Posted By Dhruv Sagar | Oct 6, 2025 | Government Contracts
The United Kingdom has a procurement mechanism that is central in improving the economy, providing opportunities to both small and large businesses, and enhancing accountability in the government expenditure. In case your business is willing to provide goods, services or works to the UK public sector, it is necessary to know the tools that would enable this, i.e. the Government Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service (FTS). This step-by-step guide will showcase how these platforms operate, their main differences and how you can utilize them to win and bid successfully on public sector contracts.
The UK government has spent billions of pounds annually on contracts with its suppliers who are mainly private. These contracts are given to both the large companies and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in relation to construction and IT services, healthcare, and catering. The government developed two key platforms to achieve fair competition and transparency:
Contracts Finder – for viewing lower-value public sector contracts in England and across the UK.
Find a Tender Service (FTS) – for publishing higher-value contract notices that were previously available on the EU’s TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) before Brexit.
These tools are free to use and open to all businesses, providing a gateway into lucrative government procurement opportunities.
The Government Contracts Finder — also known as Contract Finder Gov or Gov UK Contracts Finder — is an official UK government portal that helps businesses discover public sector contract opportunities.
Website: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
This platform lists information about:
Current contract opportunities
Upcoming tenders
Recently awarded contracts
Subcontracting opportunities
Contracts Finder is mainly used for lower-value contracts:
Above £12,000 for central government departments
Above £30,000 for local authorities and other public bodies
It covers opportunities across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and occasionally Scotland (for cross-border tenders).
Free Access: No registration fee — anyone can browse opportunities.
Search Filters: You can filter by location, industry, contract type, value, and publishing organisation.
Email Alerts: Registered users can set alerts to receive notifications for relevant tenders.
Awarded Contracts: You can see who won previous contracts, their value, and duration — useful for understanding competitors and market pricing.
SME Friendly: Contracts Finder encourages small businesses to participate by providing simple, open access to all opportunities.
Here’s a quick guide on how to use the Gov UK Contracts Finder effectively:
Visit the Website: Go to www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.
Search for Opportunities: Use keywords related to your business — for example, “construction,” “IT services,” or “cleaning contracts.”
Apply Filters: Narrow results by region, sector, or contract value.
Register an Account: Create a free account to save searches, set up email alerts, and get personalized recommendations.
Review Contract Details: Each listing includes essential details such as contract description, value, start/end dates, and contact information.
Submit Your Bid: Follow the instructions in the notice for applying, often through an e-procurement portal like Jaggaer or Atamis.
By regularly checking the Contracts Finder, businesses can stay informed about new opportunities and plan their bids strategically.
The Find a Tender Service, also known as FTS, is the official UK platform for high-value public sector contracts. It replaced the EU’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) after Brexit, ensuring continuity in publishing major procurement notices.
Website: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk
FTS is designed for contracts above the UK public procurement thresholds, which vary by sector and type of authority. As of 2025, the approximate thresholds are:
Supplies and Services: £214,904
Works Contracts: £5,372,609
Light-Touch Regime Services: £663,540
Covers High-Value Contracts: Ideal for large suppliers and consortiums.
Advanced Search Options: Search by CPV code, location, buyer, or publication date.
Access to Contract Notices and Award Notices: View both upcoming tenders and awarded contracts.
Cross-UK Coverage: Includes opportunities from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Compliance with Procurement Law: All notices comply with UK’s Public Contracts Regulations.
FTS ensures transparency for major government procurement, helping businesses compete fairly in the post-Brexit landscape.
Feature | Contracts Finder | Find a Tender Service (FTS) |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Lists lower-value tenders and awarded contracts | Lists high-value contracts above legal thresholds |
Audience | SMEs and local suppliers | Larger businesses and international bidders |
Geographical Coverage | UK-wide | UK-wide |
Registration Required | Optional | Optional |
Threshold | £12,000 (central gov) / £30,000 (local) | Above £214,000 (goods/services) |
Website | gov.uk/contracts-finder | find-tender.service.gov.uk |
In short, use Contracts Finder to explore smaller, accessible contracts, and FTS for high-value, strategic tenders.
At Bid Detail, we understand how competitive public procurement can be. Here are a few practical tips to improve your chances of winning contracts on both platforms:
Understand Buyer Requirements: Carefully read all documents, eligibility criteria, and technical specifications.
Build a Strong Profile: Highlight past performance, certifications (like ISO or Cyber Essentials), and financial stability.
Stay Updated: Set up alerts on both Contracts Finder and FTS to receive new tender notifications instantly.
Start Small: Begin with lower-value contracts to build credibility before targeting larger ones.
Use Tender Aggregator Platforms: Platforms like Bid Detail can help you track opportunities from multiple portals in one place.
Maintain Compliance: Follow all guidelines related to procurement, data security, and legal documentation.
While the Contracts Finder Gov and Find a Tender Service are valuable tools, navigating them daily can be time-consuming. That’s where Bid Detail simplifies the process.
Our platform provides:
Real-time updates on UK government tenders
Categorized listings by industry, region, and value
Easy access to tender documents and submission links
Tailored alerts for your business sector
Whether you’re looking for gov uk contracts finder notices or high-value find a tender service opportunities, Bid Detail ensures you never miss a potential contract.
Government Contracts Finder and Find a Tender Service are essential resources to any company that would like to be involved in the UK public sector. The two provide full disclosure of all public procurement opportunities, including local council opportunities, as well as multimillion national contracts. This way, with the help of the available resources, a proactive approach, and the trustworthy websites such as Bid Detail, your business can access a constant flow of opportunities in the public sector and become sustainable on the UK market. We simplify the process of finding, learning and winning government tenders in the UK at Bid Detail. Begin the search nowadays and open the world of public procurement.
