Quick answer
Contracts Finder is the UK government's free online portal where public sector organisations publish contract opportunities and awarded contracts, covering both above-threshold notices alongside FTS and below-threshold opportunities, giving suppliers a single searchable view of UK public procurement activity.
Contracts Finder is maintained by the Cabinet Office and is available at contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. Unlike Find a Tender Service (FTS), which is mandatory only for above-threshold contracts, Contracts Finder covers a broader range of opportunities. Central government departments are required to publish all contract opportunities above 10,000 GBP, and all contract awards above 25,000 GBP. Local authorities and other public bodies are encouraged to publish below-threshold contracts, and many do so as a matter of transparency policy.
What is Contracts Finder?
Contracts Finder provides a searchable database of UK public sector contracts, including prior information notices, invitations to tender, and contract award notices. It accepts notices in plain English alongside structured fields, making it more accessible for smaller suppliers who may not be familiar with CPV codes or formal notice structures.
The portal integrates with some buyer eProcurement systems, though publication is sometimes done manually by contracting authorities uploading notice details directly. Under the Procurement Act 2023, notice publication requirements are being rationalised through the Central Digital Platform (CDP), which will eventually provide a unified view of UK procurement activity and reduce duplication between FTS and Contracts Finder.
Contracts Finder also publishes awarded contract data, including the winning supplier, contract value, and duration. This data is useful for market analysis, helping suppliers understand who is winning contracts in their sector and at what price points, informing bid strategy and competitor intelligence.
Why it matters for bidders
Contracts Finder is often the first port of call for smaller suppliers entering the UK public procurement market. Its plain-language interface and free access make it easier to navigate than FTS, and its coverage of below-threshold opportunities means it surfaces work that would never appear on the above-threshold notice platforms. A supplier focusing on local authority contracts worth 50,000 to 300,000 GBP may find more relevant pipeline on Contracts Finder than on FTS.
The award notice data is equally valuable. Searching for awarded contracts by category reveals the incumbent suppliers, typical contract durations, and renewal patterns, giving bidders advance warning of upcoming retenders well before a formal notice appears.
Example
A small IT consultancy wants to find digital transformation work with NHS trusts and central government departments below the FTS threshold. Searching Contracts Finder by keyword and CPV code, the firm identifies 14 opportunities published in the past 30 days, including a 90,000 GBP data analytics project from a regional NHS trust. The trust has published the notice with a link to its In-tend portal where the invitation to tender documents are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Contracts Finder mandatory for all public bodies?
Not universally. Central government departments must publish opportunities above 10,000 GBP and awards above 25,000 GBP. For local authorities, NHS bodies, and other contracting authorities, publication is encouraged but the mandatory threshold is less consistently enforced. In practice, many large local authorities publish routinely; smaller councils may publish sporadically.
How does Contracts Finder relate to FTS?
The two platforms serve complementary purposes. FTS is mandatory for above-threshold contracts and carries legal weight in terms of procurement compliance. Contracts Finder captures a wider range of spending, including below-threshold contracts, and is more accessible to small suppliers. For above-threshold contracts, both platforms typically carry a notice, though the FTS notice is the legally compliant one.
Will Contracts Finder continue under the Procurement Act 2023?
The Procurement Act 2023 introduces the Central Digital Platform (CDP) as the single notice publication system for UK procurement. Over time, this is expected to absorb the functions of both FTS and Contracts Finder into one place. During the transition, suppliers should continue monitoring both existing platforms until the CDP is fully operational.
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Related terms
Find a Tender Service (FTS)
Find a Tender Service is the UK government's official portal for publishing procurement notices above the post-Brexit statutory thresholds, replacing the EU's TED for UK buyers after 1 January 2021 and operating under the Procurement Act 2023 and its predecessor the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
ViewCentral Digital Platform (CDP)
The Central Digital Platform is the UK government's new unified procurement infrastructure introduced under the Procurement Act 2023, providing a single system for supplier registration, notice publication, and procurement data, designed to replace the fragmented landscape of multiple portals and reduce administrative burden for suppliers and buyers alike.
ViewCrown Commercial Service (CCS) Portal
The Crown Commercial Service Portal is the UK government's central procurement hub where CCS publishes framework agreement opportunities, manages supplier registration, and gives public sector buyers access to hundreds of commercial agreements covering technology, professional services, travel, facilities, and more.
ViewProContract
ProContract is a widely-used UK eProcurement platform developed by Due North (now Proactis) that enables public sector contracting authorities to publish contract notices, manage tender processes electronically, and receive supplier submissions, used by hundreds of local authorities, NHS trusts, and other public bodies across the UK.
ViewIn-tend
In-tend is a UK eProcurement platform used by local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, and other public bodies to manage the full procurement process online, from publishing contract notices and distributing tender documents to receiving electronic submissions and recording evaluation decisions.
View