Find a Tender has changed from being mainly a high-value notice portal into a much more central procurement platform under the Procurement Act 2023. From 24 February 2025, both above-threshold and below-threshold notices for new UK procurements have been published there on the Find a Tender service, except below-threshold notices in Scotland.
That matters commercially because suppliers can now use Find a Tender not only to spot live tenders, but also to see earlier-stage procurement signals and build a stronger pipeline of future opportunities. Contracts Finder still matters as well, especially for lower-value opportunities in England and with non-devolved bodies.
What changed on Find a Tender?
Before these reforms, many suppliers thought of Find a Tender mainly as the place to find higher-value public contracts. GOV.UK still describes it as the service for high-value public sector contracts in the UK, usually above £139,688 including VAT.
Under the newer regime, its role expanded significantly. For new procurements from February 2025, the service allows suppliers to follow procurements across the full lifecycle—from initial pipeline planning to final termination.
What it replaced
Find a Tender replaced Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) in the UK on 1 January 2021 for high-value public contracts.
The more recent change is broader than that original replacement. Find a Tender now functions much more like a central digital platform, with buyer and supplier sign-in, supplier information registration, and a wider notice structure.
Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder
Find a Tender and Contracts Finder now sit alongside each other, but they do different jobs. If you want full coverage of public sector opportunities, you should understand both rather than treating them as interchangeable.
| Feature | Find a Tender | Contracts Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Main role | UK public procurement notice platform with wider notice publication under the Procurement Act. | Search service for contracts worth over £12,000 including VAT. |
| Typical value | High-value contracts (usually >£139k) plus all new Procurement Act notices. | Lower-value and England-focused opportunities (>£12k). |
| Geography | UK-wide public procurement service. | England and non-devolved bodies. |
| Lifecycle | Includes UK1-UK4 notice sequences for new procurements. | Used to search opportunities and historic award data. |
Why both platforms matter
Find a Tender is now more useful because it gives earlier visibility into procurement activity and supports the newer notice framework. That makes it valuable for strategic pipeline-building, not just bid-stage searching.
Contracts Finder remains essential for lower-value opportunities and for looking up previous tenders and contracts to understand buyer behavior and incumbent suppliers.
How to build a public sector bid pipeline
The best way to use these services is to treat them as part of your business development system. Find a Tender is strong for spotting regulated opportunities and earlier procurement signals, while Contracts Finder is useful for lower-value contracts and historic award visibility.
A simple pipeline model involves:
- Watchlist: Early opportunities matching your sector.
- Qualified Pipeline: Opportunities that fit commercially.
- Live Bids: Tenders open for a formal PWin or bid/no-bid decision.
Leveraging the New Notice Structure
You can use Find a Tender to identify opportunities earlier than the tender stage. Instead of only reacting to a live competition, you can start tracking a buyer when a pipeline or planned procurement notice appears.
For a deeper dive into these stages, see our guide on Pipeline Notices UK1 to UK4.
Summary
The real advantage is earlier and better qualification. Businesses that use these platforms to build pipeline early are usually better prepared than businesses that only start looking when a live tender appears.
Suppliers should monitor both services, set up repeatable review processes, and push strong opportunities into their CRM for active management.