the search and check what’s new each week instead of starting from scratch.

Check the value. If a council or most other bodies advertise a contract worth £30,000 or more including VAT, they must publish a notice on Find a Tender; for central government the figure is £12,000 (section 87; GOV.UK). For below-threshold work, buyers can also ask a pre-selected group of suppliers for quotes without advertising (GOV.UK). GOV.UK suggests contacting your local council about how to become an approved supplier (GOV.UK).

Step 3: understand frameworks

A lot of public money is spent through frameworks: a buyer appoints a panel of suppliers, then awards “call-off” contracts to those on the panel. A council can only call off from a framework set up by a contracting authority (GOV.UK frameworks guidance). Most frameworks can last up to four years, or eight for defence and utilities frameworks, unless the buyer gives reasons for a longer term (section 47). If you aren’t on a framework, you can’t win its call-offs, so note when the frameworks in your field are due to be re-let.

The Act also created open frameworks, which must reopen to new suppliers at least once in the first three years and then at least every five years (GOV.UK). Buyers must now publish a notice when they award a call-off contract (GOV.UK), which shows you who is winning the work.

Step 4: use dynamic markets

Dynamic markets replace dynamic purchasing systems. They must stay open for new suppliers to join at any time, but only members can be awarded contracts through them (GOV.UK dynamic markets guidance). Joining one relevant to your trade can put you in front of several buyers at once. Some charge a fee, which must be set out in the documents that establish the market (GOV.UK).

Step 5: watch the early signals

Larger buyers publish pipeline notices listing contracts over £2 million they plan to tender in the next 18 months (section 93). Preliminary market engagement notices ask suppliers for input before the tender is written (section 16). These are your chance to ask for sensible lots, realistic requirements and SME-friendly terms. Buyers must consider lots and give reasons if they don’t use them (section 18), and they must have regard to the barriers SMEs face (section 12). See how to respond to a market engagement notice.

Step 6: decide before you bid

Bidding takes time, so decide early, using the checklist below. Smaller, local, lower-value work is often the easiest way to build the track record that larger tenders ask for. Once you win, valid invoices on public contracts should be paid within 30 days (section 68; section 88).

Browse this week’s notices by sector: construction, cleaning, facilities management, grounds maintenance, IT and software, consultancy, catering, transport and creative, marketing and web work.

In the US? Read how to find federal contracts on SAM.gov.

Go/no-go checklist

We have done this kind of work before and can show examples
We meet the minimum requirements (insurance, accreditations, turnover)
The contract value is worth the effort of bidding
We have time to do it properly before the deadline
The location, volumes and contract length work for us
We understand how it will be scored, and the price is realistic
We are registered on Find a Tender, or can be before the deadline

FAQ

What’s the difference between Find a Tender and Contracts Finder?

Find a Tender is now where new UK procurements are published, above and below threshold (outside Scotland’s below-threshold work). Contracts Finder still carries opportunities from procurements that started before 24 February 2025 (Find a Tender).

Do councils have to advertise every contract?

No. If a council advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more (including VAT), it must publish a notice, but for below-threshold work buyers can invite quotes from pre-selected suppliers without advertising (GOV.UK). That’s why becoming an approved supplier helps.

Can a small business join a framework later?

Not a standard framework once it’s been awarded. Open frameworks reopen to new suppliers at set points, and dynamic markets accept new members at any time (GOV.UK; GOV.UK).

How quickly will I be paid?

Public contracts carry a term that valid invoices are paid within 30 days (section 68).

Can you guarantee we’ll win work?

No. No one honestly can. Tender Radar shows you what’s out there early enough to make a considered decision.

Official sources

Laws and guidance change. Check the sources above for the latest position. For advice on your own circumstances, consult a solicitor.