Whether you’re a seasoned public sector supplier or a new entrant to the market, securing a government contract can be a huge win. This route can offer steady income streams, credibility, and growth opportunities. However, navigating the world of UK government tenders can be daunting, especially for those new to the process. This article aims to demystify UK government tenders and how to find them.
Understanding UK Gov Tenders
In the UK public sector, a ‘tender’ is an official invitation to bid for large projects. This process ensures that business is divided and awarded transparently and fairly. Any private sector organisation that meets the bid criteria can compete. The process generally starts with a public posting of a tender, followed by a submission phase, where businesses send their proposals. These are then evaluated, and the contract is awarded to the most suitable bidder.
By working with the public sector, technology organisations can enhance their credibility and improve public services. Government contracts are known for their reliability and substantial volume, which can provide significant business growth opportunities.
Where to Find UK Gov Tenders
Contracts Finder
This is your starting point for finding government contracts over £12,000 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It includes opportunities from government departments, agencies, and local authorities. See here.
Find a Tender
Find a Tender allows suppliers to search UK public sector notices worth over £118,000. You can filter for particular tenders through search terms, the notice type such as PINs, value, and more.
Learn more about the tender process by discovering what a Prior Information Notice (PIN) is
Devolved Administrations
Other areas of the UK use slightly different procurement portals:
- Scotland – Public Contracts Scotland.
- Wales – Sell2Wales
- Northern Ireland – eSourcing NI and eTendersNI
Local Authority Websites
Smaller, local contracts can be found on individual local government websites. These are excellent for SMEs looking to dip their toes into government contracting.
Public Sector Procurement Organisations
There are also specialist procurement organisations that create frameworks and DPSs through which public sector bodies can procure products and services from listed suppliers. These routes aim to streamline the procurement process and ensure safety due to the extensive applications and measures in place to get on them.
- Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is sponsored by the Cabinet Office, and brings together policy, advice and direct buying to find contracts and suppliers.
- YPO: The YPO is a publicly-owned central purchasing body. Suppliers can register through the YPO to be considered for public contracts.
- ESPO: Similar to YPO, ESPO also helps public sector organisations with their purchases. Suppliers can also register as an ESPO member to be considered for contracts.
Sector-Specific Platforms
Dedicated platforms for specific sectors such as construction, IT services, or healthcare may exist depending on your industry. These platforms often list specialised contracts that are relevant to particular fields. For example, the NHS has its own procurement team, and if you’re a healthcare provider you may want to look at their specific routes to market such as NHS SBS.
Our Top Tips for Finding UK Gov Tenders
Use Tender Alert Services
Tender alert services allow you to set up a personalised tender feed and receive email notifications for work you’re interested in whenever a new relevant opportunity is published. Many companies out there offer email alerts about upcoming frameworks (and Dynamic Purchasing Systems). We’ve partnered with Stotles for a few years now to help our clients get notified from bespoke opportunity lists that they create. Signing up for email newsletters should be a key part of your strategy – it can save you so much time running searches yourself!
When you sign up for tender alerts, the information you’ll get on each alert that applies to you will be fairly basic. Alerts are in the form of ‘contract notices’, which usually only notify you that a specific tender process is underway. This means not every alert will be the right contract for you. It’s up to you to thoroughly analyse the contract and determine if it’s the right choice for your organisation.
Implement a good filter strategy
Specific keyword searches and filters can help narrow your search results, reducing the time spent reviewing irrelevant opportunities. This will open up more time to work on the applications and bids required. Experiment with different combinations of keywords and criteria to find the most suitable tenders for your business.
Monitor tender portals regularly
We recommend setting time aside to regularly go back to the relevant portals you decide to use to check for newly published opportunities. Deadlines can be tight, so regular monitoring is crucial to ensure you don’t miss out on potential contracts.
Seek Professional Guidance
You may find all of this quite overwhelming – there’s a lot to think about and so many places to find government tenders! Some guidance from someone who knows the industry inside out can help you to get on the right track.
Not only could a professional help you look in the right places and find the right opportunities, but they are often also experienced in bid writing and tender management. At Advice Cloud, our team specialises in these areas and can help you navigate the complex market. With ex-pubic sector buyers on board the team we can help you to tailor your tender responses and ensure you have the best chance of winning a contract. Find out what partnering with us can do for you.
