Where are UK public-sector tenders published now?

Since the Procurement Act 2023 went live in February 2025, new notices from councils, housing associations, the NHS and other public bodies are published on the central digital platform, Find a Tender. Contracts Finder still carries older-regime and some below-threshold notices. Graftum's Projects list reads both every day.

Do I need to register before I can bid?

Yes. Register your firm once on Find a Tender (the supplier registration is free and takes about 20 minutes with your company number, insurance details and accreditations). Buyers then pick up your core details from the register instead of asking for them in every bid.

What is a DPS or dynamic market?

A pre-approved list of suppliers a buyer can call off from. Under the new Act they are called dynamic markets. You apply once to join (usually a short questionnaire), and after that the buyer sends you the smaller packages directly — often without a full tender each time. For a small firm it is the single most useful thing to get onto.

What is an SQ and a framework?

An SQ (selection questionnaire) is the first-stage form: who you are, turnover, insurance, accreditations, references, health and safety. A framework is a multi-year agreement with a shortlist of suppliers; work is then awarded by mini-competition or direct award. Frameworks are harder to join mid-term — watch for the renewal notice.

Is it worth bidding for small packages?

Often yes: below-threshold works (under about £5.4m) have lighter paperwork and fewer bidders, and the £20k–£250k packages are where small firms actually win. Buyers must also consider barriers to SMEs and pay within 30 days, and that 30-day term flows down the supply chain.

How a small firm wins council work (Procurement Act 2023)

1. Where the tenders are now

Most new notices — councils, housing associations, NHS trusts, schools, universities, utilities — go on the central digital platform, Find a Tender. The older site, Contracts Finder, still carries some below-threshold and legacy notices. Nobody reads both every day, which is why we built the Projects list: both feeds, filtered to building and building-services packages, tagged by trade and region, refreshed every morning. Start from your trade: electrical, M&E & heating, fit-out, roofing, civils, repairs & maintenance.

2. Register once, properly

Supplier registration on Find a Tender is free. Have ready: company number, VAT number, turnover for the last two years, employer's and public liability insurance (most buyers ask for £5m / £10m), accreditations (NICEIC, Gas Safe, CHAS / SafeContractor / Constructionline), and two or three references with contact details. Buyers pull these from the register, so you stop re-typing them in every bid.

The one thing that disqualifies small firms most often: insurance limits. Check the notice's minimum before you spend an evening on the bid; a £10m public liability requirement is common on highways, rail and NHS work.

3. The words on the notice

Tender notice (UK4) — a live competition. Read the deadline, the estimated value, the lots and whether it says SME-friendly.
SQ / selection questionnaire — stage one: who you are, finances, H&S, references. Pass/fail, then a shortlist.
ITT / invitation to tender — stage two: price and method. This is where the work is won.
Dynamic market (was DPS) — a pre-approved list; join once, get the smaller packages sent to you. The best thing a small firm can be on.
Framework — a multi-year shortlist; work comes by mini-competition or direct award. Watch for the renewal notice, usually 6–9 months before expiry.
Lots — a big contract split by area or trade. Bid for one lot; you don't need to cover the whole county.
Below threshold — for works contracts, anything under about £5.4m (the goods and services threshold is about £214k). Lighter process, fewer bidders, and most packages a small firm can deliver sit here.

4. What you can ask for as an SME

The Act makes buyers consider barriers to small firms and justify them. In practice that means you can reasonably ask for: payment within 30 days (it's in the Act and must flow down the supply chain, including to you as a subcontractor), lots sized for a firm your size, proportionate turnover requirements (the long-standing benchmark is no more than twice the contract value), and clarification questions answered in writing for everyone. Use the questions period — buyers must publish answers to all bidders, and a good question often reveals who the incumbent is and how they'll score.

5. Pricing without losing money

Measure, don't guess. Get a BoQ or build one from the drawings: units × rate per item. Lump sums hide the mistakes until month three.
Price labour from real day rates plus the on-costs people forget: holiday pay (12.07% on PAYE), employer's NI, CIS admin, travel, parking, PPE, downtime between sites.
Prelims as a separate line — supervision, welfare, skips, plant, RAMS, inductions, insurances. On public work prelims are 8–15%, not 3%.
Retention and valuations. Check the payment terms: monthly valuations, 3–5% retention, defects period. Make sure your cash can carry 60–90 days.
Quality answers win ties. Method statements, social value (local hires, apprentices), and a clean H&S record often score 40% of the marks. Reuse good answers — keep them in one place.

A rule of thumb: if the package is under £250k and in your trade and region, and you can meet the insurance and the dates, bid. Your hit rate on your first five bids will be poor; by the tenth you'll know the buyers and the scorers, and that's when it pays.

6. After you win

Public work is paperwork-heavy: RAMS before you start, inductions signed, daily records, test certificates, O&M files and valuations every month. That's what Graftum was built for — site records from the phone, timesheets and CIS pay from the same data, valuations that match the contract lines, and a handover pack at the end. It's free for 90 days, and the Projects list stays free regardless.

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Thresholds and rules are as published for England, Wales and Northern Ireland at 30 October 2026; Scotland runs its own regime via Public Contracts Scotland. This is general guidance, not legal advice.