The State of UK Procurement After Brexit: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and the Procurement Act 2023

For suppliers who work across both the UK and European markets, the divergence is real and growing. The UK now operates its own portals, its own thresholds, its own transparency rules, and (with the Procurement Act) its own distinct legal framework. Understanding these differences is essential for any business that bids for public contracts on either side of the Channel.

This article covers the current state of UK procurement: where to find opportunities, what the Procurement Act changes, how the UK and EU systems now differ, and what it all means for suppliers.

The UK Procurement Landscape in 2026

The UK public procurement market is substantial. Government spending on goods, services, and works amounts to approximately GBP 300 billion annually, roughly one-third of all public expenditure. This makes the UK one of the largest procurement markets in Europe, comparable in scale to France or Italy.

Since Brexit, the UK's procurement architecture rests on two primary portals and a new legislative framework.

Find a Tender Service (FTS)

Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk) replaced TED as the mandatory publication channel for above-threshold UK procurement from 1 January 2021. It is operated by the Cabinet Office.

Key facts about Find a Tender:

• Scope: All above-threshold public contracts in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (Scotland uses Public Contracts Scotland for some notices but cross-posts to FTS)
• Access: Completely free to search and browse
• Registration: Free registration enables email alerts and saved searches
• Notice types: Contract notices, contract award notices, prior information notices, transparency notices (new under the Procurement Act)
• Coverage: Central government, local authorities, NHS, police, defence, and all other contracting authorities

Find a Tender mirrors TED's role as a disclosure portal: it publishes notices and links to the full tender documents, which are hosted on individual buyer platforms such as Jaggaer, ProContract, In-Tend, Delta eSourcing, and others.

Contracts Finder

Contracts Finder (gov.uk/contracts-finder) is the below-threshold publication portal for England. It has been operational since 2011 and was significantly upgraded in 2015.

Key facts about Contracts Finder:

• Scope: Below-threshold contracts in England where the value exceeds GBP 12,000 (central government) or GBP 30,000 (sub-central authorities)
• Access: Completely free, no registration required to browse
• Content: Contract opportunities, awarded contracts, and some pipeline information
• Coverage: English contracting authorities only. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements

Contracts Finder is particularly valuable for SMEs. Below-threshold contracts tend to have lighter qualification requirements, shorter timescales, and less competition. For businesses building a track record in public procurement, Contracts Finder is often the best starting point.

Devolved Administrations

The UK's devolved nations operate additional portals:

These portals publish both above-threshold and below-threshold opportunities for their respective administrations. Suppliers interested in the full UK market need to monitor all of these alongside Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.

The Procurement Act 2023: What Has Changed

The Procurement Act 2023 received Royal Assent in October 2023 and came into force in stages from 2024. It replaces the patchwork of EU-derived regulations that previously governed UK procurement: the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016, and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

This is not a minor update. The Procurement Act is the first ground-up rewrite of UK procurement law since the country adopted EU directives, and it introduces several significant changes.

Simplified Procedures

The EU framework offered six main procurement procedures (open, restricted, competitive procedure with negotiation, competitive dialogue, innovation partnership, and negotiated without publication). The Procurement Act replaces these with a simpler structure:

The competitive flexible procedure is the headline change. Instead of choosing from multiple rigid procedures with specific rules, contracting authorities design a bespoke process. They must set out the process in advance in the tender notice, and the process must be fair and proportionate, but the flexibility is considerable.

For suppliers, this means you need to read each tender notice carefully. Two tenders using the competitive flexible procedure may look very different from each other.

Enhanced Transparency

The Procurement Act introduces transparency requirements that go beyond anything in the EU system or the previous UK regulations.

• Pipeline notices: contracting authorities must publish planned procurement, giving suppliers advance visibility
• Transparency notices: required for direct awards, making previously invisible contract awards public
• Key performance indicators (KPIs): authorities must publish contract performance data
• Payments compliance: 30-day payment terms are strengthened, with reporting on payment performance
• Procurement Review Unit: a new oversight body with powers to investigate and make recommendations

The increased transparency is a significant advantage for suppliers. Pipeline notices help you plan resources. Transparency notices reveal contracts that would previously have been awarded without any public notice. KPI publication helps you assess whether an incumbent is delivering well or leaving an opening for challengers.

SME-Friendly Provisions

The Procurement Act strengthens provisions for small and medium-sized enterprises:

• 30-day payment terms flow down to subcontractors, not just the prime contractor
• Proportionality is a core principle, qualification requirements must be proportionate to the contract
• Lot-splitting is encouraged, with authorities required to consider dividing contracts into lots
• Preliminary market engagement is formalised, helping SMEs shape requirements before the formal tender

Exclusion and Debarment

The Act creates a central debarment list, a public register of suppliers excluded from public contracts due to serious misconduct (fraud, corruption, tax evasion, modern slavery). This replaces the previous system where each contracting authority assessed exclusion grounds independently.

For compliant suppliers, the debarment list is a positive development. It levels the playing field by ensuring that seriously non-compliant competitors cannot simply move to a different authority and bid again.

How UK and EU Procurement Now Diverge

Five years after Brexit, the differences between UK and EU procurement are no longer just administrative. They are structural. Here is how the two systems compare in 2026.

Legal Framework

Publication and Portals

Thresholds

UK thresholds are currently aligned with GPA values (the UK is an independent GPA signatory since January 2021). Over time, the UK may choose to set its own thresholds that diverge from both the EU and GPA, the Procurement Act gives the government this flexibility.

Transparency and Data

Supplier Qualification

What Changed for Suppliers After Brexit

For businesses that previously bid across both the UK and EU markets, the practical changes are significant.

If You Are a UK Supplier Bidding in the EU

• You are now a third-country supplier. Your access to EU procurement is governed by the WTO GPA, not EU internal market rules.
• The EU's International Procurement Instrument (IPI) could theoretically be used to restrict access if the EU determined that the UK was not providing reciprocal access, though this has not happened to date.
• You can no longer use a UK-issued ESPD automatically. You may need to provide equivalent national certificates, checked against e-Certis.
• You must comply with the Foreign Subsidies Regulation for tenders above EUR 250 million, declaring any UK government financial contributions.
• Practical advice: register on national portals in your target European markets. TED notices link to national platforms where the actual tender documents and submission processes are hosted.

If You Are an EU Supplier Bidding in the UK

• You have access under the GPA on the same basis as before, the UK's GPA commitments cover procurement above GPA thresholds.
• The Procurement Act applies to you in the same way as UK suppliers. There is no discrimination based on country of establishment for GPA-covered procurement.
• You need to familiarise yourself with UK-specific notice formats and the competitive flexible procedure, which has no direct equivalent in EU law.
• Monitor Find a Tender and Contracts Finder rather than TED for UK opportunities.

If You Operate in Both Markets

• You now need two separate monitoring setups: TED and national portals for EU procurement, plus Find a Tender and Contracts Finder for UK procurement.
• Legal and compliance frameworks are diverging. You cannot assume that EU procurement experience translates directly to UK rules, or vice versa.
• The UK's competitive flexible procedure requires a different mindset from EU procedures. Read each tender notice carefully to understand the specific process being used.
• Tools like Bidovate's Mevin can help by monitoring opportunities across both markets from a single platform, with Vault helping you manage response libraries that work across both UK and EU tenders.

Practical Tips for Navigating UK Procurement in 2026

Register on all relevant portals. At minimum, register on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, and the devolved portals relevant to your market. Registration is free and enables email alerts.

Read pipeline notices. The Procurement Act's mandatory pipeline notices are a genuine competitive advantage. Use them to plan resource allocation months in advance.

Understand the competitive flexible procedure. Do not assume it works like any specific EU procedure. Each contracting authority designs its own process. Read the tender notice methodology statement carefully before deciding whether to bid.

Use contract award data. Both Find a Tender and Contracts Finder publish award data. Use this for competitive intelligence, who is winning, at what value, and in which sectors.

Watch for the debarment list. The central debarment list will identify suppliers excluded from public contracts. If a competitor appears on the list, it may open opportunities in contracts they previously held.

Track payment performance. The Procurement Act's payment reporting requirements will reveal which authorities pay on time and which do not. This is valuable information when deciding whether to pursue a contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find UK public tenders after Brexit?

Above-threshold UK tenders are published on Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk), which replaced TED for UK procurement from 1 January 2021. Below-threshold opportunities in England appear on Contracts Finder (gov.uk/contracts-finder). Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own portals: Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, and eTendersNI respectively. All portals are free to use.

What is the Procurement Act 2023?

The Procurement Act 2023 is the UK's ground-up rewrite of procurement law, replacing the EU-derived Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and related legislation. Key changes include a new competitive flexible procedure (replacing multiple EU procedures), mandatory pipeline and transparency notices, a central debarment list, strengthened 30-day payment terms, and mandatory contract performance reporting.

Can EU companies still bid for UK contracts?

Yes. The UK is an independent signatory to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), which guarantees reciprocal market access for suppliers from GPA member countries, including all EU member states. EU suppliers have access to UK above-threshold procurement on the same terms as UK suppliers. There is no discrimination based on country of establishment for GPA-covered contracts.

How do UK procurement thresholds compare to the EU?

UK thresholds are currently aligned with GPA values and broadly comparable to EU thresholds. For supplies and services, the UK threshold is approximately GBP 139,688 for central government, compared to EUR 143,000 in the EU. For works, the UK threshold is approximately GBP 5,372,609, compared to EUR 5,538,000 in the EU. The UK has the flexibility to set its own thresholds in future, so these may diverge over time.

Do I need to monitor both TED and Find a Tender?

If you bid for contracts in both the UK and the EU, yes. TED no longer publishes UK procurement notices, and Find a Tender does not publish EU notices. They are completely separate systems. You need to monitor TED (plus relevant national portals) for EU opportunities, and Find a Tender plus Contracts Finder for UK opportunities. Procurement intelligence platforms such as Bidovate aggregate opportunities from both systems, saving you the effort of monitoring each portal individually.